Now that we’ve reached the month of July, basically every game represents the opportunity for players to be seen, evaluated, and offered by college coaches. While this notion is more applicable to seniors, several juniors and multiple sophomores will inevitably put themselves on the radars of next-level programs. Over the few months, we will take a closer look at various players who should warrant attention as scholarship-level prospects. The intent of this article series is simply to provide breakdowns of guys who coaches should know about. We will continue by looking at Jai’Den Davis of Southern Durham High School.
It’s been written countless times over the years (and should be common knowledge by now), but big men simply develop on a slower timeline than others. There are numerous examples of this notion, and Davis appears to be the most recent case. The growth he’s shown throughout the current travel ball season has been undeniably impressive. Although his flashes began at our 757 Showcase in Virginia Beach, Davis has only continued to trend upward since then. At 6-foot-8, he possesses length, mobility, and an impactful interior presence on both ends of the floor. Davis displays touch around the basket, especially over his left shoulder, and is comfortable making passes out of the post. He works hard to involve himself in the rebounding battle and utilizes his length well to block shots defensively. Davis runs the floor properly in transition and understands how to maintain a steady presence on both ends of the floor.
Although he wasn’t heavily involved for the Spartans last season, that’s likely to change going forward. Davis should see a massive uptick in production as his steady, low-maintenance game continues to blossom. He’s clearly developed into a college-level prospect who should appeal to a variety of different programs. Coaches can watch him with Wildcats Elite Knight this week at our Phenom Hoops Live.