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By Paul M. Banks
University of Illinois juniors Demetri McCamey and power forward Mike Davis withdrew their names from the NBA Draft today. The duo will return to Champaign-Urbana for their senior Fighting Illini season. With a legitimate threat of a NBA lockout in 2011, pretty much every junior in the nation who was at least half-way decent optioned to test the waters this spring. And as long as they didn’t hire an agent- no harm, no foul.
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Junior led Big Ten in rebounding and had 15 double-doubles in 2009-10. He now joins teammate Demetri McCamey as early entries that did not sign agents.
Champaign, Ill.-University of Illinois junior forward Mike Davis (Alexandria, Va./T.C. Williams H.S.) will declare himself eligible for the 2010 NBA Draft, he announced today.
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Interview by Paul M. Banks and Paul Schmidt, write-up by Banks
Illini Junior Mike Davis used his baseline jumper, mid-range game and rebounding abilities to have a breakthrough season last year. In this video interview below, he discusses the upcoming season, various aspects of his game and much more.
Here are some of Davis’ highlights from 08-09
-Second-team All-Big Ten selection by coaches, Third-team by media
-Big Ten All-Tournament Team
-Started all 34 games on the season, averaging 30.7 minutes
-Second on Illini in scoring, second in the Big Ten in rebounding with an average of 8.1
-Led conference with nine double-doubles, also led league with 11 double-digit rebounding performances
-Third in Big Ten in field goal shooting
-Scored career-high 28 in Big Ten/ACC Challenge
-Grabbed a career-high 16 boards vs. Purdue, most rebounds by a Big Ten player in conference play
-In off-season was selected to attend the 2009 USA?Basketball World University Games team trials, but withdrew due to broken left ankle.
More Illini exclusives, click name for video interviews:
Alex Legion and Dominique Keller
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By Paul M. Banks, Walterfootball.com
Mike Davis (6-9, 210, F) was one of the most improved players in the Big Ten Conference last season. He was second on the Illini in scoring and third in the Big Ten in rebounding last winter. He led the conference with nine double-doubles and 11 double-digit rebounding performances on the season.
The second-team All-Big Ten selection by coaches (Third-team pick by media) also made the Big Ten All-Tournament Team and improved his scoring average by about nine points this past year.
Davis will need to make similar strides this year if he hopes to consider leaving school after his junior year. Currently, he looks like a solid middle second-rounder in 2011.
However, the potential is certainly there for Davis’ stock to shoot up. Critics claim he lives and dies by the baseline jumper, but his shot selection and offensive decision-making are some of his best qualities, evidenced by his finishing third in the Big Ten in field-goal shooting at 53.3 percent (171-321).
If he can continue to develop a triple-threat game, he will be able to beat more opposing defenders with his little half-hooks and turnaround jump shots. His defense isn’t bad either, and this upcoming season will give him a chance to showcase it for “Association” scouts.
The Illini were a surprisingly good team last year, but they lost their best (and one of the league’s best) defenders in Chester Frazier. Coach Bruce Weber has spoken about Davis being a go-to-guy in the future, especially on the defensive end, and someone will have to step up and guard the opposing team’s best scorer like Frazier did last season. Davis will need to be that guy.
To read the rest click here
http://www.walterfootball.com/nbadraft2010profilemdavis.php
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