Deyonta Davis

Deyonta Davis (born December 2, 1996) is an American basketball player who currently attends Muskegon High School in Muskegon, Michigan. He is a five-star recruit and signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) to play for the Michigan State Spartans in 2015–16. Davis was recruited with the help of the team's head coach Tom Izzo. He was among the best players in the Class of 2015, winning Mr. Basketball of Michigan in 2015 and appearing in the McDonald's All-American Game the same year.^[1][2]

High school career

Davis attended Muskegon High School in Muskegon, Michigan. In his final season, he recorded 4 points and 12 rebounds in the state regional finals, as Muskegon escaped Hudsonville in quadruple-overtime. He played his final game for the Big Reds on March 24, 2015, in a 52-75 quarterfinals loss to Everett High School. He contributed 12 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 blocks. It was played only three miles from the Michigan State University campus. Davis said after the loss, "It was very important [to help my team advance]. We came out ready to play, but the game just didn't go our way."^[3] The game was attended by MSU assistant basketball coach Dwayne Stephens, who helped recruit him to his team. Davis also got the chance to meet Spartans players before competing.^[3] As Muskegon's star left his team, head coach Keith Guy said, "The future is bright. Two games don't define his career."^[3]

By the end of the season, Davis was named Mr. Basketball of Michigan for 2015. In the balloting, he earned a total of 5,223 points. Arthur Hill's Eric Davis and Everett's Trevor Manuel finished after him, getting 3,757 and 2,837 points respectively. The award was won by two straight players from Muskegon High School, Deshaun Thrower winning in 2014. Big Red coach Guy complemented his team, saying, "To have another kid win it for the second consecutive year, it shows how far our program has come the last three years."^[4] Davis was given his personal Mr. Basketball trophy between the quarters of the Michigan state title game, in which Saginaw's Arthur Hill played against Detroit's Western International. He said in disappointment, "I'd much rather be on the floor playing right now."^[5]

On April 1, 2015, Davis competed in the 2015 McDonald's All-American Boys Game, playing for the West team. He played alongside the likes of Stephen Zimmerman and Jalen Brunson and against Diamond Stone and Cheick Diallo. Davis finished the game with 6 points and 9 rebounds, leading his team in the latter category.^[6] In January, when he was named to the game, Bank Hoops scout Steve Bell said, "This is huge for West Michigan."^[7] The forward was the first player from that region to appear at the stage since Matt Steigenga in 1988.^[7]

References