Jamaal Davis
School Merrillville HS, IN
Height and Weight 6'8 235lbs
Position Power Forward
Ratings #28 (VC), #5 (Vitale), #14 (RR),
#56 (HS), #12 (FS), #46 (PS)
Academically Eligible Prop48 for the 97-98 season
Status Signed
Player Summary ·
Player News ·
Game Stats ·
Season Stats ·
Honors ·
IHSAA Schedule
Jamaal Davis could be the best player in the class of 1997 in the
state of Indiana, and is a top20 player nationally. Considered a complete
player, Davis handles the ball well for a big-man and has good passing
skills. His quickness will benefit the fastbreak and can pull up and
hit the outside jumper. Davis does need to become more consistent from
the perimeter, and has said that he would like to play on the wing in
college.
Davis is young and will not turn 18 until April of his first
year of college. Currently at 235 lbs. he has the genetics to carry
much more weight. He has added 35 lbs. just in the past year, and his
father is 6'9 and 260 lbs.
In his junior season, Davis averaged 19 points and shot 63 percent
from the floor and 65 percent from the line. Davis was named as Indiana's
top junior player by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association and
received many all-state awards.
As a sophomore, his team went 27-2 and lost in the state
championship game to Ben Davis.
Jamaal's career highs are 36 points and 15 rebounds.
9-27-97...Davis is a regular at the coed recreational facility on
the basketball courts, sometimes with Stephens, and sometimes not. He is
looking very thin. It was reported back in July that Davis had lost 30
pounds from the accident, and nearly three months later he has yet to
gain much back. When he is on the court without Stephens, he floats around on
the perimeter getting the ball to other players. But when Cam is with him...
look out. I almost pity the other players on their team. They break and
dunk...break and dunk. Davis' mobility does look good considering the
accident, and he was bringing the ball up on the break much more than
Stephens, who had some spectacular dunks. Their ability to know how to
feed each other should be a definite plus if Keady decides to let the
team run more. Similar to the connection Gary and Greg McQuay would have
if Greg joins the Boilers next year.
9-11-97...Jamaal Davis has enrolled and is on campus. His
initial court appearance for charges resulting from his accident has been
set for November 25th. This date was chosen so Davis would not have to
miss any school to appear in court.
7-26-97...Jamaal turned himself in to be booked on Friday, set
bond, and was released. A hearing date was also set.
7-25-97...As expected, charges stemming from Jamaal Davis'
accident have been filed. The most serious charge is a class D felony
count of criminal recklessness. Four other lesser charges include reckless
driving, unsafe lane movement, driving left of center, and excessive
speed in a work zone. A warrant was issued for Davis' arrest late on
Thursday in connection with the filing of the charges. The officer
first at the scene of the accident last month speculated that Davis
will not have to serve any of the maximum 3 years, but will likely have
to pay some amount of fine and have to perform community service.
Previous to this accident Davis' driving record was unblemished, which
should help his case.
In a statement to the The Times, the prosecutor refuted Davis'
claims that his accident was the result of a two tire blowout.
The other accident victim, Brian Kurowski, is currently in
rehabilitation in Chicago. His family has hired attorneys to sue for
damages from the accident. It is unknown whether the suit is actually meant
to punish Davis, or actually just a way to gain a better settlement from
Davis' insurance company.
7-20-97...Although the anticipated teaming of Davis and Stephens
did not occur because of a Stephens no-show, Jamaal Davis returned to the
court on Saturday in competition against the Illinois All-Stars. Playing
sparingly, he finished with 4 points on 2-6 shooting. Davis blamed the
output on trying too hard instead of just shooting the ball. He played
without rib protection and did not suffer any injuries from the game.
When asked about his friend Cam and why he wasn't in attendence, Davis
speculated that Cam needed some time off and that his confidence was a
little damaged after hearing news of his ineligibility. Davis has
reportedly lost 30 pounds since the accident, and is now back down to 205
(where he was last summer).
7-9-97...Good news for Boiler fans hoping to catch a glimpse of
teammates Jamaal Davis and Cam Stephens before the 98-99 season (assuming
Davis will not qualify for freshman eligibility). After being recently
cleared by his doctor to begin playing basketball again, Davis plans
to join Stephens in Fort Wayne for the four state battle for bragging
rights known as the Wendy's Classic on July 19th and 20th.
Additional confirmation of Davis' presence on campus this fall came
today in an article by Brian Neubert in the Purdue Exponent, in which
Davis was quoted as saying "No matter what happens, I'll still be coming
to Purdue. I will not be going to a junior college." Cam Stephens also
agreed that academic qualification will not affect his plans to attend Purdue.
6-24-97...Word is that Jamaal Davis has been admitted to Purdue
University. He will be a non-qualifier the first year and will have to pay
his own way.
6-19-97...Jamaal Davis will be at Purdue this fall, likely as a
non-qualifier. Dispelling recent rumors that he might not ever make it to
Purdue (Recruiting USA for one), Davis told the Hammond Times that he has
made the decision that he will be at Purdue this fall, and will sit out a
year if he is labeled as a non-qualifier.
6-18-97...According to the Purdue Exponent, Jamaal Davis was
released from the hospital on Tuesday.
