BASKETBALL: DJ Davis hopes to bring prestige to Riverside Poly basketball.
By Jack Weggeland, Staff Writer
Riverside Poly recently added a new, young weapon to their arsenal of talent; his name is DJ Davis (9). The freshman star, who was recently selected as one of the top 20 players in the Inland Empire, is the future of Poly basketball and plans to take the program to new heights.
Davis profiles as a six-foot point guard and is a lethal shooter from inside and beyond the arc. He rounds out the point guard position with his impressive knowledge of the game, court vision and outstanding passing ability. In addition, Davis oftentimes breaks down defenses with his ball-handling skills, allowing him to create his own shot or attack the paint and find the open player for the easy shot.
Davis showed off his skills and athleticism at the season-opening high school basketball tournament: The Battle Zone. The freshman starting point guard led the team in scoring, averaging 22.4 points per game and scoring 30 points in the tournament finals against Redlands East Valley high school. With his impressive performances, he was selected by the Battle Zone committee as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. “He has an elite skill in terms of his ability to shoot the ball. There are very few, if any, who shoot the basketball as well as he does. Furthermore, he is someone who has a tremendous work ethic; he always wants to get better and learn how to impact the game in many ways,” Poly boys’ varsity basketball head coach Yancy Dodson said.
His great talent, work ethic and performance has put Davis on many college basketball teams’ radars including perennial powerhouses, such as University of North Carolina and Ohio State University. In regards to receiving recruitment letters, Davis was humbled. “I was just shocked that these schools have been looking at me even though I am a freshman,” Davis said. “However, just because I got these letters, it does not mean that it’s time to relax; [it’s] time to work even harder and use this as motivation,” Davis stated.
Davis says that the biggest inspiration in his life, fueling his dedication on the court, is his father. “I see him go from job to job with no sleep to provide for me and my family, and I just want him to have a better life. I also love the game. It makes me happy to be on the court and take my mind off all the things in life and just play basketball,” Davis said.