Teamwork, friendship key for guards
UCF court leaders Taylor, Davis are longtime pals
A.J. Davis says he has the upper hand when it comes to facing off against B.J. Taylor in Call of Duty.
“Just don’t tell him I said that,” Davis said.
Oops. The cat is out of the bag.
“He said that? All right. I see. … and he told you not to tell me? That’s because he cheats. OK, that makes me mad,” Taylor said.
That’s how it goes with Davis and Taylor, UCF’s leaders on the basketball floor who have blossomed into close friends off the court. It’s a relationship built on honesty, trust, love and, of course, a lot of good-natured teasing.
“We’re always competing at something or making jokes out of something,” Davis said. “We harass each other and mess with each other all the time. I think that’s what makes us so close.”
When they’re on the basketball court together it’s all business, but that time is winding down as the end nears for Davis, a senior forward.
Taylor, the Knights’ leading scorer
and junior point guard, wants to make sure this season is extended as long as possible for Davis. The Knights open play in the American Athletic Conference Tournament at 9 tonight against East Carolina at Amway Center and they know that every game the rest of the way could be their last together.
“It’s very important to me. Since I showed up here he’s been my best friend, my closest friend on the team,” said Taylor, a product of Boone High who decided to stay home and play for the Knights. “I love all my teammates and all my brothers on this team, but especially for him, I want to do everything I can in my power to help him keep his career going.
“I’m just super happy for him the way he has played in these last 10 games or so.”
Davis, a 6-foot-9, left-handed shooting slasher who can play both inside and out, is averaging 12.4 points and eight rebounds in 29 games this season, but he’s come out of his shell a bit in the final stretch of his college career.
He’s played various roles at UCF since transferring from Tennessee in 2014, but he’s had to take over the UCF team at times this season due to injuries and leadership needs.
“He’s always had it in him, but he’s a very selfless player who has always just done what’s asked of him,” Taylor said. “Last year, his role wasn’t what it is this year. He was more of our glue guy last year.”
In the past 10 games, Davis has played with a sense of urgency. After scoring nine points against Wichita State in mid-January, Davis has failed to hit double figures only twice and has averaged 16.2 points in that stretch.
He had a career-high 31-point outburst Thursday night in the Knights’ 75-71 overtime loss in a rematch with the Shockers.
“Probably about midway through conference play, coach talked to me and him and told us that as veterans, we needed to step up and do more for the team and do more offensively,” Taylor said. “So that’s really been it for us the past eight to 10 games and I’m just really happy for him.”
It’s easy to see how the relationship between the two players benefits them on the court. Taylor always seems to have a sense of where Davis is on the floor without even seeing his teammate.
Against the Shockers, the Knights were trailing by nine and working the ball around with the clock winding down. Taylor then drove toward the paint on the left block and appeared as if he was going to the hole, but he then kicked a no-look pass to Davis, who had worked himself free for an open 3-pointer on the right side of the key.
The awareness is uncanny, but it’s something that comes from two guys playing together and knowing each other well.
“I always know where he’s at because he’s our leading scorer,” Davis laughed. “But I definitely think we have a feel for where each other will be on the floor and the biggest thing is that we know each other really well.”
And when the pair gets on a roll, like last Thursday’s 54 points combined against Wichita State, it’s tough to stop.
“It feels good. When we both really get rolling like that, our confidence level for both of us just kind of goes through the roof,” Davis said. “We just have a lot in common, but most importantly we both love to compete, we love to get after it and we love to win and be the best at what we do.
“So after competing with each other over and over and over again it just made us closer because we are always making each other better. And then off the court, we’re always making each other laugh and having a good time and everything just kind of developed from there. We became close friends.”
Close friends who love to give each other trouble about anything and everything, with the possible exception of banked-in 3-pointers that send games to overtime. Davis hit one of those big bank shots in the final minute against Wichita State.
Taylor let Davis have a freebie that night, but don’t think it won’t come up in the future. Taylor surely won’t be that forgiving. That’s just how they are. “It’s bittersweet. I think I’ve done a lot for myself here and for the university and I am excited to move on to different things, but I will definitely miss being here and going through the everyday process and miss the little things about the college experience and being at UCF,” Davis said.