Outsiders may label Tack Minor a troublemaker, but the 5-foot-11-inch guard said he sees himself as a mama’s boy.
Raised in a tough Houston neighborhood, Minor said his four brothers protected him at school and on the playground, but his mother was the one who cared about him most.
“She’s been with me through thick and thin,” Minor said. “She was my elementary teacher so she’s been there all the time. My dad’s been there too, but my dad [was always] at work. My mama is a house mother so she would be with me every day. She taught me a lot of things, and I appreciate everything she’s done for me.”
During a friendly family game of backyard football, Minor was knocked out cold by his older brother. Minor’s defensive mother rushed home to find a big knot on her baby boy’s head.
“I got up and I tried to open up the door, and I fell out,” Minor said. “My mama came from church, she ran from church because my dad called her.
“And my mama got on my dad so bad because my head was so big. ‘Why are you sitting there letting him go to sleep? He could have a concussion or brain damage.’ And after that I was like, ‘Yeah my mama loves me.’ I just love my mama. I’m a mama’s boy.”
Minor admits he has gotten a big head since then. He said it cost him McDonald’s High School All-American honors.
“I did have a temper problem in high school,” Minor said. “My attitude hurt me in the long run. I’m just trying to bounce back from it and get my image back to being a good person.”
Making strides toward the same unselfish attitude his mother exemplifies, Minor said he is more focused on team goals this season.
“I’m a good person,” Minor said. “I’m just going to bounce back and play team ball and just become a true point guard.”
Part of that transition took place last summer when Minor returned to Houston and was tutored by NBA players.
“They taught me a lot,” Minor said. “They taught me to be patient, get your team involved and whatever shots are open for you, take the shots. And that’s what I’ve been doing.”
Minor has done just that, posting a 1.39 assist to turnover ratio this season after having a negative ratio his freshman year.
LSU coach John Brady said he sees improvement from Minor in both his attitude and decision-making on the court.
“He’s watched a lot of tape,” Brady said. “He’s more receptive to coaching. He wants to learn, and he’s just gotten better.”
Some people may mistake Minor’s high intensity on the court as a bad attitude, but junior guard Darrel Mitchell said that is Minor’s game.
“When you get emotional, people might look at you in a strange way, but he’s just a real emotional guy,” Mitchell said. “He takes things to heart. He’s not a bad guy. When he makes mistakes he gets upset at himself. He’s not upset at anybody else. He’s just a real emotional guy.”
Brady said Minor’s attitude affects his play for better or worse in every situation but enjoys coaching a player with such emotion.
“Sometimes his personality is his biggest problem,” Brady said. “It’s really good, or he can be really hard-headed. He’s extremely outgoing. You’d assume he’s real confident, but under that he’s not as confident as he appears. He enjoys having a good time.”
Minor said those expressions show his passion for the game.
“It’s just a fun game and you gotta play team ball,” Minor said. “I think me having fun with my teammates will bring us closer together.”