6-17-97...Davis' condition has now been upgraded to fair.
6-14-97...Although he remains in intensive care, Jamaal's
condition has been upgraded from critical to serious condition. Earlier
reports of additional broken bones were false. Apparently, only two
ribs were broken. Frank Kendrick suggested in a talk on Friday that
the severity of the bruised heart may have been exaggerated. It was
also reported that he said Jamaal would be in uniform this fall without
a doubt. Kendrick spoke at the Civil Engineering Open this week.
Brian Kurowski is also improving. He is out of intensive care
and the doctors are satisfied that his spinal injury will not result in
paralysis.
A good article this morning in the Journal and Courier talks a
little about the legal aspects of the accident. According to one of the
officers on the scene, he will probably wait a month to discuss the case
with the Lake County prosecutor. Since both accident victims look to
fully recover, the officer speculated that IF Davis is charged it would
likely be for reckless driving. It is also possible that no charges will
be filed at all.
6-13-97...According to an article in the Journal and Courier,
doctors are now predicting a full recovery for Jamaal Davis. He remains
in critical but stable condition, but is breathing on his own.
Keady and staff met yesterday to discuss academic options for Davis.
Doctors say Davis will not be able to touch a basketball until this fall.
The staff will continue to map out options for Davis and advise him how to
best take advantage of the downtime.
Davis was on his way to pick up his mother when the accident happened.
His mother was to accompany him to the Indiana All-Star mini-camp in
Kendallville scheduled to begin Wednesday afternoon. Tom Geyer of Indianapolis
was picked up by the All-Star team to add some size in Davis' absence.
6-12-97 8:10pm...Things are improving slowly, but he is still in
critical but stable condition. I passed along Kurowski's hospital information
to Jamaal Davis' girlfriend at St. Anthony's. She said Jamaal was conscious
and off the respirator. They took him for a precautionary brain scan
this afternoon. The mood has improved up there too, as I could hear some
laughter in the waiting room as I spoke to her. Jamaal's girlfriend said
she was personally going to go call the other family. Nice girl. Unless
something changes tonight, I'll wait to update everyone again until
tomorrow.
6-12-97 4:24pm...Jamaal remains in critical condition, but no other
info has been released yet this afternoon. I did speak with the mother
of the the other injured person, Brian Kurowski. His mother said that he
is suffering from a contusion to the brain and a cracked vertebra, and
is current conscious. He was taken off a respirator this morning, and is
responding to questions. At the moment, the answers to the questions aren't
correct, but at least he is responding. She said cards and gifts can be
sent to the hospital, and appreciates the prayers. She also asked about the
condition of Jamaal. They have been unable to find out anything so far.
She extended her sympathy to the Davis family. Cards can be sent to...
Columbia Olympia Fields Osteopathic Hospital, 20201 Crawford Avenue,
Olympia Fields, IL 60461 Attention: Patient Brian Kurowski.
6-12-97 12:19 pm...I've been told that the first 48 hours with
injuries like these are critical, so Jamaal is halfway there. At noon, he
is still listed in critical but stable condition. Davis was ejected from
the vehicle into the median of I-65 before the truck went into the oncoming
lane and hit the other car. The truck crushed the roof of the other car,
sending the driver to Columbia Olympia Fields Osteopathic Hospital in
Olympia Fields Illinois with massive head trauma including a skull fracture
and a broken neck. 21 Year old Brian K. Kurowski should also have a place
in your prayers. I will attempt to get an address for Olympia hospital
later this afternoon.
6-12-97...Davis remains in critical condition, unconscious, and
on a respirator as of 4:00am Thursday. Visitors included his family and
Merrillville coach Jim East on Wednesday. Keady has not visited but has
said he and some of the assistants will go up today.
Davis was thrown 40 feet upon impact as he was returning from
West Lafayette on I-65. He is now listed as having several broken ribs,
a punctured lung, numerous lacerations, and heart contusions (bruising
without lacerations).
6-11-97...Jamaal Davis is in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at
St. Anthony's Hospital in Crown Point Indiana. Davis' vehicle lost control
in a construction zone, hit another vehicle head on, and flipped, throwing
Davis from the vehicle. The accident happened at 9:54 am this morning on
I-65 at the 254 mile marker. I just got off the phone with a member of the
family at St. Anthonys, and cards and flowers are welcomed. Send them to...
St. Anthony's Hospital, 1201 South Main, Crown Point, IN 46307. Please
include "Attention: CICU - Jamaal Davis". As of 11:45pm, Jamaal was still
listed as critical.
6-11-97...Several reports have stated that Jamaal Davis was
involved in a serious car accident today. WJOB in Hammond reports that
Davis is in critical condition with broken ribs and a bruised heart.
Other reports claim his leg or legs might be broken too. The info at
the moment is sketchy, but here's what I've heard. Davis was traveling
at a high rate of speed, according to the state police, and lost control
nearing a construction zone. Davis was reportedly thrown from the
vehicle. I will follow up this report this evening after I make some
phone calls.
6-4-97...No new news yet on the academic status of Jamaal Davis.
