Last season, sophomore guard Everson Davis served as a constant in Binghamton’s tumultuous backcourt rotation. He filled whatever role the Bearcats needed him to, spending time as both point guard and as wingman.
Now, Davis will finally get to fulfill a role of his own. Fast and athletic, he’ll contribute largely as a slashing wingman, where he can handle the ball and play aggressively. The new role will also allow Davis to play off the ball more frequently, which is where he thrives.
“I’m going to get guys involved,” Davis said. “I want to get to the rim as much as I can, and create for others. I need to be who I am — long, athletic and disruptive.”
As a freshman, Davis started in 29 of Binghamton’s 30 games and stayed on the court for an average of 28.7 minutes. He lead the Bearcats in assists per game (2.5) and was third in both points (9.4) and rebounds (3.2).
“Everson’s going to have a big role,” said BU head coach Tommy Dempsey. “Last year he played more as a point guard a bit out of necessity.”
Davis was often featured as Binghamton’s primary ball handler early last season. Then, sophomore guard Timmy Rose, a walk-on to the team, emerged as a viable option to spend minutes at the point. Davis shared the position with Rose and senior guard Marlon Beck.
“There was a toll in just the three of us handling the guard responsibilities between practice and the games,” Davis said. “But now we have a little bit of rest.”
At times, however, Davis struggled with uneven play, especially from beyond the arc. He’ll need to improve on his 16.9 percent shooting clip from the 3-point line.
“I didn’t shoot from three particularly well last year; I’ve been working on that,” Davis said. “And I need to improve on handling the ball more … I definitely have to cut down on turnovers.”
Davis has learned from some of last season’s struggles, and has grown in confidence. After all, the biggest leap in performance often occurs between freshman and sophomore year.
“I feel a lot of confidence going forward,” Davis said. “There’s a lot of wisdom from last year after playing that many games, so I know what to expect. Now I know better … which will help me play better.”
For much of last season, Davis played through injury. What started out as a mild groin pull got progressively worse. When the season ended, he underwent corrective surgery, from which he has now fully recovered.
Last year he played as a point guard out of need. Redshirt sophomore J.C. Show, who had transferred from Bucknell, wasn’t yet eligible. Guard Yosef Yacob redshirted his junior season after tearing his labrum before the season even began.
Despite his nagging injury, Davis still shouldered a heavy burden in Binghamton’s depleted backcourt. Over the offseason, he’s gotten stronger in order to embrace his physical role.
“I’ve been getting in the weight room a lot,” Davis said. “I’ve gained about 10 pounds; I feel good.”
According to Davis, the guards are not the only ones who have been working on their perimeter game. Junior forward Willie Rodriguez, sophomore forward Thomas Bruce and junior forward Bobby Ahearn have all been practicing their shots from beyond the arc. Davis believes that the Bearcats will improve offensively this season, especially if their big men settle into a rhythm of their own.
“We’ve been working hard so far this year,” Davis said. “Practicing shooting the ball and working on offense. Our bigs are very skilled and we should be much improved from last year.”