It felt like yesterday when Rutgers freshman guard Jamichael Davis was inserted into the starting lineup by head coach Steve Pikiell for the first time in his career, and may I add, in arguably New Jersey’s biggest college hoops rivalry, the Garden State Hardwood Classic.
How did Davis respond?
In 32 minutes, he played brilliantly as he registered 11 points, 6 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block. But one statistic that may have gone unnoticed in the game was how many turnovers he committed. Zero.
In his last five games, Davis has played almost nearly mistake-free basketball as he's only turned the ball over twice while the rest of the backcourt has turned the ball over a combined 22 times. He is emerging as a reliable player and major weapon in the backcourt who makes few mistakes with ball distribution and security.
When asked about Davis in the starting lineup after the game against LIU this past Saturday, Pikiell said, “He is so fast and now is playing to share the ball and can get to the rim. He is shooting the ball at a high level in practice too. We are pleased with his progress but he has a long way to go.”
For some freshmen, it takes some time to become accustomed to the fast pace and physicality of the college game, but Davis has adjusted almost immediately and is a natural fit.
Through ten games into the season, Davis is averaging 5.2 points per game but in his last two games, he’s tallied double-digits scoring, 11 points against Seton Hall and 12 points against LIU. Davis is a fearless player and is unafraid to attack the rim.
Since being inserted into the starting lineup, Davis has been shooting the ball really well as he’s averaging 47.5% (9-of-19) from the field. Davis’ confidence shooting from deep was on display against Seton Hall as he went 2-of-3 from deep.
Davis’ ball distribution has been significant this year for Rutgers as he’s averaging at least 3 assists per game, but lately he has really shown his ability to distribute the ball effectively as he picked up 6 assists against Seton Hall.
Not only has Davis been productive on the offensive side of the ball, but he has been a lockdown defender forcing his opponents to shoot in difficult situations. Davis also reads the floor very well defensively as he’s nabbed a few steals in his last two games, and has put unrelenting pressure on opposing teams’ backcourts when Pikiell employs the full-court press. Davis’ has also played very clean basketball as he’s averaging less than 1 foul per game.
As Rutgers prepares for Mississippi State on Saturday, expect Davis to be in the starting lineup and to see his fair share of minutes. Pikiell doesn’t often change his starting lineups, especially when the team is winning but Davis has looked extremely comfortable on the floor and is playing his part almost like a veteran. He has clearly been the most impressive player on the team this season.
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