His first collegiate shot was one he'd rather forget.
Randy Davis drove from the top of the key with the shot clock waning and forced an off-balance, one-handed prayer. The shot hit high off the backboard, didn't draw rim and resulted in a shot clock violation.
First impressions are everything. Right?
But the prized recruit's first attempt was remarkable, nonetheless.
It wasn't that Davis was willing to take the shot. It wasn't that a true freshman had gumption when his upperclassmen teammates stood still.
The thing that impressed was the way he demanded the ball. He demanded the shot when most players (let alone freshmen) would have shrunk in their tennis shoes, hoping a teammate would take care of business.
That's not Randy Davis' style.
When you know the game, you can sense if a guy has the intangibles to be a special player. Davis already has maturity many upperclassmen don't possess. He had an unshakable calm about him, a demeanor that led coach Billy Taylor to play him during the stretch run. Many freshmen don't get that honor from their coach.
Davis' first game at Ball State was as ugly in the stat book as his first shot attempt.
The freshman had two points, two turnovers and four fouls. He was held without a field goal on only three attempts.
"He turned down a couple shots that he normally takes," Taylor said. "He's willing to take those shots in practice. I think he'll step up and knock those down."
Most shocking was Davis' performance at the free-throw line. An 83.4 percent foul shooter in high school, he made 2-of-5 from the charity stripe Saturday.
Freshman butterflies.
"I don't think Randy Davis has missed three free throws in a game in his career," Taylor said. "He'll make those shots. He'll calm down and hopefully he'll never miss three foul shots in a game ever again."
Despite the issues to work out, Taylor isn't worried. You shouldn't be either.
For those of you who don't know Davis' history, it can be summed up simply. All his team did in high school was win, and all Davis received was accolades.
Davis led his Plymouth High School team to a 99-15 record in four years. Each season, Plymouth advanced as far as the IHSAA semi-state game. It won the state championship Davis' junior year.
Davis was the unquestioned star on those teams. He averaged 22.9 points per game as a senior. He was selected to numerous Indiana All-State teams and named runner-up for last year's Mr. Basketball award. The winner was Tyler Zeller, a freshman at North Carolina.
It's been a long time since Ball State's had a recruit with that caliber of a resume. Davis' maturity on the court comes from those experiences he's already had. And the benefits will pay off immediately.
He may not become the most popular student athlete with the surname Davis - that mantle goes to Cardinals' quarterback Nate Davis. He'll probably not be seen as the best freshman on his own team. In the first three games, that distinction rightfully goes to forward Jarrod Jones.
But Randy Davis is on his way to being a special player. Because sometimes first impressions are everything.
Even if you have to look through the stat sheet to find them.
Write to Ryan at rtwood@bsu.edu
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