Basketball has always been a form of therapy for Jeremiah Davis III.
Growing up, he and his family played on whatever Muncie basketball court they could find.
“I played basketball every day,” he said. “Basketball was a way for me to express myself. Basketball was like a painkiller for me.”
He used the sport as a painkiller long before he won a sectional title at Muncie Central High School, and long before he played at Cincinnati. Now, as Davis III deals with the loss of his childhood home, basketball continues to be his comfort zone.
Last November a fire ravaged the house he had lived in since third grade.
“It was devastating,” Davis III said.
LOSING A HOME
Davis III woke up to a text from his father Nov. 4, asking him to call. He found out an electrical fire started in the attic and damaged most of his family’s house, more than 100 miles away.
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| Photos provided by Aaron Davis |
“I was just worried about my family,” Davis III said.
Unable to do anything to directly help, he called them two or three times per day to get updates and find out what was going on with the house.
“I didn’t get to see it but it was always on my mind, so it was hard to balance that,” Davis III said.
A lot of what Davis III lost wasn’t of monetary value, but sentimental.
“[I lost] trophies, jerseys, a lot of old stuff,” Davis III said. “That stuff can be replaced. I’m just glad all my family was OK. That’s the most important part.”
Davis III said he could have passed the lost basketball memorabilia to his children. The physical items are gone, but he still holds fond memories of a high school career in Muncie.
Davis III played at Muncie Central from his freshman to junior year, winning a sectional title in the process. He then transferred to Huntington Prep before the start of his senior season in order to compete at a higher level.
The move would help make the transition to college basketball easier. After high school, Davis III decided to play basketball at Cincinnati despite having offers from more than 10 other Division I schools, including Xavier, Oklahoma State and Indiana.
His freshman year at Cincinnati, he played in 27 games, averaging 2.5 points per game, numbers comparable to the four other freshmen on the 2012-13 team.
Last season, Davis III played 43 total minutes in four games due to a wrist injury. Cincinnati has applied for a medical redshirt that will waive the year from Davis III’s eligibility.
Two years into what could’ve been a promising career at Cincinnati, Davis III made the decision to return home after the fire.
“[I came home] to be with my family, Davis III said. “That was the main force. I’m very blessed to be here.”
ON THE COURT
It’s still unclear when Davis III will lace up for a Ball State game.
Ball State is appealing to the NCAA for an exception on the mandatory one-year period in which transfer athletes have to sit out. If successful, Davis III will be able to start the 2014-15 season.
“I feel like he has a great case,” Ball State head coach James Whitford said. “I’ve seen a lot of [appeals] that I’ve felt like haven’t had a leg to stand on and haven’t made it. To me, his is 100 percent legit.”
Whenever he does end up playing for Ball State, he looks to have a major impact on the team. Davis III is a 6-foot-3 guard with the ability to play at either the point guard or the 2-guard spot.
There is some concern for Davis III’s ability to become a dependable outside shooter for Ball State. He shot 12-of-31 in his freshman campaign with Cincinnati.
“He’s a good shooter,” Whitford said. “We want him to become more consistent in that area. He put up good numbers at Cincinnati. [Cincinnati’s] coaches felt like that was one of the best things he did.”
Davis III’s play draws rave reviews from his teammates, too.
“He’s been working on his shot,” senior guard Jesse Berry said. “It’s been looking pretty good. His midrange game is awesome already, but he’s starting to knock down the 3-ball. That’s going to look pretty for us. Everybody is looking forward to Jeremiah.”
MOVING ON
Despite everything that has happened over the past year, including leaving the school after winning the sectional title, Davis III still finds his way back to the gym at Muncie Central where he learned to play, this time to watch.
“When I’m at the games, people will come and talk to me,” Davis III said. “They’re glad to see my face again.”
However, some local Muncie Central fans, like Tom Williams, aren’t as excited to have him back yet.
“He went to Cincinnati and thought he was going to make a big splash,” Williams said. “He found out he’s a legend in his own mind. He didn’t make it down there. I don’t know if he’ll make it at Ball State.”
Currently, Davis III is living in a rental home. He and his family are looking to have the house repaired in the next year.
But for right now, Davis III is focusing on taking care of his family.
“[My family is] glad to have me back,” Davis III said. “I see my mom every day. That puts a smile on her face.”
The transition has been smooth lately for Davis III.
“I’m just happy to be back with my family and get an opportunity to play basketball and make a difference here,” he said.
Since he’s unable to currently play, Davis III goes as hard as he can in practice every day.
He uses basketball to help him deal with his current problems – just like when he was younger.
Whether in Cincinnati or Muncie, in a rental home or childhood home, a basketball is the same size. The rim is still 10 feet above the ground, no matter what is happening outside the gym.
And Davis III will be taking it in everyday, until the rest works itself out.
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