Michigan State freshman Deyonta Davis continues to fly under the radar

When I say fly under the radar, I actually mean fly under the radar.

Deyonta Davis came into Michigan State as a McDonald’s All-American and ranked No. 28 on the Recruiting Service Consensus Index (RSCI). Since then he’s more than lived up to the billing, but it doesn’t seem the draft community has come along. DraftExpress lists him as the No. 37 draft eligible prospect and doesn’t project him to leave this year.

Davis was last measured at 6-9.5 in shoes with a 7-1.5 wingspan at the 2014 Nike Skills Academy, but it is possible he has grown in height or length since. When you compare him to some of the other top freshmen bigs on a per 40 pace adjusted scale, it’s hard to see why he’s projected behind most of them.

All six other freshmen bigs are projected first rounders, but Davis is third in points, third in rebounds, first in blocks, second in True Shooting Percentage (TS%) and second in AST/TO ratio. Statistical production is far from everything, but what Davis has done so far certainly warrants a closer look at his game.

There are a couple reasons why Davis seems to be slipping under the radar. First off, he’s only playing 17.6 minutes per game. Michigan State has a crowded frontline with Matt Costello, Gavin Schilling, Marvin Clark and Kenny Goins all deserving minutes, and it makes sense that Tom Izzo would bring his freshman along a little slower than senior Costello. Additionally, Davis is averaging 5.0 fouls per 40 minutes and has run into foul trouble when he’s been given bigger minutes. Like many young bigs, he’s eager to block shots and too easily falls for pump fakes — causing unnecessary fouls around the rim.

All that being said, not only is Davis deserving of more minutes, it seems as though Izzo understands that as well. While Davis is on the court, Michigan State scores 126 points per 100 possessions (second on the team behind Bryn Forbes) and gives up only 88.3 points per 100 possessions (second on the team behind Costello). As a result, Davis has the best net rating on the entire team, even better than Denzel Valentine. To make that more impressive, of Davis’ six 20+ minute games on the season, four have come against Kansas, Providence, Louisville, and Iowa — four of Michigan States toughest opponents.

Another concern with Davis is his offensive skill level, or lack thereof. His low free throw percentage (on only 19 attempts) and high TS% is evidence of his ability to finish well around the basket, but also his lack of ability to score outside the paint. His form on his jump shot is fine, but he rarely looks to shoot even from around 15-feet and hasn’t shown any range beyond that distance. Davis hasn’t yet flashed any face-up game or ability to attack off the dribble, either, exclusively scoring on catches near the basket.

Without any sort of perimeter game, Davis is probably going to be best as a 5 at the NBA level, but his most recent measurements are undersized for a center. The NBA is getting smaller and smaller, but guys like DeMarcus Cousins, Andre Drummond and Jusuf Nurkic still exist. At sub 6-10 with only mediocre length and a skinny frame, it’s fair to wonder if Davis will ever be able to match up with some of the NBA’s premier centers.

Looking at his individual stats and his effect on his team’s performance, however, maybe too much time is being spent focused on his flaws and not enough on his impressive strengths. Despite being undersized, Davis is a truly elite rim protector at the college level. He’s got great timing as a shot blocker and is equally capable blocking shots in mid-air or at the point of release. What helps him is his ability to jump off of two feet from a standstill and get off the ground quickly a second time.

Davis is such a good defender because he combines his rim protection with a lot of mobility in space. Watch the way he gives a quick hedge and recovers to force Perry Ellis into a difficult shot.

His quick feet allow him to guard ball screens on the perimeter, and against Iowa he matched up with versatile 3/4 Jarrod Uthoff and did a great job of containing him off the dribble. The only issue for Davis guarding outside the paint is that he tends to press up too tightly on his man and put himself in situations where he has to foul to contain penetration. Where Davis struggles against bigger players is in the post. He does a good job staying straight up and making shots difficult, but he can get moved in the lane by bigger bodies.

That quick leaping and second jump-ability also helps on the glass, particularly the offensive end. According to Hoop-Math.com, 20 of his 106 shots so far this season have come on putbacks. He does a great job extending around the rim and tipping shots in. The rest of his field goals mostly come on dump-offs and lobs off pick-and-roll, where he can use his athleticism to finish above the rim. He gets a wide base and seeks contact on screens before rolling hard to the rim with speed. When forced to alter his shot, he re-adjusts his body well and has displayed a surprisingly soft touch.

Davis has also managed to score a little with his back to the basket.

Davis does a good job getting a low base when he ducks into the post and only looks to score when he’s able to catch the ball with good position. His post moves mostly consistent of a righty hook over his left shoulder, but he does a great job extending and elevating with a soft touch on the hook. The coordination and body control he shows off on the move above definitely gives hope he could eventually develop a more advanced post game. Also, his relatively decent AST/TO ratio in the context of other freshman bigs is evidence of his sound decision making in the post.

After examining his full body of work, Davis appears to be the rare McDonald’s All-American freshman in a power conference who is still underrated. He’s never going to be someone who shoulders a heavy offensive load, but he’s got a lot of potential as a versatile defensive big who works as a pick-and-roll threat on the offensive end. Whether or not he ends up declaring after this year, more eyes should be focused on Davis’ stellar play.