On the Recruiting Front: Davis talks about his NCSU commitment

Josh Davis said he had been hoping for a scholarship offer from N.C. State for quite sometime, and been a fan of the Wolfpack for even longer.

Now, the talented forward from Athens Drive knows he won't have to leave Raleigh for the next four years to continue playing basketball after he committed to the Pack earlier today.

"It was great, I'm happy for my mom too," Davis said. Davis' mom and one of his mom's friends accompanied him on his visit to NCSU's campus today, where he committed.

There had been talk that State would offer Davis a walk-on spot, and even some that Davis would try to prep or re-classify for a year, but non of that was necessary after State offered.

"I was iffy about it, I didn't know if they would do [offer me," Davis said. "I had thought that I had to resort to prepping. That's mostly why I thought of that. I never really wanted to walk-on to a school, and once I found out [he could get an offer from State] I just had faith."

Davis didn't need to prep after he began fielding scholarship offers from low-major schools like Gardner-Webb, Charleston Southern and High Point as well as mid-major schools like UNC-Wilmington and Old Dominion. Even Big East school Seton Hall was moving in late, but had yet to offer.

Not that it would've mattered once State offered. 

"They kind of were [hinting at offering]. I was hoping they would, and then they came over today," Davis said.

Davis said he first met the State coaching staff when he attended their Elite Camp this past summer and Athens Drive competed in team camp that was hosted by State right after the Elite Camp was completed.

For the Jaguars, which finished the year 22-6 and spent most of the season ranked in the state's top-10 after a 13-0 start, Davis was a force in the paint. He used his 6-foot-6 frame and excellent leaping ability to spring above defenders and finished well around the rim.

But at the next level, 6-foot-6 power forwards are rare, especially in the ACC. So Davis knows he'll have to continue working on some things, and he said he hopes to complete his transition to the 3-spot (wing forward). 

"I see myself as a three, and just want to help the team as much as possible," Davis said. 

Speaking of his height, there's a chance that may change. Davis has the frame to put on more pounds, and has grown eight inches since starting high school.

Davis said he will most likely not play AAU this summer, but vowed to work on his game. 

"I know I have to work on my jump shot and get bigger and a little bit stronger," Davis said.

J. Mike's take: I must've saw Davis a good 6-8 times this year and here are his strengths and weaknesses.

Strengths:

Explosiveness - Can really leap. Finishes his post moves and stick-backs above the rim. Can't remember a game where he had fewer than nine rebounds or double-digit points. Despite playing on a team in which only two players were threats to score, he was rarely stopped, which speaks to his determination as well.

Defense - Athens never pressed anybody, and that's mostly because Davis was excellent at poking the ball away from players and creating turnovers in the half-court. Could be a defensive specialist at the next level (should be his ticket to minutes next year). Blocks shots as easily as he collects steals. Think "a poor man's James Mays."

Weaknesses:

Polished SF skills - You can sense he was ready to move to the 3 early this year, but when it came to crunch time he had to put that away and get back to what was working — being in the paint. Wasn't comfortable dribbling under pressure and sometimes it led to traveling calls that blew lay-ups. Did possess the passing skills of a 3, however, and was able to find open people when the defense collapsed. His shooting form isn't so bad, but it does need to be more fluid.

Shot - Needs to knock off the rust from his jumper, which he didn't need to use much while still going off for 25.1 points per game. His free throw shooting was always suspect — no way he shot better than 60% this year (but outside of Earnest Ross, however, nobody was even close in going to the line that much).