In little more than a year, Davis has grown from a 6-2 unknown guard into a 6-9 forward with multiple skills.
Chicago high school basketball sensation Anthony Davis showed off his talents during Thursday's tournament play at the King City Classic at the Wolstein Center.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The must-see recruit all spring and into the summer has been fast-rising Anthony Davis from Chicago. It was no different the opening day of the King City Classic basketball tournament at Cleveland State's Wolstein Center.
In little more than a year, Davis has grown from a 6-2 unknown guard into a 6-9 forward with multiple skills. Unlike many who have had big growth spurts in the past, Davis said he has not had issues with joint pain. His biggest challenge is dealing with the phone calls from coaches wanting his services.
"A lot of coaches calling every day," he said Thursday. "I just had to cut [the list] down, so I could look at specific schools to see what they had to offer."
Most of Davis' peers at the King City Classic have been on the radar of major college coaches for two or three years. But sitting in an arena with Tom Izzo, Jim Boeheim, Billy Donovan, Tubby Smith, Mike Krzyzewski, Sean Miller, Roy Williams, Gary Williams and other iconic college coaches can be daunting for the uninitiated.
"I didn't really look up there," Davis said. "I just kind of saw a crowd. But I did see Coach K."
Davis is a consensus top-10 recruit by all the major recruiting services. He has already shortened his list of potential teams down to three: Kentucky, Syracuse and Ohio State. Davis said the schools fit his style of play, and all utilize their forwards both inside and outside.
It's been a whirlwind year that has Davis going through a change of fortunes on the basketball court, but also a lifestyle change. He's gone from wearing jeans to almost exclusively sweat pants, and jumping from a size 13 shoe to a 17.
"A lot of stores don't have my [shoe] size, so now I have to order things online," Davis said.
On the court: In his first game of the King City Classic, Davis and his Team UNC was matched against JaKarr Sampson (St. Vincent-St. Mary) and Team Duke. Late in the game Sampson got a step on Davis, went for a layup and missed. Davis immediately turned and raced downcourt where he took a pass in stride for a dunk.
As he sprinted back, a teammate picked off a steal and started yet another transition play. Davis took a pass in traffic under the rim, pivoted, and dropped in a soft layup that gave his team a comfortable cushion in what would end as an 84-76 victory.
Do you know: What a National Letter of Intent is? It's a voluntary letter, when signed, that commits a student athlete to a one-year scholarship at the university of his choice provided he/she meets enrollment requirements of that institution. It also means no other school can continue to recruit an athlete who has signed a NLI.
There are 324 Division I schools in the NLI program. However, the Ivy League and military academies do not participate, along with a few select others.
The NLI program began in 1964.
You thought scholarships were for four years? The NCAA has not allowed four-year scholarships since 1973. The maximum athletic scholarship award allowed by the NCAA is for one year.
This n' that: Nice game-winner by 6-7 Victor Nickerson, playing for team Syracuse, in his first game matchup going against Team UConn. Down, 63-62, with a second to play he took a pass on the wing, made a hard dribble into the lane, then pulled up for a floater and a game-winner at the buzzer.
Sign in please: By the end of the day, 110 coaches from around the country had signed in for the King City Classic. Missing from the list was Kentucky's John Calapari, who is in Germany watching the U-17 national team.