From many, there will be one. And while there’s still no guarantee contending athletes will win their own state at this point in the season, a number of elite performers are making a case for Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year consideration. Here’s the scoop on the latest top candidate.
Tyler Davis
Senior center, Plano (Texas) West
Greatness Present: On a squad that features three of the nation’s top-100 senior recruits—a group The Dallas Morning News dubbed “one of the deepest high school teams you’ll ever see”—it’s not easy standing out in a crowd. And yet Davis makes it seem like a breeze.
The 6-foot-10, 270-pound wide-body joins a pair of 6-foot-7 senior forwards—Ohio State-bound Mickey Mitchell and D.J. Hogg, ticketed for Texas A&M—in a frontcourt for the ages. Along with recent Gatorade Texas Football Player of the Year contender Soso Jamabo, that trio has lifted the Wolves (25-2) to the state’s No. 1 ranking in Class 6A.
And Davis is doing the most damage, leading Plano West in points (19.5), rebounds (12.9) and blocks (3.2) while feeding his talented teammates for another 2.2 assists per game. He has recorded 17 double-doubles in 27 games, including a monster 24-point, 23-rebound effort in a 79-62 win over crosstown rival Plano East last month.
Greatness Past: Davis had to sit out his junior season after transferring to Plano West from Frisco (Texas) Liberty. He averaged 15.1 points and 12.0 rebounds as a sophomore for the Redhawks.
Greatness Future: Ranked as the No. 18 recruit in the Class of 2015 by ESPN, Davis will join Hogg as an Aggie this fall.
Make no mistake: The Gatorade State Boys Basketball Player of the Year races aren’t over, and the National POY race is now heating up. Time remains for one standout student-athlete among thousands to rise to the top of our list. Check back for daily updates on the top contenders making their case.
