Ex-NBA player ushers in new era for boys basketball at North and himself
Davis, showing a player where he needs to be on offense by the time he gets the ball to have a wide open shot. Photo by Azhae’la Hanson
By Azhae’la Hanson, Reporter
North high school is ushering in a new era of basketball with NBA vet Ricky Davis as the new head coach of the men's team.
Davis left the comforts of warm Texas to our Northside after his wife Siobhan, a Polar alum, convinced him to come back to her hometown.
“She had been trying to convince me for years,” Davis said. “And when the position at North became available, we had to jump at the opportunity.”
This will be Davis’s first time coaching high school basketball and he’s excited for the challenge. Davis was drafted into the NBA at 17, the same age as most of the young men he now coaches. He wants to teach his team what it takes to play basketball at the next level, because he’s proof in the flesh.
“I'm gonna do my best at whatever I can do,” Davis said. “You know I'm into winning championships and games but my championship is when these guys get to the next level. That's with scholarships, free education, and learning life skills.
“I’m not really in it for the fame; I got my fame already. So, I just want to grow these guys to the best that they can be.”
Tryouts brought more than 60 eager students to try out for the coveted varsity spots.
Three teams now fill the Polar gym, and seems to possess the energy needed to revitalize the program that struggled with retention in recent years due to Covid-19.
“Last year, we were struggling to have good numbers for younger kids,” said Athletic Director Kale Severson.
This season, there are so many new faces to the program that Severson is struggling to find a place where they can all fit.
Returning player Maurice ‘Mo’ Jones is excited to have a coach that runs drills alongside him.
“He’s very animated and he moves with us,” Jones said. “He gets on the court and shows us what NBA talent is. Seeing him in action motivates me and makes me feel like I could do the same thing.”
Some players have even transferred from larger division schools to learn from Davis. Senior Max Wilson remembers running to his parents to transfer from Hopkins to North High when he heard of Davis’s arrival.
“North ain’t won state since 2016, I’m here to change that,” Wilson said.
He’s not the only one. After falling short in the state championship game last year, players have been preparing for redemption. They practice at 6 a.m. and after school into the evening.
“Everybody is going to be waiting for us, looking for us, every game someone is looking for us to mess up so we need to be prepared. When we hit adversity, push through”
“A lot of us didn’t get the chance last year to prove ourselves. This year is ours,” Jones said.
Practice officially began in late November. Players excitedly entered the gym chanting “it all starts here.”
Davis, modeling to his players how to run an intense defense against quick opponents. Photo by Azhae’la Hanson
They hope Davis can take them to the top.
The players aren’t the only ones hoping for a comeback season. Coach Davis himself is in the midst of his own. Prior to taking the coaching position at North High, for years, Davis couldn't even say the word ‘basketball."
“The journey will humble you,” Davis said.
Being drafted so young, basketball was life. When Davis left professional basketball, it took years for him to come to terms with how to move on.
He was inspired by his wife. From her, Davis learned retiring from basketball wasn’t the end all, it was just time to start a new chapter. He took the coaching job at North High to usher in a new era for himself – mentorship.
Davis wants to teach more than just basketball so his players aren’t blindsided by the responsibilities that come with college and professional ball. He’s starting a 15-week course for the program that will teach the importance of etiquette, education, camaraderie, and preparation.
He will be joined by Fredrecho Watson, Davis' former personal NBA manager and best friend since 17, to serve as the assistant head coach for the Polars this season.
“He came to get it done, and I came with him,” Watson said.
The only returning coaches from the previous program are Tauries Murry Jr. and Ryland Baker, two recent graduates of North High. They plan on staying as long as they can.
“The boys bring me back,” Murry said. “We got a lot of work to do, but we’ll get there.
He’s excited to build a relationship with Davis, and learn some pointers for himself along the way.
Davis looks up at the past championship banners, hopeful he can get his team prepared to bring another one home. Photo by Azhae’la Hanson
This season, spectators can expect to see some major improvements in defense because it is a hallmark of Davis’s coaching philosophy.
“Be ready so you don't have to get ready,” Davis said. “We work on every kind of defensive situation. If we play defense to stop guys, I think we can win games and championships.”
He sees himself as a stickler for hard work, preparation and defense. But he also wants his players to love the game as much as he does.
“This year is different, but it's still one team, and there's still one goal,” Davis said. “I want to make this a place of comfort, and a place where they want to come. I want them to love basketball.”