It is speculated that he will not qualify for the upcoming year, but
no new news on where he will spend next year. Prep school and junior
college are possibilities, but according to Stephens a month ago
Davis was planning on a Prop 48 season at Purdue. Davis continues to
prepare for the Indiana All-Star games, hoping a good summer will
help to set the record straight on his abilities. Davis got hammered
by the media after last summer, beginning with a "poor" performance
at the Nike Camp. Davis was still picked for a gold medal team and
was the team's second leading scorer. Top 5 junior Korleone Young
was tops for the team with one more point. Then came the academic
problems...or were they? Fort Wayne South Coach Gregg Taylor believed
Jamaal was academically ineligible for part of last season, as did
several other coaches and critics around the country. The fact is
that it was not Jamaal that was ineligible, but rather his brother
John. "I've pretty much put last year behind me, although most people
probably think Jamaal Davis has got a bad attitude," said Davis.
"That's my mistake and there's a whole lot of regret on my part."
4-21-97...Incoming Purdue recruits Jamaal Davis and Cam Stephens
have been named to the 1997 Indiana All-Star team. The Indiana team will
play its Kentucky counterpart on June 21 and 28. For more information
about the game, follow this link to the Events page.
4-15-97...It has been a tough season for Jamaal Davis. Haunting
the beginning of the season were the recruiting violations committed by
Purdue, followed by a string of events that would have broken the spirit
of most high school kids struggling with life and school. Coach Jim
East won the NW Times Coach of the Year award, but you almost get the
feeling it was out of pity. What could have been a state championship
caliber team, began unraveling through the season. Jamaal Davis remained
the stable backbone of the team in the meantime. Two players, John Davis
and Duray Lawrence, were declared ineligible in January. Sherwin Johnson
was suspended for three games, and Brian Hatfield drew his suspension a
week before sectionals. But don't pity Jim East...admire him. The
Pirates finished 21-3 and undefeated in the Duneland Conference while
Merrillville's career scoring leader is headed towards a college
education.
3-8-97...Jamaal Davis' high school career ended in what was
called a "bizarre chain of events" by coach Jim East. In the final
7.8 seconds of the game there was one frozen game clock, a two point
differential, and a winning three-point shot at the buzzer. Not to
mention the gnashing of teeth from officials, fans and coaches. Who would
have thought that this year would end identically to East's 1983 Merrillville
team, then by the hands of Lew Wallace, a game also held at Gary West.
Jamaal Davis ended his career with 21 points, 10 rebounds and two blocked
shots. Davis had a total of 15 blocks for the tournament.
2-26-97...More info on Jamaal Davis' academics...rumors are still
saying Davis will not likely qualify. Davis has said he will attend Purdue
in the case he does not qualify, but no final decision has been made. Cam
Stephens is reportedly going to call Davis and convince him to spend his first
year at Purdue and room together as originally planned in the event he did
not qualify.
2-21-97...A scouting report from the Merrillville vs. East Chicago
game..."Merrillivlle ranked #1 in the Region and EC #2 - great game; EC won
in 2OTs. Jamaal Davis played well (19 pts), but was hounded all night by
Willie Davis (6-7 and pursued by PU) who probably played the game of his
career. But most impressive was Bobby Smith, 6-2 guard (also pursued by
Purdue) - lightning quick, great penetrator and excellent assist man (20
points). He just played in the flow of the game till crunch time, and then
almost took over. A couple penetrating layups right at Jamaal - who is the
best shot blocker in the Region - incredibly put the ball softly off the
glass. The kid is the real deal. Frank Kendrick probably also thinks so as
he was there too - drove up in an ice storm to see the game." (scouting
report by Dave Foster)
2-13-97...Word has it that Jamaal Davis will not qualify for
freshman eligibility for Purdue next year. News should be released soon
as to whether Davis will go to a prep school for a year, or attend Purdue
under prop48 guidelines.
2-9-97...Click here for a another article on basketball and
Jamaal Davis, from the Indianapolis Star.
1-10-97...For the second time this season, Jamaal Davis' little
brother John Davis outscored him in a game to lead the team to a 66-34
victory over Hobart (1-8). No one was happier than Jamaal Davis. "He's
a rebounder and he loves the game," said the older Davis. "This is only his
first or second year of organized ball, and he's shown some real improve-
ment." John finished with 13 points, Jamaal added 10. Coach Jim East sees
nothing but positives from the new competition for Jamaal. "Jamaal's
very unselfish," said East. "He passed up some opportunities to get the
ball in the hands of others tonight."
1-3-97...Merrillville defeated Highland by the score of 60-44.
You think coach Jim East would be happy. He's not. Not only was Davis
not working hard enough to East's satisfaction on the inside, his guards
were not doing a good job passing on the perimeter. They particularly
were not getting the ball into Davis, who was double and triple teamed
a majority of the evening. But after a slow start (only 1 point from
Davis in the first quarter) his team began to pull away. "We've got to learn
how to get (Davis) involved. He has to get involved," said East. "He's
got to find ways to get open and be more aggressive." One adjustment
that helped was the full-court pressure applied by Merrillville which
forced 22 Highland turnovers. Both of Merrillville's starting guards
finished with 11 each and Davis added 12.
The new listing of Jamaal's weight is 205, down 10 pounds from the
summer.
