Mr. Colorado Basketball 2016: De’Ron Davis
(Photo credit: Kyle Newman, Colorado Sports Network)
There are certain aspects of the dominance De’Ron Davis displayed during his illustrious high school career at Overland that can be measured.
For example, the 6-foot-10 Davis’ 441 blocked shots are by far the most in state history. His 1,028 rebounds are the most ever by a 5A player. His 216 points during state tournaments games are the second-most ever in 5A behind current Colorado point guard Dominique Collier (232).
Yet measuring just how significant an impact Davis made remains a challenge. Because for every shot he sent the other way, there were a handful more he altered or prevented from ever being attempted.
“I wish was there a stat for that,” Overland coach Danny Fisher said. “He’s Colorado’s all-time shot blocks leader, but even with that the impact of people not even shooting the ball took away from some of the block opportunities he had. And he blocked so many shots that people don’t understand it also affects rebounding quite a bit. It decreases an opponent’s shot attempts, and it also decreases his ability to rebound on the other end.”
High school sports may have a lack of advanced metrics to measure a player’s pure impact, but there was more than enough information to make our choice for our inaugural Mr. Colorado Basketball award an easy one: De’Ron Davis.
Davis, who averaged 13.8 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4.5 blocked shots this season, closed his career in fitting style by guiding the Trailblazers to their second straight Class 5A championship. Overland entered the conversation as one of the state’s most dominant defensive teams ever, fueled by the anchor in the middle.
“From a coach’s perspective, ever since he was a freshman, his ability to change the game defensively, it was more than him just being a 6-10 presence,” Fisher said. “His IQ is highest on the defensive end. His ability to impact the defensive end really allowed us to play tough, pressure man-to-man defense in the half court.”
That ability helped guide the Trailblazers to a title-game win over Eaglecrest earlier this month, sending Davis to jump into the stands and lead his fellow classmates in a chant: “O.V.E.” Overland versus everybody.
“We went into the playoffs with a mindset of playing every game like it could be our last,” Davis said. “That paid off for us.”
Davis said he relished the ups and downs of his senior season. Overland won the prestigious Tarkanian Classic in December, then scuffled with a trio of losses in short succession when they returned to Colorado. Davis said those setbacks brought the team closer, and the Trailblazers realized then that other teams weren’t going to just step aside on their path to a repeat.
That motivation provided fuel for an already powerful locomotive. With Davis leading the way, Overland won its five playoff games by an average margin of 22 points per game.
“That’s when good basketball players play their best basketball,” Davis said. “When it’s time to shine.”
The next stop for Davis is Bloomington, Indiana. He’ll begin his college career with the Hoosiers in the summer. He’s kept in constant contact with coach Tom Crean and has followed Indiana closely during its tournament run, which continues on Friday in the Sweet 16.
“I’m just so ready to get better,” Davis said. “I’m just so excited to get better in every aspect of my game. That’s my biggest focus, seeing how much my game can grow.”
The basketball future is bright for De’Ron Davis. His high school chapter, though, is now closed.
And what a legacy the big man leaves behind.