Davenport has career night in Hardaway’s debut
Kyvon Davenport is a quiet guy. Too quiet, if you ask his first-year coach Penny Hardaway. But that was just about the only quibble anybody around the Memphis basketball team could harp on the senior about after Tuesday’s 76-61 win over Tennessee Tech in the season opener.
Davenport put up a career-high 30 points and finished with a team-high 10 rebounds. For good measure, he also came up with a pair of steals and committed just one turnover. The second-year Tiger’s performance was a bright spot for a team that could have used a few more.
It’s also the kind of game Hardaway and Memphis are expecting to get a lot more of from Davenport.
“We know he’s a double-double machine,” Hardaway said. “Maybe not 30 and 10, but we know he’s going to get out there on the floor and handle his business. But we need him more vocally, to be more of a leader. We’re going to need that from him all year.”
Davenport needed a few minutes to get warmed up. He did not score until the game was almost six minutes old. But he reminded people that he has the talent to take over. His first bucket sparked a run where he scored eight of the Tigers’ next 14 points. Later in the first half, Davenport scored nine straight points, helping push Memphis’ lead to 46-29.
“Every day after practice, anytime we have an off day, I’m always working,” he said. “I’ve been working on my jump shot and my game. I feel like my teammates did a good job today. They found me a lot. I was just making shots.”
Fellow senior Jeremiah Martin added 18 points. Their contributions helped mask some notable shortcomings.
“Our seniors stabilized us,” Hardaway said.
Davenport believes the solution to their opening-night shortcomings is simple.
“We’ve all just gotta play together,” he said. “We’ve got to hold ourselves accountable and work together. That’s the main thing. That’s really what will help us out the most.”
TENNESSEE SUPER 25 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL RANKINGS AFTER FIRST ROUND OF PLAYOFFS
Here is the Tennessee Super 25 poll voted on by a group of statewide high school sports writers from across the USA Today Network-Tennessee after the first round of the playoffs. First-place votes in parentheses. 1. (6) 174 pts. Record: 11-0. Last week: Ranked No. 1. This week: vs. Unicoi Co. 2. 165 pts. Record: 10-1. Last week: Ranked No. 2. This week: vs. Science Hill. 3. (1) 161 pts. Record: 10-1. Last week: Ranked No. 3. This week: vs. Hendersonville. 4. 155 pts. Record: 10-0. Last week: Ranked No. 4. This week: vs. ECS. 5. 137 pts. Record: 11-0. Last week: Ranked No. 5. This week: vs. St. George's. 6. 135 pts. Record: 9-0. Last week: Ranked No. 6. This week: vs. Pope John Paul II. 7. 129 pts. Record: 11-0. Last week: Ranked No. 7. This week: vs. Sullivan South. 8. 121 pts. Record: 9-1. Last week: Ranked No. 8. This week: vs. Ensworth. 9. 120 pts. Record: 10-1. Last week: Ranked No. 9. This week: at Mt. Juliet. 10. 107 pts. Record: 11-0. Last week: Ranked No. 11. This week: vs. Memphis Central. 11. 104 pts. Record: 9-1. Last week: Ranked No. 10. This week: vs. Briarcrest Christian. 12. 98 pts. Record: 8-2. Last week: Ranked No. 12. This week: at Christian Brothers. 13. 93 pts. Record: 11-0. Last week: Ranked No. 13. This week: vs. Ravenwood. 14. 80 pts. Record: 8-2. Last week: Ranked No. 14. This week: vs. Brentwood Academy. 15. 73 pts. Record: 10-1. Last week: Ranked No. 15. This week: vs. Ooltewah. 16. 67 pts. Record: 10-1. Last week: Ranked No. 16. This week: vs. Knoxville Catholic. 17. 59 pts. Record: 8-2. Last week: Ranked No. 18. This week: at Cane Ridge. 18. 52 pts. Record: 8-3. Last week: Ranked No. 17. This week: at Houston. 19. 48 pts. Record: 10-1. Last week: Ranked No. 19. This week: vs. Ridgeway.