12-28-96...Another slow start brought another stern speech early in
the game in Merrillville's eventual romp of Lake Central in the final game
of the Merrillville Holiday Tournament. Lake Central came out running
and quickly had the score at 6-1 before East called his first timeout.
Following the timeout, Merrillville finished the first quarter with a 14-4
run, capped by a three pointer from Jamaal Davis at the buzzer. Davis'
best run came in the third when he scored 10 of his teams 22 points, and
finished out the game in the final period with back-to-back slam dunks,
one a highlight reel quality reverse two-handed jam. It was one of those
days for Davis. "Sometimes when I'm out there playing it feels like I'm
on my own little planet," Davis said. "I can't explain it. It's a feeling I
get."
12-21-96...Coach East pulled Jamaal, along with starters Blacknell
and Price towards the end of the first quarter against Gary Roosevelt
tonight for just "going through the motions". "We had five turnovers at
that point," said East, who sat the starters on the bench for a two
minute refresher in intensity. Jamaal Davis would reenter the game and
go on to score 30 after the "pep talk". "He didn't want the ball bad
enough early," said East, "but that changed."
12-22-96...Click here for a good article on the basketball life of
Jamaal Davis, from the Indianapolis Star.
12-20-96..."I want you to attack" was the call from Merrillville head
coach Jim East at the end of the first half. "No more outside shots," added
East. The problem was a one point lead over a Valparaiso team, which to
that point, had let Merrillville throw up shots at will from the perimeter.
They weren't falling. The team's floor leader is still struggling. Starting
point guard Donte Price is only averaging 3 points this season after
averaging in double figures last year, and the small forward position "is
up for grabs" according to East. The call to attack was designed to
get Jamaal Davis into the game, who had only taken five shots in the
first half. Davis was getting it done defensively, with 5 rebounds and
6 blocks in the first half alone. Coach East wanted the guards to penetrate
and get Davis moving. "I told him to stop trying to just post and to screen
away and then come off to the short corner," said East, "and he started
doing that." Valpo found it hard to adjust, as Davis scored 12 second half
points leading Merrillville (3-1, 1-0) to the 51-40 victory. Valpo
coach Bob Punter echoed Davis' effect on the Valpo game plan, especially
the 5 blocks Davis had in the first quarter alone. "We hurried our shots
because of Davis," Punter said. "He had us thinking we couldn't get off a
shot unless we shot it quickly. It's tough having a guy 6-9 taking away a
lot of the points we are used to getting inside." (stats below)
11-20-96...In a public press conference at Merrillville High on
Tuesday, Jamaal Davis put all the rumors to rest an officially announced
that he had signed a national letter of intent, and mailed it away, to
Purdue University. "Once you have a heart for something, you just do
it," Davis said. "I don't think anything could have made me change my
mind." Coach East first saw Frank Kendrick hanging around Merrillville
when Davis was a freshman and originally thought he was recruiting
his teams juniors (who eventually also made it to Division 1 colleges).
Davis said on Tuesday that his decision to attend Purdue never swayed.
The NW Times also reported the fact that Davis lost a close
friend from Gary the day before his collapse last week. Mark Pigee, who
Davis credits for keeping him out of trouble when Davis used to live in
Gary, was shot in Chicago a week ago last Sunday. The death and his
illness both contributed to the delayed announcement. Coach East also
said Davis' collapse "wasn't an anxiety attack", contrary to his
quotes last week that it was. Davis is scheduled to undergo further
tests to make sure physically he can play basketball. In the meantime
he is still cleared to practice and play at Merrillville.
11-17-96...The announcement that Purdue fans have waited for came
on Friday, as Jamaal Davis signed his national letter of intent and sent it
to Purdue. As of 4:00pm on Friday, Purdue had not received the letter, but
Davis' mother confirmed that she did sign it and it was to be sent special
delivery. Davis has also been cleared to return to practice at Merrillville
after passing out in class Monday. Doctors have not been able to find
anything wrong with Davis, but further tests will be taken in the near
future. Doctors believe the incident was a combination of the flu and anxiety.
11-13-96...The doctors are calling it an "anxiety attack", but the fact
that it has happened before worries people surrounding Jamaal Davis. Davis
collapsed in class on Tuesday after complaining of being ill on Monday
night. "He just passed out in class," said coach Jim East. Davis was taken
to the hospital, and preliminary tests revealed nothing. He will return to
have more tests taken on Thursday. The official cause of the collapse was
"an anxiety attack that created pain in the chest area", according to coach
East. East also said Davis has had similar medical problems for a couple
of years. In the meantime, Davis has been cleared to return to class, but
has not been cleared to resume basketball related activities. His signing
that was expected to be today has been postponed.
11-12-96...Davis is expected to sign a national letter of intent
with Purdue tomorrow, along with friend and fellow top rated recruit
Cameron Stephens. Jamaal said of his friendship with Cameron on Tuesday,
"He's a real good friend," Davis said of Stephens. "It will be like a dream
come true for us when we go down there. We are going to room together and
make that first year real fun."
