The Details: Crisp?s Personality Propels UW On And Off The Floor
By Mason Kelley
GoHuskies.com
David Crisp was just a man with his headphones. Standing in the airport after a win over Arizona State last week, the freshman broke out his version of the Milly Rock, a dance that’s like a modified two-step.
In Crisp’s version, he threw in a few hand twirls and then a Dab or two. With teammates and travelers seated nearby, the 6-foot guard wasn’t trying to attract attention.
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He was simply caught up in the moment.
The resulting scene, though, created unintentional entertainment for his teammates.
“I’m just happy,” Crisp said with a smile. “I’m just really happy. I’m not trying to go wild and attract attention to myself, do anything like that. I’m just having fun. People see it and that’s fine with me.
“I’ve got a lot of energy. I’m just a really positive dude. You can catch me dancing, smiling all the time, lifting people’s spirits up, because that’s when I’m at my best.
This is who Crisp is. Like his young teammates, he is living in the moment, squeezing anything and everything he can out of this season.
“I’ve been like that my whole life and they (the Huskies) wanted me,” he said.
Who he is as both a player and person is what makes him so valuable to the program. And his dancing well, “It’s definitely a 10,” teammate and longtime friend Dejounte Murray said. “He can do a lot of stuff.”
His talent extends beyond his dance moves. In fact, he showed recently he is also quite adept at trick shots, sinking a football toss from the opposite free-throw line.
Once he hit the shot, he celebrated with a dance.
“He gets everybody laughing,” Murray said. “He’s just a guy that sparks it. If you’re having a bad day, he’ll brighten it up – the same with Malik Dime. Those are the two main guys who can cheer dudes up when they’re down.”
Crisp leads with his energy. He rarely runs out of it, and his ability to play the game with a smile on his face is a benefit to his teammates.
“I’m just enjoying the experience,” he said. “It’s my dream to play college basketball, and I’m finally here. I’m just making the most of it.”
But, as much as he contributes simply by being himself, Crisp has also proven to be a valuable on-court addition to this year’s program.
In his freshman season, the guard is one of four Huskies averaging double figures (10.1), while playing the fourth-most minutes (24.2). He is a key contributor on a team that, at 12-5, 4-1 in Pac-12 play, refuses to be limited by youth.
Crisp’s high-energy personality off the floor carries into the way he plays.
“I try to come in and really make an impact, bring energy,” he said. “If I can do that, I’m doing my job.”
When the game starts, he tries to get a read for the flow. He monitors the tempo. He prepares to push or maintain, depending on how things are going.
“If we’re starting off slow, I bring some energy and pick that up,” he said. “If we start well, I try to keep the intensity or even pick it up a little.”
Crisp spends much of his time living in the moment. However, there are opportunities to step back and think about the path that led him to this point. He was AAU teammates with fellow freshman Dominic Green. The friends will talk about how “crazy” it is to go from playing in high school gyms to competing in the Pac-12.
"Now it feels like we're playing in NBA arenas,” he said. “It’s a blessing.”
It’s reason to smile, a reason to celebrate – a reason to dance.
