A Look at 2011/2012 Recruit Kevin Davis

Courtesy Federal Way Mirror

Staff Writer Josh Liebeskind takes a look at the Huskies’ newest commit, Kevin Davis.

by Josh Liebeskind – Staff Writer

Not sure that the Sweet 16 loss to West Virginia has gotten any less painful, even with their throttling of Kentucky on Saturday. The Mountaineers size and length posed more than enough problems to thwart the Dawgs, who in many other ways looked up to the task of competing with WVU.

What if the Dawgs had a bigger body on the floor to block out on the defensive boards and navigate the Mountaineers tricky 1-3-1 zone? That question will have to linger in our thoughts, but the Dawgs have already taken a step to eliminate any questions of the sort in the future.

Lost in the aftermath of the painful loss on Thursday was the commitment of 6’8” forward Kevin Davis. Who is this guy? Why haven’t I heard of him? Let’s take a look at Davis.

Just tell me something about this guy: Davis is a 6’8” forward who attended Todd Beamer High School in Federal Way. He had a very unique situation in high school, as he was granted a fifth year of eligibility (more on that in a moment). He averaged 21.3 ppg, 15.3 rpg, and 6.6 bpg this past season.

If he’s such an impressive player, why haven’t I heard anything about him? As mentioned earlier, Davis was granted a fifth season of eligibility, something rarely seen at the high school level. He was granted his fifth year because of a tumultuous junior season in which he had to deal with the pregnancy of his girlfriend. He also struggled with school, failing a class. He was eventually cut from the basketball team because the coach was afraid his off-the-court troubles were becoming a distraction.

Because of a coaching change the following year, he was allowed back on the team for his senior season. He then petitioned before the next season, and was granted a fifth year. Due to all of these problems, Davis fell through the cracks in the recruiting process.

Where is Davis now? Davis has enrolled early at College of Southern Idaho, a junior college, and is working towards earning an early degree so he can become a Husky for the 2011-2012 season. Let’s hope that he can figure his academics out so we don’t see a repeat of the Charles Garcia situation.

How does Davis fit in with the Huskies? This is a difficult question to answer because it relies on a lot of speculation. Assuming that in two years all of this year’s juniors are graduated and no one else leaves early for any reason, the roster will be what it is right now minus Venoy Overton, Justin Holiday, and Matthew Bryan-Amaning. This leaves ample scholarship spots open for Davis. It is impossible to know what other recruits Lorenzo Romar will bring in, but without knowing that, Davis seems to be a perfect fit for the Dawgs.

First off, he fits the Romar mold of an athletic forward. Furthermore, Steve Gosar, the head coach at College of Southern Idaho, has identified Davis as a great rebounder, shooter, and fantastic at running the floor. Hmm, who does that remind you of? Sure, it’s too early to label Davis as a potential star of Q-Pon’s stature. But, if he’s the player he’s made out to be, there is no reason not to be optimistic about Davis turning into an impact guy as well. Another positive is that Davis will be the age of a normal junior in college when he enters his first year at UW (as a sophomore). Here’s to hoping for greater maturity and talent with age.

There are a lot of variables that could change between now and the 2011-2012 season.  But, Davis has also been praised for his maturity, which is a good sign that the kid will be productive in a Husky uniform from day one.

Thanks for coming!