9-27-96...For those of you who missed the NW Times article on Jamaal
Davis, here's a brief summary from my less than perfect memory. Primarily
the article reviewed the recent allegations that Davis met with Kendrick
outside of an NCAA mandated contact window. Although the allegations were
untrue, they could have an effect on Davis' bid for next years Mr. Basketball
title. The article also pointed to Davis' two suspensions from the team
last year (from which he returned a much more focused player). The article
was a classic hatchet job titled "The Breaking of Mr. Basketball", but
is correct in assuming that in the very political race for Mr. Basketball,
incidents surrounding Jamaal Davis of late will likely affect the voting.
It should be a wakeup call to Davis if he still has the goal of being the
1997 Indiana Mr. Basketball.
9-22-96...A recent rumor printed on the Future Stars website is stating
"there are reports that Davis is looking at other schools, including
Minnesota". This rumor has been floating around since late-August and according
to Davis, in an article in the Exponent on September 3, the rumor is not
true. There are many sources rumored to be behind the report including an
interesting one that the rumor was started by Merrillville head coach
Jim East to build some press for Davis in preparation for next years Mr.
Basketball title. All is pure speculation. But according to Jamaal Davis,
the reports are untrue. Rumors like these come a dime a dozen, as do the
speculated reasons behind them. Anything can of course happen, especially
before a recruit has signed a letter of intent.
9-03-96...When a player states that he would like to attend the same
school as a fellow player, it rarely works out that way. What was supposed
to be the double committment of Jamaal Davis and Cameron Stephens, became a
waiting game as Davis could not help in stating Purdue was the right
school for him back in June. This left Cameron Stephens, the "other half"
of the duo, uncommitted. But when Stephens finally made his Purdue decision
official (in a verbal sense), Davis wasn't surprised. "I called him
everyday," said Davis. "We both knew he wanted to be at Purdue. We all
know each other's game and what we like to do when we are on the floor."
Davis is upbeat on Purdue's future. "It shouldn't take long before we put
it all together," added Davis. "Pretty soon Purdue will be looked at like
a Michigan, where everyone wants to go there."
8-02-96...The following comments appeared in the Prep Stars
Recruiter's Handbook, "Davis is not close to his potential yet. He's an
outstanding passer, handles the ball well and has a nice shot to 15 feet."
Prep Stars lists Davis at #9 among the rising seniors in the nation.
7-28-96...Bouncing back from less than outstanding play at the Nike
Camp in Indianapolis, Davis rejoined his traveling AAU squad the Spiece
Jeansmen and headed to Charlotte, North Carolina for the 17-under AAU
national championship. The Spiece team finished 10th in the nation last
week at the tournament with sporadic offense and a defense in need of some
reworking. However, Davis silenced many of his recent critics by playing
exceptionally well, exceeding his numbers from high school. His best
game came against Suncoast AAU from St. Petersburg, Florida (coached by
Matt Ramker's father). After trailing by as many as 18 points in the game,
Davis cut loose and lead the team back for the win. Davis finished the
game with 28 points.
It seems that Reggie Tisdale, the coach of the Spiece team, is
an education instructor at EC Central, so we could see another Davis on
the Spiece squad next summer.
7-16-96...Jamaal Davis took a beating from a few recruiting services
for a lackluster performance at the Nike Camp in Indy. Although his play
was seen as lethargic during the camp's all-star games, Davis had a solid
week at Nike. Two things were evident. The first was that Davis is
trying to distribute the ball better, a trait that will win him friends
on the Purdue squad. Secondly, the outside shot has not come, but Davis
knows he has to work on it next season to be that "inside-outside" threat
that will give him plenty of playing time at power forward. Much of his
problems seem to be in the mechanics of his perimeter shot.
Davis continues to try to talk Stephens into joining him at Purdue,
but Stephens continues with his earlier promise to take at least three
visits before making a decision. That doesn't stop Davis from bothering
him about it...every day. "I'm the recruiter now," said Davis. "I'm calling
every day. He gets tired of me calling. He'll say 'Hey Davis, why you
calling again?' I say, 'You've got to come over here.' I'm sure he wouldn't
want to play against the class we have coming in. If he plays at another
Big Ten school, he'll regret it."
Rumors of a rift between Davis and Stephens are untrue according to
Davis. Stephens was caught by surprise by Davis' announcement to come to
Purdue. The two had a tentative pact to announce at the same time and attend
the same school. Davis just couldn't wait. He was getting tired of the
recruiting, plus he found a place where he could fit in. His only regret
was not telling Stephens ahead of time about the verbal during the Mackey
AAU game.
Looming over Davis is also the question of why he was suspended
twice from his high school team. His high school coach Jim East suspended
him the first time because of a confrontation. East has been very critical
of summer AAU coaching for being "all that is wrong with basketball today".
Once Davis began listening to East again, the relationship improved. The
second suspension was for "personal reasons" and a lack of concentration
on the court due to those reasons. Davis has since said that family
differences contributed to his problems. Davis says the problems have
faded and the outlook is positive. Davis lives with his father in
Merrillville and his mother lives in Gary.
Speaking of his mother, the opportunity for her to attend games at
Purdue was a main reason for his decision. That reason along with the
outlook of Purdue's incoming recruiting class and the great support
received from the coaching staff, the decision became easy to make and
harder to keep a secret. Davis says he wishes to major in broadcast
journalism here at Purdue. "I don't see why I should go all the way
across the country to play," Davis said, "when I can go to Lafayette with
some great players and a great coaching staff, and get a good education.
