Sophomore center Christian Mackey is making it easy for coach Joe Scott to plan more playing time for him, but Denver’s 6-foot-6 recent catalyst has to uphold his end of the bargain.
Mackey, who had been a minimal factor coming off the bench for the Pioneers most of the season, has stepped up his performance in the last two games to the point that Scott wants to see more of him in the game.
Mackey’s surge to prominence began two games ago when he helped engineer a second-half rally in DU’s 53-51 victory over Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Mackey’s contribution was 11 points and four blocked shots. In a 75-72 victory Saturday at Nebraska Omaha, Mackey tallied a season-high 14 points and was within one rebound of a double-double.
“I have to make sure that I keep giving him minutes on the floor, but he has to make sure he keeps playing in a consistent way,” Scott said.
The Pioneers (13-11, 5-6 Summit League) are seeking their first three-game winning streak in league play Thursday against Western Illinois (8-13, 1-9) at Magness Arena.
“To be honest, I think I’m just playing smarter,” Mackey, who came to DU from Kirtland, N.M., said of his recent success. “The coaches have me doing extra work — rebounding drills, getting up and down the court, scoring in the low post, things like that. I’ve been doing as much as I can in practice.”
Scott believes Mackey’s upturn in performance can only help his team continue to make progress.
“He does things on the floor that helps our team win games,” Scott said. “He’s been playing with an inner fire the last couple of weeks. That’s a sign of real growth for a team when a player comes along like that in February.”
Scott envisions a time when he could have Mackey, 6-7 Marcus Byrd and 6-7 C.J. Bobbitt in the game at the same time.
“We’re striving to be able to win games in different ways,” Scott said. “There’s no question that we’ll be a different team in the league tournament than what we’ve been in the regular season.”
Mackey was a late addition to the DU roster before his freshman season.
“We didn’t see him until April when he was playing in an AAU tournament after the high school season in New Mexico,” Scott said. “We saw a 6-foot-6, 270-pound tight end.”
Mackey played football and basketball in high school but didn’t get much attention from college recruiters.
“I wasn’t the most coordinated player in high school,” Mackey said. “I think my coaches in the AAU program had a big impact on me. I was confident I could play. Once I got here, I felt welcomed and part of the team.”
Irv Moss: 303-954-1296, imoss@denverpost.com or @irvmoss
