Now that the AAU/camp season is over, we'll take an in-depth look at each of Purdue's 2012 and 2013 recruits, in addition to its two remaining 2012 targets.
Today: Rapheal Davis
Prior: Kendall Stephens
July review
We saw him only at Purdue's team camp, one junior all-star game and the Gym Rats tournament in Fort Wayne this past weekend. Keep in mind, he missed most of the spring period after having minor knee surgery. We were supposed to see him in Elmhurst, but he didn't play in that tournament.
Davis finished his July strong, playing very well with D3 Pride in Orlando and Fort Wayne after making a surprising mid-July move away from the Spiece team he'd played for his entire summer-ball career prior.
Strengths
Davis' strength is just that, his strength. His size and power from the guard position is just a very difficult combination for opponents to deal with.
That strength suits Davis well as a penetrator, overwhelmingly his calling card offensively. He's not the fastest or quickest guard out there, but he's so big and so physical and uses his body so well that when he's determined to get to the basket, it's very difficult for any one person to prevent him from doing so, particularly when he gets a head of steam bringing the ball up the floor and can set up his trademark spin move off. When he gets doubled or draws a second defender, he's a good passer, though he does force the occasional shot in such situations.
Furthermore, Davis isn't an above-the-rim athlete, but he does have a great knack for finishing around the basket once he's gotten to the rim, able to use the glass well at tough angles, using his body and some surprising lateral movement to protect the ball and create space where there otherwise not be any.
Davis is also very good in transition both as a scorer and facilitator and very aggressive pushing the ball in the open floor, sometimes maybe a bit too aggressive. He's creative in the open floor and has a penchant for throwing accurate lob passes for dunks or layups.
At Purdue's team camp, he really took it at smaller guards in the post with some mean-ness to him. Looked like the kid guarding him kind of pissed him off. But Davis has the power to maybe be able to do that some in college. His evolution as a player has been an inside-out one, much like E'Twaun Moore's, so he has a background on the front line.
Versatility is a big deal with Davis, because he's shown table-setting skills enough to play the point in AAU and put up solid assist numbers in high school, playing for not-so-good teams.
Davis' physical attributes alone should make him a capable rebounder and defender in college, the latter being an area he'll really have to make strides in. But he can certainly be physical on D, which is a good thing in the Big Ten.
Intangibly, there's a very distinct competitiveness and mean streak to Davis, a common denominator among the Fort Wayne kids Purdue has coming in with him and Bryson Scott.
Weaknesses
Davis needs to become more of a multi-faced offensive threat to best capitalize on his slashing ability to get to the basket or free throw line.
As is, he's just an OK three-point shooter who can become more consistent from long range. He can make shots, but his flat-footed, 'push' style of jumper doesn't necessarily look the part, if that even matters.
He's shown through the years an ability to hit pull-up jumpers off the dribble, but the more weapons he can develop in the lane the better, because he's so effective off the dribble.
Not to use E'Twaun Moore as a comparison, because they're very different players, but Moore's ability to slash was complemented immeasurably by that deadly one-handed runner he scored so many points off.
Davis is such a bull that the more multi-faceted his pull-up game is, the more options he's going to have and the more off-balance defenders are going to be.
As mentioned earlier, Davis isn't an unbelievable athlete. He's a good athlete, but not elite. He's like Terone Johnson in the sense that his strength trumps speed, quickness, leaping ability, etc.
In college, it will be imperative for Davis to acclimate well to playing without the ball in his hands all the time. Throughout his high school and AAU career, he's been ball-dominant. That will change at the next level, obviously.
Super-fun comparisons
There's no obvious one, but after deliberating between the outlandish (LeBron James, Evan Turner) and ancient (Sergio McClain), we'll go with Manny Harris. Davis is similar to the former Michigan star in his size, ruggedness and versatility, but obviously has a long way to go to be as good as Harris was in college.
Position
Davis can probably realistically play any of the three backcourt positions, but will primarily be a wing who should be able to co-exist well with other guards.
For what it's worth, he and Gary Harris would actually complement each other well in college, because of the differences in their games and physical attributes. The notion that they couldn't that I've seen out there is based on absolutely nothing and has been thoroughly debunked by their play together in AAU these past two weeks. Just because two guys sort of play the same position doesn't mean they can't play together.
Final analysis
Davis is a better player than he's generally regarded as nationally, though he is highly thought of. For whatever rankings are worth, I think he's always been overlooked some because of the wealth of talent in Indiana's 2012 class in some part the fact that his high school teams haven't been very successful.
In college, he'll have the body to compete immediately, but will be the consummate example of a guy who'll have to adjust from being a star in high school shooting 25 times a game to settling into a role while surrounded by other Big Ten-level talents.
Playing this season at LaLumiere and his AAU experiences this past summer playing alongside first D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera (which didn't go so well) and Gary Harris (which did) might be steps in the right direction in preparing him for college.