Whatever Purdue decides to do with me, I know I can do the job."
6-13-96...Jamaal Davis has verbally committed to play
for the Purdue Boilermakers in the 1997-98 season. I interviewed
Davis following the Mackey AAU tournament, with his parents at his side
and teammate Cameron Stephens close at hand. When asked if he had
made a final decision yet on where to attend college, Davis replied,
"Purdue. Definitely. The program's been around for awhile, it's close
to home, and the fans are great. It's been Purdue since my freshman year
but I just kind of kept it to myself." Davis' father was hoping that
Jamaal would delay the announcement so he could take advantage of some
official visits to other universities. His high school coach Jim East,
gave similar advice. "My coach pretty much understands now that I
really like Purdue," Davis said. "I wanted to get the decision over so
I can work on my academics and weightlifting and get my game better
from the outside."
Davis expressed that the possibility of a national championship
at Purdue during his years looks very good. The balance and talent
coming in and currently on the squad and in the coaching staff made
the 6'8 senior confident he was making the right decision. "I love the
coaches and the players that are going to be here when I get here," he
said. "It's a great place to play. It was fun playing with my future
teammates." Before the game, Davis commented that although his team
was tired from just playing in the state AAU tournament, he was
confident that last years Indiana high school junior class could hold
its own with the senior stars. The seniors ended up punishing the
juniors 103-62. When asked if Davis felt like he was up to playing on
the same level as the incoming Purdue freshmen, the answer was a simple
"no". "Not in this game," replied Davis. "We stuck to our game plan
but I didn't even come close to having an average game. My outside
shots fall when I'm ready to play." Besides, working on his outside
shot, Jamaal wants to concentrate on bulking up during his senior year.
"I need to hit the weights...hard."
Next up for Davis and the Spiece Jeansmen team is the state
AAU tournament in Brownsburg on the 16th.
6-7-96...Jamaal Davis' announcement might come sooner than the
September or October timeframe he stated a month ago. Davis said on
Friday that he is leaning toward attending Purdue. "I hope to announce
my decision sometime this summer," Davis was quoted as saying. Davis
also confirmed he has been invited to the July Nike Camp to be held in
Indianapolis.
4-26-96...Jamaal Davis was in attendance for the Third Annual
Spiece Run 'N Slam tournament and played his first game in the arena he
hopes to one day make his home. Davis played with fellow Purdue recruit
Cameron Stephens. Although stats for rebounds were only made available for
the first game of the weekend series, Jamaal Davis was the best rebounder
on the Spiece team even with the presence of fellow Indiana junior
all-stars Stephens and Luke Recker. Davis played in the low post
along with Stephens, with Recker completing the triangle in the lane.
Davis exhibited flashy moves in the post with great footwork. He
uses his long legs well in pivoting around defenders and has a knack for
being in the right position for rebounds. Davis runs the floor well
but needs to increase his bulk for college play. He looks more like
a wing forward, but needs to improve his perimeter shooting. He is patient
on defense, at one point avoiding three pump fakes to block a shot flat
footed in the paint. From the impressions of the weekend tourney, he
also needs to work on freethrow shooting. After blowing a 20 plus
point lead late in the fourth quarter (mainly due to sloppy passing and
guard play) Davis was pulled in the final minute when the opponents
began fouling. Sounds a lot like Justin Jennings, who was pulled at
the end of close Purdue games due to his poor charity shooting.
The Spiece Jeansmen team went undefeated (3-0) in pool play and
received a two round bye in the tournament. Unfortunately, in their
first game of the tournament, they lost to eventual finalist Atlanta.
4-26-96...Purdue recruits Jamaal Davis and Cameron Stephens, who
both play on the same summer AAU team, have developed a friendship and
now wish to attend the same school. "I most definitely would like to
play with Cameron," Davis said. "We've talked about going to the same
school. But right now, I'm just working on my game. I'm not even
thinking about school. I've got my parents and my coaches thinking
about that." Davis doesn't hide his fondness for Purdue though.
"Purdue is at the top of my list now," Davis said, "and I like the
coaches a lot. [Mackey] is a good place to play. I like the rims, and
I like the floor. [Mackey] is pretty high up there." Davis plans to
announce his decision in September or October.
4-9-96...Merrillville's Jamaal Davis and Fort Wayne South's Cameron
Stephens will participate in the third-annual Run 'N Slam All-Star Classic
AAU basketball tournament April 26-28 at Purdue. Davis, Stephens and IU
recruit Luke Recker of DeKalb are members of the Spiece Basketball Teams
entry in the Run 'N Slam All-Star Classic. According to tournament
director Bill Hensley, play will begin at 7pm on April 26. Games will
be staged in Mackey Arena, Lambert Fieldhouse, the Intercollegiate
Athletic Facility and the Co-Rec Gymnasium.
Play is scheduled from 8am until 10pm on April 27 and from
8pm until 4pm on April 28. The championship game for those in the
17-and-under division is set for 2:30pm on April 28 in Mackey Arena.
There is no admission charge, and fans are welcomed to attend any game.
