Indiana-bound: Colorado’s top prospect is a Hoosier
After a recruitment that has lasted five years, De’Ron Davis wasn’t going to make Indiana wait any longer.
After briefly thanking his coaches in attendance, both those from Overland and the Colorado Hawks, his friends, his family, and finishing with heartfelt words for his mother Terri, Davis’ 6-foot-10 frame scooted behind the table holding two hats and picked up the one that said “Indiana Hoosiers” in Adidas’ popular block-letter type.
The hat may not have fit perfectly atop Davis tall haircut, but joining the Hoosiers family, he said, was all about finding the perfect fit.
“The family atmosphere that they have, they are all for each other,” Davis said. “My family is really tight, and I wanted to go to a place where I felt really comfortable. Indiana was that place.”
Davis’ recruitment is a testament to the power of relationships. Tom Crean and the Indiana staff have been on Davis since he was the No. 1 player in the country in his class as an eighth-grader. Through ups and downs, that staff has made it clear to Davis that he was always their top priority.
“Throughout the recruitment, they never asked, ‘Well is he this or is he that?’” Davis said. “They always stayed strong and positive, so that was big. They stuck with me through thick and thin. That’s family.”
That’s not to say other schools didn’t make an impression. Mississippi State had a coach in Ben Howland who has picked up major momentum on the recruiting trail and has developed bigs into NBA players.
When he took his visit to Starkville, Davis was even further impressed with the program’s facilities and the atmosphere Howland and the school has cultivated around the program.
But in the end, there was no matching the loyalty Davis felt the Hoosiers had showed him.
Davis’ announcement at Overland included many of the tight-knit members of a community that has helped him reach this point – the Hawks, Danny Fisher, his head coach at Overland, the friends, family and teammates, not to mention a large chunk of the student body.
The spotlight has been on Davis for a long time, and through the way he has carried the banner for Colorado. From a kid who grew up in Park Hill and learned to compete at the Hiwatha Davis Rec center to the young man who helped lead Overland to its first state championship, Davis has already left a memorable legacy on basketball in Colorado.
Now, he’s headed to a school that knows a thing or two about legacy itself. Here’s guessing Davis will fit in just fine.
“My big thing with my family was getting my education paid for,” Davis said. “Everything after that was a blessing and a plus. My mom and I, we couldn’t afford college, so basketball has given me the outlet.”