Karnik Discusses Mental Health, Playing Loose After Career Performance
Andy Backstrom (@andybackstrom)
Publisher
James Karnik had a list of goals for his collegiate career: getting a Division I offer out of Surrey, British Columbia; being a starter each year; someday playing in the ACC and reaching the 1,000–point milestone.
The Lehigh-turned-Boston College men’s basketball center accomplished the final leg of that four-pronged agenda during Saturday afternoon’s dramatic win over Virginia Tech.
But he didn’t know it until after the game.
“I actually completely forgot,” a smiling Karnik said. “I had it in the back of my mind, but once I started playing, I completely forgot.”
That’s because Karnik was playing loose.
The senior was immersed in the game while piling up a career-high 26 points on 10-of-12 shooting, in addition to pulling down nine boards, four of which were on the offensive glass.
It was a dominant performance that followed Karnik’s worst game of the season. Three days prior at Louisville, he logged one point, three rebounds and two turnovers before fouling out in 11 minutes of action. It was his second time fouling out in a four-game span (he also had five personals at Pittsburgh on Jan. 8).
Bouncing back has been a theme for the 6-foot-9 big man. After a slow start to the season—which even saw him briefly lose his starting spot to Quinten Post—Karnik strung together a stretch of four games where he reached double figures three times. He capped the scoring surge with a 17-point, 13-rebound double-double in a triumphant victory against Notre Dame.
Then, two games after fouling out at Pitt, Karnik poured in 17 points at Clemson, operating a two-man game with guard Makai Ashton-Langford in the second half of the Eagles’ 23-point comeback win. And, of course, Saturday was the latest instance of Karnik righting the ship.
He explained after the win over the Hokies that he’s made a concerted effort to maintain his mental health this season.
“A big thing for me this year is just, mentally, I feel like, COVID included, there’s a lot of mental health things going on,” Karnik said. “It’s very easy to kind of get mentally down in these situations and suffer. Sometimes, I’m like, ‘It’s basketball,’ even for me. But just being able to work through it and not put so much pressure on myself. And just go, ‘Next game.’ This is all about basketball.”
Karnik continued: “Every great player has ups and downs. So it’s just making sure that you don’t get hard on yourself. That’s honestly what I told myself. I said, ‘Don’t stress it.’ I feel like sometimes I really just try to force it. I’m like, ‘You’re gonna have a great game.’ And, honestly, when I tell myself that, it doesn’t turn out for me all the time. Because sometimes, whether I get too aggressive and I get in foul trouble, 'cause I’m always trying to make every single play … that puts me in bad positions.”
Karnik is instead trying to read defenses.
If he’s doubled in the post, he looks to kick the ball out. If the opposing five man is late on a switch off the pick-and-roll, he’s attacking the paint.
“Just letting the game come to me,” Karnik said.