A total of 44 teams will compete for the 17-and-under crown, and 24
have entered the 16-and-under division. "I saw the Spiece team practice
Saturday, and they're awesome," Hensley said. "Potentially, it's an AAU
national championship team. The competition in this tournament will be
the best in the country."
Davis' college choices are down to Purdue and Indiana, with Purdue
the favorite at this time.
2-15-96...After a shakey 2-4 start and two team suspensions, Jamaal
Davis and the Merrillville Pirates are back in form heading into the last
week of regular season play. Last Fridays victory over Portage gave the
team the Duneland Athletic Conference title along with 18 consecutive SAC
wins over a three-year period. Merrillville coach Jim East recently
talked with the Indianapolis Star about his teams rebirth. East pointed
to the loss of three players to Division 1, one academic casualty, a
senior point guard quitting the team, and Davis' AAU experiences. "The
thing about Jamaal was I don't think he understood just how good those
three players around him were," said East. "And, quite frankly, he needed
to get some of that summer (AAU) ball out of his system."
Trying not to knock AAU basketball, East said it can be a problem
when a player comes back to such a structured program as Merrillville.
"It's just that sometimes freedom of AAU ball and how some of them
(coaches) build up players, well, all of that can take its toll," said
East. "We're very demanding here (at Merrillville), and we expect every
young man to work hard. I just think AAU ball affected him a little."
East is now looking forward to the tournament and ahead to next
year. He believes Davis will again bring Merrillville back to the final
four. "We need for Jamaal to mature and continue to do well -- and let
the future take care of itself," said East. "He's an extraordinary talent
who's yet to reach his potential. He just needs to realize what he can
accomplish, and keep it all in perspective."
1-10-96...Several published articles have appeared explaining the
three-game suspension Davis served. Merrillville head coach Jim East
commented on the suspensions, two of them, to the press. "The first time
was a confrontation and so forth," said East. "The second time, I told him
to get his life together, regroup and see if you want to play basketball or
not. We think now he wants to play and is focusing on what he's doing."
Davis has had to play at the post this season, but Coach East
predicts he would be successful as a shooting forward in college. Although
he is Merrillville's power forward, he showed he also has a shooting range
of up to 17 feet and good ball-handling skills against the press. Davis
recently received advice from former Pacer and New York player Stuart Gray,
who helped bring Davis' life both on and off the court into better focus.
But is Davis coming to Purdue? "I still say if I stay close to
home, everyone knows it will be at Purdue," he said. "I've gotten offers
from all over, so I don't know for sure right now, but it's probably around
90 percent I'll stay. The staff is great, and I've gotten to know everybody.
They've treated me right when I've gone down there, and what more can I ask
for?"
12-20-95...After a brief suspension from the team for "personal
reasons", Jamaal Davis has rejoined the team. No details on the reason
for the suspension were made available, other than it was for "personal
reasons" between the coach and Davis.
11-20-95...Davis was named by The Times of Lake County as the areas
best player and also named to the all area first team. It was written that
he has excellent leadership for a junior player.
10-16-95...Davis felt right at home in Mackey on Saturday, a place he
had been before. Davis helped Merrillville win the 1995 Lafayette Semistate
championship there last year. "It's a lot of people, and I enjoyed it a
lot -- I sure did," Davis said. "The fans are great, and it's a good place to
be." Davis especially liked the 1997 Final Four banner being displayed at
Midnight Magic. "If it comes to life, it will be the Final Four for real,"
Davis said referring to the recruiting class Keady hopes to bring in. "I
most definitely would like to play with that group."
When asked about his interest in Indiana University, Davis hinted
that Indiana was no longer his favorite state of Indiana school. "I've
been to Indiana, but it is nothing compared to this," he said. "If I do
stay in the state for college, it will be here. I know that for sure. But
I have a lot of time (to make a decision), so I don't really worry about it.
Purdue is up there -- most definitely."
A Gary newspaper suggests Davis will continue the trend of Gary area
stars going to Purdue (Robinson, Brantley, McQuay). It also states Davis is
growing tired of the recruiting process.
10-2-95...Davis averaged 12.3 points a game last season for
second-ranked Merrillville, which finished 27-2, losing the state
championship game to Indianapolis Ben Davis. Jamaal's father, John Davis,
was a member of East Chicago Roosevelt's 1970 state championship team and
is an aquaintance of Boilermaker assistant coach Frank Kendrick, who is a
1970 graduate of Indianapolis Tech. Davis is considering Indiana, Purdue,
and UNLV.
9-21-95..."Jamaal Davis is legit," says recruiter Clark Francis of
Hoop Scoop magazine. "Everyone in the nation recognizes Davis as a top 10
player." Francis said Purdue has a good shot at getting Davis. Indiana is
also actively pursuing the forward.
