By James Blackburn

Paul Davis basketball WSSU

Paul Davis, PF-C, 6’9”, Senior

(35 min, 6-7 FG, 1-5 FT, 13 points, 18 reb, 3 blk)


Warm-ups

While Davis was warming- up I noticed several things. Davis has a smile on his face the entire time. He is cordial to his teammates, opposing players, and officials in meeting at the center circle with the captains. He is high fiving players in the lay-up line. Has great overall body language in warm-ups.

Strengths

Excellent rebounder who boxes out and rebounds the ball with 2 hands. Chins the ball and secures rebound. Gets inside rebounding position on both ends of the floor. Had several tip in rebounds tonight. Good shot blocker. Very athletic player who is quick off his feet. Good active defensive player in general. Long arms allow him to play the passing lanes and guard on the perimeter (3 steals this game). Led the team in minutes played tonight and never once showed signs of fatigue- good endurance level. Does a good job of hiding himself behind the zone and going to the open spots, the gray areas. Got deep post up position multiple times through out the game and did not get frustrated when his teammates could not get him the ball. He sees the floor well and is an above average passer for his size. Runs the floor well on the offensive end. Agile and quick for a big man. Leader on the floor. Huddles up players in FT situations. Great body language.

Weaknesses

Needs to get stronger- add more upper body strength. Needs to get back quicker on the defensive end. Not a very good FT shooter- not a lot of rotation on the ball. Dribbling needs improving. Needs to improve his back to the basket game- looks anxious and was quick to get rid of the ball in post- needs to become more patient with the ball in his hands. I never saw him shoot other than free throws. Needs to improve overall shooting and range. Does not have the greatest hands for a big man.

Overview

Paul Davis continues to excel this season for a Winston-Salem State team that took the step back down to the NCAA D-II level this season. This is Davis’ first season playing in the CIAA, playing the previous three years with WSSU as a independent member of NCAA D-I. Paul garnered All-Independent Second Team honors last season as a junior. After applying for the NBA draft last season, before removing his name early to stay eligible, Paul hopes to continue to improve and get stronger this senior season to improve his professional hopes. Davis has loads of potential, with a long frame and above average athleticism. Davis is a great teammate and never complained or showed any negative body language. Did not complain or look frustrated. Encouraged teammates even when they made mistakes. Always had eyes on his coach and listened. This could help him land a roster spot on a NBA summer team and/or an invite to training camp. At the very least Davis will have more than several suitors calling for his talents overseas.

Coach Bobby Collins Interview

After the game, I had an opportunity to speak to Coach Collins about Paul Davis and the improvements he has made. Coach Collins had nothing but good words to say about Davis and how far he has come since his freshman year at State. “He has improved in all areas”, Collins replied when asked about Davis. Coach said when Paul Davis first arrived on campus he weighed 165 lbs and was a shot blocker only. Now he has added weight and has developed into a scoring threat. “He has a picture-perfect jump hook and he loves the weight room”, Collins said. “He is coachable and is a team player”. Coach Collins said that Davis will enter his name into the NBA draft again this year.

****
Hey, if you like this kind of basketball coverage, do yourself a favor and sign up for the BasketballElite.com newsletter, which is free for basketball lovers.