ShareThisPac-10 coaches beware: Quincy Pondexter, who was snubbed in the Player of the Year voting, knows how to hold a grudge.
When he wasn't included on the McDonald's All-American team after his senior year at San Joaquin Memorial High in Fresno, Calif., Pondexter boycotted the popular hamburger chain for three years.
His personal vendetta would have continued if he hadn't traveled last year with Team USA to Serbia for the World University Games.
Food options were limited. It was either the cafeteria, which served unappetizing local cuisine, or McDonald's.
"I didn't eat it (from) that day until I was in Serbia and we had no food in the cafeteria that I was going to be able to eat," Pondexter said. "I didn't eat the first two days (in Serbia) and my teammates kept going to McDonald's and I ended up buying in.
"I couldn't die. It came down to that point. It was either death or McDonald's. And I ended up going with McDonald's."
Pondexter said he's matured and doesn't hold a grudge against the Pac-10, which gave the POY award to California senior guard Jerome Randle even though Pondexter won the conference Player of the Week award a record five times.
"It really doesn't matter to me," he said. "I've grown up a lot. I can't hold a grudge against the conference that made me who I am.
"It's something that I'm going to always remember for the rest of my life. I know people around Seattle will probably remember it a lot more than I am. You've just got to go out and try to prove to people that your team is really good and you're a pretty good player."
Sophomore guard Isaiah Thomas said the Huskies (21-9) are extra motivated heading into the Pac-10 tournament because of the perceived lack of respect given to their senior captain.
"It's more fuel to our fire," Thomas said. "I told Quincy the other day, it's motivation. You still got people doubting you out here. So you've just got to show them and prove who's the real Pac-10 Player of the Year.
"No disrespect (to Randle), I'm just pulling for my teammate."
Pondexter admitted in the past he would have entered Thursday's quarterfinal pairing with No. 6 seed Oregon State (14-16) trying to prove something.
This time, however, things are different.
"I know how to channel it the right way and a lot better now," Pondexter said. "Early in my career or in life, I would have really tried to go out and tried to prove to people that day, even if no one was in the gym, that I deserved to be ranked or a little bit better.
"But at the end of the day you have to stay on the right path that you've been on for a while. You can't let an award change your whole aspect on the game of basketball."
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com)
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