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2011. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited. E-mail GoldandBlack.com/Boilers, Inc.
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Today: Rapheal Davis
Prior: Kendall Stephens
July review
We saw him only at Purdue's team camp, one junior all-star game and the Gym Rats tournament in Fort Wayne this past weekend. Keep in mind, he missed most of the spring period after having minor knee surgery. We were supposed to see him in Elmhurst, but he didn't play in that tournament.
Davis finished his July strong, playing very well with D3 Pride in Orlando and Fort Wayne after making a surprising mid-July move away from the Spiece team he'd played for his entire summer-ball career prior.
Strengths
Davis' strength is just that, his strength. His size and power from the guard position is just a very difficult combination for opponents to deal with.
That strength suits Davis well as a penetrator, overwhelmingly his calling card offensively. He's not the fastest or quickest guard out there, but he's so big and so physical and uses his body so well that when he's determined to get to the basket, it's very difficult for any one person to prevent him from doing so, particularly when he gets a head of steam bringing the ball up the floor and can set up his trademark spin move off. When he gets doubled or draws a second defender, he's a good passer, though he does force the occasional shot in such situations.
Furthermore, Davis isn't an above-the-rim athlete, but he does have a great knack for finishing around the basket once he's gotten to the rim, able to use the glass well at tough angles, using his body and some surprising lateral movement to protect the ball and create space where there otherwise not be any.
Davis is also very good in transition both as a scorer and facilitator and very aggressive pushing the ball in the open floor, sometimes maybe a bit too aggressive. He's creative in the open floor and has a penchant for throwing accurate lob passes for dunks or layups.
At Purdue's team camp, he really took it at smaller guards in the post with some mean-ness to him. Looked like the kid guarding him kind of pissed him off. But Davis has the power to maybe be able to do that some in college. His evolution as a player has been an inside-out one, much like E'Twaun Moore's, so he has a background on the front line.
Versatility is a big deal with Davis, because he's shown table-setting skills enough to play the point in AAU and put up solid assist numbers in high school, playing for not-so-good teams.
Davis' physical attributes alone should make him a capable rebounder and defender in college, the latter being an area he'll really have to make strides in. But he can certainly be physical on D, which is a good thing in the Big Ten.
Intangibly, there's a very distinct competitiveness and mean streak to Davis, a common denominator among the Fort Wayne kids Purdue has coming in with him and Bryson Scott.
Weaknesses
Davis needs to become more of a multi-faced offensive threat to best capitalize on his slashing ability to get to the basket or free throw line.
As is, he's just an OK three-point shooter who can become more consistent from long range. He can make shots, but his flat-footed, 'push' style of jumper doesn't necessarily look the part, if that even matters.
He's shown through the years an ability to hit pull-up jumpers off the dribble, but the more weapons he can develop in the lane the better, because he's so effective off the dribble.
Not to use E'Twaun Moore as a comparison, because they're very different players, but Moore's ability to slash was complemented immeasurably by that deadly one-handed runner he scored so many points off.
Davis is such a bull that the more multi-faceted his pull-up game is, the more options he's going to have and the more off-balance defenders are going to be.
As mentioned earlier, Davis isn't an unbelievable athlete. He's a good athlete, but not elite. He's like Terone Johnson in the sense that his strength trumps speed, quickness, leaping ability, etc.
In college, it will be imperative for Davis to acclimate well to playing without the ball in his hands all the time. Throughout his high school and AAU career, he's been ball-dominant. That will change at the next level, obviously.
Super-fun comparisons
There's no obvious one, but after deliberating between the outlandish (LeBron James, Evan Turner) and ancient (Sergio McClain), we'll go with Manny Harris. Davis is similar to the former Michigan star in his size, ruggedness and versatility, but obviously has a long way to go to be as good as Harris was in college.
Position
Davis can probably realistically play any of the three backcourt positions, but will primarily be a wing who should be able to co-exist well with other guards.
For what it's worth, he and Gary Harris would actually complement each other well in college, because of the differences in their games and physical attributes. The notion that they couldn't that I've seen out there is based on absolutely nothing and has been thoroughly debunked by their play together in AAU these past two weeks. Just because two guys sort of play the same position doesn't mean they can't play together.
Final analysis
Davis is a better player than he's generally regarded as nationally, though he is highly thought of. For whatever rankings are worth, I think he's always been overlooked some because of the wealth of talent in Indiana's 2012 class in some part the fact that his high school teams haven't been very successful.
In college, he'll have the body to compete immediately, but will be the consummate example of a guy who'll have to adjust from being a star in high school shooting 25 times a game to settling into a role while surrounded by other Big Ten-level talents.
Playing this season at LaLumiere and his AAU experiences this past summer playing alongside first D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera (which didn't go so well) and Gary Harris (which did) might be steps in the right direction in preparing him for college.
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2011. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited. E-mail GoldandBlack.com/Boilers, Inc.
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