March is not only a time for basketball players to start creating their legacies (Christian Koloko, everyone on St. Peter’s, etc.) but also a time to reflect on the careers of those seniors that have finally come to a close. Antoine Davis did a little of everything during the past 4 years at Detroit Mercy, from winning awards (2019 conference ROY/2022 conference co-POY) to putting up some of the best scoring/shooting stats that we have ever seen (2734 PTS/429 3PM, both of which are top-25 in the history of the sport). He did great things off the court as well, being named an Academic All-American last week with a 3.39 GPA as a Communications major. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Antoine about his work on the court and his work in the classroom.
You originally committed to Houston: what made you decide to switch to Detroit Mercy? I really wanted to play for my dad. He said that Houston was a great place due to Coach Kelvin Sampson and knows how good of a coach he is. I talked to Coach Sampson and he allowed me to get a waiver and play for my dad.
Your father Mike is your head coach and your brother Mike Jr. is 1 of your assistant coaches: how do you like playing for your father, and what is it like to have a brother on the coaching staff? Freshman year was a little rough but it gave us a better bond with 1 another: I really was glad that I could take advantage of the opportunity.
As a freshman you scored 48 PTS/10-15 3PM in a win over Wright State: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? Yes. I had a really good warm-up from what I remember and then had a really good game after having a nice game the previous week at Youngstown State (27 PTS/7-14 3PM).
In 2019 you broke Steph Curry’s NCAA freshman record with 132 3PM and were named conference ROY: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I just kept doing what I did to get here. I worked hard every summer and kept preparing for the moment.
Earlier this month you were named conference co-POY: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It is a blessing. I feel like it was long overdue/well-deserved but everything happens for a reason.
Last week you were named 2nd-team Academic All-American: how do you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? There are some days where I cannot hang out with my friends or do other fun stuff because of basketball/schoolwork: those were 2 things I really cared about. Everyone in college wants to have fun but I really wanted my degree and am working hard for it.
Last Wednesday in the 2022 TBC you scored 24 PTS/3-8 3PM in a loss at FGCU, finishing your career in the top-25 all-time with 2734 PTS/429 3PM: I know that you wish that your team was still playing, but how does it feel to be 1 of the best scorers/3-PT shooters in college basketball history? That sounds unreal! I never thought of it like that until you mentioned it. It shows that all of the work I have put in through the years has paid off.
This year you led the conference in FT shooting for the 3rd straight year: what is the secret to making FTs? Like everything you do, whatever you put into it is what you will get out of it. I work on my FT shooting after every practice. I try to do 20 “swishes” so if even 1 of them hits the rim then I will start over.
You have a 3.39 GPA as a Communications major: why did you pick that subject, and what is the post-graduation plan? I can do a lot with Communications. I might go into coaching or fashion so I feel I can use my degree for that but I am keeping my options open.
When people look back on your college career, how do you want to be remembered the most? Not just as a great player but also a great person off the court. I tried to be really respected and hope that people speak well about me until the day I die.