Chester’s Davis continues to grow at Morgan State
RADNOR >> For nearly three years at Morgan State University, Stanley Davis Jr. worked to become a versatile, successful college basketball factor.
By Tuesday, he would show some of his family and friends from Chester how the work had paid off.
Though Davis and Morgan State would fall, 100-77, to Villanova in the first game of the rebranded Finneran Pavilion, the junior provided 14 points, including 10 in the first half.
“It was good to come back and see my family,” Davis said. “I haven’t seen them in three or four months. So it was a blessing. It was fun.”
Davis did not start, but he entered early and quickly proved a factor. Almost immediately, he provided a nice, pull-up jumper in transition from the left baseline. Then, spinning drive into the lane dragged Morgan State within 26-22 with 11:06 left in the first half, close enough to nudge Jay Wright into calling a timeout.
Later in the half, Davis again spun into the line and scored, narrowing a Villanova lead to 48-41 and eliciting some murmurs from the capacity crowd. In 10 first-half minutes, Davis shot 5-for-7 for 10 points, adding two rebounds and an assist.
“I got tired at the end,” he said, after playing 23 minutes and supplementing his 14 points with four rebounds and two assists. “But we pushed through. We competed with Villanova. They are the defending national champs. But I thought we played good. We’ve got another level on our defense. So we’ll be good.”
Davis averaged 1.8 points as a true freshman. As a sophomore last season, he played in all 31 games, starting 16 and averaging 7.4 points, three rebounds, 1.7 assists and 21.8 minutes. In an 86-79 loss last season to George Mason, he scored 15 points in 31 minutes.
Known for his ability to penetrate and finish at the rim, Davis spent substantial offseason time working on his perimeter game. That helped Tuesday when the Bears ran as many as five swingmen at the Cats, and did it successfully enough to create 14 turnovers, 12 in the first half.
“I’m looking for him to grow a little bit more, and he’s going to have a little bit more freedom,” Bears coach Todd Bozeman said, before the season. “He can really score the ball.
“That’ll be key for us.”
After being developed in the Chester Billy League, Davis attended STEM Academy in Chester. As a senior, he helped Chester High to a 25-8 season and a Del Val League championship, and was named second-team All-Delco.
He has found a home at Morgan State, where he has been allowed to play multiple spots on the floor.
“I play from the one through the four,” he said. “We don’t even call it a ‘four’. We call it a forward, because I can play anything. They call me a combo guard.”
After the game, Davis had a crowd of fans waiting for him behind the Morgan State bench, likely displeased with the final score, yet satisfied that he had more than held his own against the No. 8 team in the nation.
“Villanova only gave us three tickets,” Davis said. “So I had to get some from my teammates. It was good. And we are going to get better.”