Davis

        BAYAMON, Puerto Rico — When his name was announced as part of the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic all-tournament team, University of Cincinnati junior Jamaal Davis was surprised.

        “I wasn't expecting it,” Davis said after Friday's 77-74 overtime victory over Alabama. “My coaches said I played hard the whole tour nament, and I had fun.”

        Davis was one of the unsung heroes for the Bearcats (8-2) in their consecutive victories over Youngstown State, Clemson and the 17th-ranked Crimson Tide.

        The 6-foot-9 power forward averaged 10.7 points and a team-high tying 4.7 rebounds. Davis shot .500 from the field and .857 from the foul line and had a career-high 16 points against the Penguins on Wednesday.

        Perhaps more importantly, though, is the leadership Davis provided. He was part of a major Division I program before, starting his career at Purdue. He was on one of the top junior college teams in the country last season at Barton County (Kan.).

        “What I do, most people don't see,” Davis said. “It's not a big deal for me to be known as this great player when we've got two great guards on this team.”

        The Bearcats' backcourt of Kenny Satterfield and Steve Logan, as well as swingman Leonard Stokes, attract most of the attention — from opponents and media. Satterfield was tournament MVP in Puerto Rico, and Logan was named to the all-tournament team.

        Stokes and Davis are the only players to start all 10 games. Davis is averaging 30.1 minutes and has the highest field goal percentage among the starters (.548). He also has 17 assists and just eight turnovers.

        Rebounding has been a team concern all season. In four straight road victories, UC has been even with opponents twice (Clemson, Alabama) and won the rebounding battle twice (UNLV, Youngstown).

        “We've got a lot of pressure from coach, as far as big guys not buying in and playing our part,” Davis said. “There comes a time where somebody has to step up and lead the big guys. When you scout our big guys, you're not worried about them; you're worried about our guards. To make our guards better, we've got to come in and play a big part.”

        Assistant coach Keith LeGree sought out Davis on Friday to let him know how important his contributions have been. LeGree said Davis is like a point guard on the floor, helping get teammates in position and relaying messages from the bench.

        “I can always depend on him,” LeGree said. “He's always got his head into the game. The stats don't really show how valuable he is. People don't realize how much he does and how much he means to our team.”

        Davis makes mistakes, but it's never because of a lack of effort. When he errs and gets loud feedback from Bob Huggins, Davis simply takes in his coach's comments, nods and moves on.

        “He's a calm kind of guy,” LeGree said. “He doesn't get over-excited. He doesn't get rattled. That's the kind of guy we need on the court to settle everybody down.”

Playing two sports puts weight on Peek's shoulders Tourney honor surprises UC's Davis Johnson still searching for NBA foothold

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