DATE FG FGA FT FTA 3PM 3PA RB A S B PTS
----------------------------------------------------
12-30-95 8 2 5 0 18
12-30-95 7 12 1 2 0 15
01-05-96 8 1 2 1 18
02-01-96 15 7 22 Won 60- 48 M. City
04-26-96 5 10 1 2 0 0 8 1 11 Won 83- Indy Stars 72
04-27-96 3 4 0 10 Won 91- LA Rockfish 61
04-27-96 2 1 1 8 Won 74- B'ton White 65
06-12-96 4 14 1 3 0 2 8 1 3 2 9 Lost 62- Black AS 103
06-15-96 6 3 3 0 15 Lost 117- Illinois 132
06-19-96 4 8 2 3 0 0 10 Lost 69- Senior AS 101
06-26-96 3 7 9 Lost 82- Senior AS 110
12-20-96 7 3 6 0 10 7 17 Won 51- Valparaiso 40
12-21-96 13 4 6 0 13 30 Won 75- G Roosevelt 62
12-27-96 2 7 2 4 0 6 6 Won 79- Benton Cent. 49
12-28-96 9 3 4 1 22 Won 81- Lake Central 46
01-03-97 5 8 2 4 0 8 12 Won 60- Highland 44
01-10-97 5 0 2 0 4 10 Won 66- Hobart 34
01-11-97 9 1 2 0 8 8 19 Won 52- Penn 46
01-18-97 10 Won 66- Lake Central 59
01-24-97 13 20 0 1 0 15 5 26 Won 62- Crown Point 61
01-25-97 8 13 2 2 0 13 13 18 Won 73- Gavit 44
02-01-97 8 1 6 17 Won 52- Lowell 40
02-07-97 10 4 18 Won 59- Michigan City 49
02-11-97 5 4 16 Won 68- Munster 63
02-14-97 7 3 5 23 Won 57- Portage 49
02-18-97 2 2 4 6 3 6 Won 78- Chesterton 52
02-21-97 19 Lost 55- E Chicago 64 2OT
02-25-97 9 15 2 5 17 3 5 20 Won 76- River Forest 61
02-27-97 8 15 3 5 10 2 5 19 Won 70- Crown Point 55
02-28-97 7 9 12 5 18 Won 48- Lake Station 40
03-08-97 7 8 7 9 10 2 21 Lost 56- Gary West 57
* 07-19-97 2 6 0 0 2 4 Won 104- Illinois AS 101
Season thru PPG FG% FT% 3P% RPG APG SPG BPG RECORD RANK
----------------------------------------------------------------
93-94 season 8.8 .520 .460 3.5 2.0 17-7
94-95 season 12.7 .510 .700 7.0 3.9 27-2 #2 (IN)
95-96 season 19.2 .630 .650 7.5 3.0 4.0 18-6
12-14-96 22.7 2-1 #13 (IN)
12-27-96 23.0 4-1 #12 (IN)
01-15-97 18.4 7.1 4.0 9-1 #14 (IN)
01-19-97 17.6 .590 .620 7.1 4.1 10-1 #12 (IN)
01-27-97 18.3 7.9 12-1 #10 (IN)
02-19-97 18.2 .631 8.6 18-1 #6 (IN)
03-10-97 18.4 9.0 19-2 #7 (IN)
96-97 season 18.2 .730 8.6 2.0 4.5 21-3 #7 (IN)
96-97 season 1997 Mr. Basketball Candidate
Street and Smith Preseason All-American
Indiana All-State First Team (Associated Press)
The NW Times Player of the Year
* Hoosier Basketball Top40 participant
* Indiana All-Star Team
95-96 season Associated Press Third Team All-State
Indiana Basketball Coaches Association #1 Top Underclassmen
The Times of Lake County Top Area Player Award
1996 Indiana Junior All-Star selection
Hoosier Basketball Magazine All-State
Duneland Conference MVP
94-95 season IHSAA State Championship runner-up
IBCA All-State (underclassmen)
Duneland Conference First Team
State Finals All-Tournament Team
#1 Sophomore in Indiana (Hoop Scoop)
Date Day Time Opponent
---- --- ---- --------------------
11/29/96 FRI - 7:30p Munster (postponed until 2/11)
12/06/96 FRI L 7:30p S.B. Riley
12/07/96 SAT W 7:30p @ Bishop Noll
12/13/96 FRI W 8:00p @ Andrean
12/20/96 FRI W 7:30p @ Valpo
12/21/96 SAT W 7:30p @ Gary Roosevelt
12/27/96 FRI W 6:30p Holiday Tourney (@ Home)
12/28/96 SAT W 6:30p Holiday Tourney (@ Home)
01/03/97 FRI W 7:30p Highland
01/10/97 FRI W 7:30p Hobart
01/11/97 SAT W 7:30p Penn
01/17/97 FRI - 7:30p @ Chesterton (postponed)
01/18/97 SAT W 7:30p @ Lake Central
01/24/97 FRI W 7:30p Crown Point
01/25/97 SAT W 7:30p @ Gavit
01/31/97 FRI W 7:30p @ Laporte
02/01/97 SAT W 7:30p @ Lowell
02/07/97 FRI W 7:30p Michigan City
02/11/97 TUE W 7:30p Munster (rescheduled from 11/29)
02/14/97 FRI W 7:30p Portage
02/18/97 TUE W 7:30p @ Chesterton (resheduled from 1/17)
02/21/97 FRI L 7:30p E.C. Central
02/25/97 TUE W 6:00p Sectionals (@ Home vs River Forest)
02/27/97 THR W Sectionals (@ Home vs Crown Point)
02/28/97 FRI W Sectional finals vs Lake Station
03/08/97 SAT L 12:30p Regional (@ Gary West vs Gary West)
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