Class Of 2010 Hidden Gem: Austin Davis

May 17, 2009 

11:00 A.M. CST

What we like most about the Reebok Headliner Tryout Camp is that every player who attends knows that he has something to play for.  This is because a player's success at the headliner camp can lead to further exposure at even more prestigious Reebok events throughout the summer.  At yesterday's Reebok Headliner Tryout Camp session at A.T.T.A.C.K. Athletics in Chicago, no player took advantage of this opportunity more than 6'7 class of 2010 forward Austin Davis from Freeport High School in Freeport, IL. 

Simply put, we thought that Davis was the biggest sleeper to emerge from the Reebok Headliner event in Chicago.  We say this because Davis showed a high degree of offensive versatility both around the basket as well as on the perimeter.  He has good hands and is a consistent scorer in the paint due to a variety of post moves and his ability to use the glass. 

As far as his perimeter skills are concerned, Davis showed the ability to face up and knock down shots all the way out to 3-point land in addition to being able to put the ball on the floor.  The fact that he was consistently getting it done against quality competition is what especially made us take note.

While Davis still undoubtedly needs to work on getting stronger, it does not seem to hamper his rebounding ability.  Once he does develop more upper body strength and becomes more physically imposing, we believe that he is a player whose stock could climb in a hurry.  With that in mind, he is a player that D1 coaches should be watching closely come the July evaluation period.

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Additional Notes From Reebok Headliner Try Out Camp

 ... Based on talent, the two best players at the Reebok headliner camp were 6'9 class of 2011 center Nnana Egwu from St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago and 6'5 class of 2011 shooting guard Jacob Williams  from St. Patrick High School in Chicago.  However, neither player was as dominant as they have been when we have watched them in other events.  Egwu started out slow and looked as though he was having trouble getting up and down the floor as the result of his leg being banged up, but came on strong toward the finish.  He was knocking down pullup jumpers along the baseline with consistency and also finished most everything thrown his way, often with authority.  Williams, meanwhile, arrived without much sleep on account of attending his prom the night before, but still managed to display his usual job of drilling jumpshots from long range with relative ease.

... The best athlete that we saw yesterday may have been 6'0 guard Tavares Herron from Fenger High School in Chicago.  Herron is a high-flyer who had a couple of monster jams while attacking the basket and also showed that he is capable of nailing shots from deep range, including off the dribble.  Another highly athletic player who intrigued us was 6'5 class of 2010 forward Aaron Williams  from Vocational High School in Chicago, who is strong around the basket and has a good nose for the ball, but needs to refine his wing skills, as right now he falls on the tweener side. 

... One player who remains most difficult to evaluate and is often the subject of considerable debate is 6'4 class of 2010 forward Mantas Dabauskas  from St. Joseph High School in Westchester.  However, we will say this--there was nobody at the Reebok headliner camp who played any harder.  Dabauskas is a warrior every moment that he is on the court.  He attacks the glass and is effective in the open court and on the break, where he finishes with consistency.  Right now we see him as being an ideal D2 prospect.

... 6'2 class of 2010 combo guard Isiah "Hoopy" Jones from Mounds Meridian High School in Pulaski, IL has been highly touted by several other evaluators and while there is no question that he is talented, there are still several areas in which we would like to see him improve.  Above everything else, Jones is a great athlete and is a highly exciting player to watch in the open floor and when he has the ball in one-on-one situations.  Right now he does not clearly project as either a 2-guard or a point at the next level because he is an erratic shooter and although we believe he has point guard skills, he needs to develop a better mindset as a floor leader and tone down the wildness.

... We also liked 6'4 class of 2010 swing man James Reynolds from Whitney Young High School in Chicago, who showed a good ability to get to the basket in open court situations and was also consistent with respect to his mid-range game.  What we would now like to see him do is extend his shooting range and continue to get stronger.

... Two more prospects that are worth watching in the class of 2012 are 6'5 twins Mike and Matt Mache from Glenbard West High School in Glen Ellyn, IL.  Right now we like Mike a bit better, as he appears to be a bit more athletic and stronger, but there is no question that both of them have tremendous up sides.

... Congratulations to former DePaul University Associate Head Coach Gary DeCesare, who has become the new varsity boy's basketball coach at St. Rita High School in Chicago.  Everybody who follows high school basketball intently knows that DeCesare was one of the most successful high school coaches of all-time while he was coaching at St. Raymond's High School in the Bronx.  DeCesare also told us that he will be back as one of the directors of the Reebok All-American Camp, where he served as Sonny Vaccaro's right hand man during the majority of the time in which the camp operated at Farleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ.

... Getting back to our point about how every participant at the Reebok Headliner Try Out Camp has something to play for, the consensus top five players at this event will earn invitations to the Reebok All-American Camp in Philadelphia from July 6-10, while the top five underclassmen after that will be invited to the Reebok Breakout Underclass Camp in Dallas from June 19-21 with the opportunity to possibly get invited to the All-American Camp based on their play there.  The next ten best players at the headliner camp will earn invites to the Reebok Proving Ground Regional Combine which will be conducted at various regional locations on July 7-8, with the exception of the one in Boston which will run on July 9-10.

... And finally, staying on the subject of DePaul University, reliable sources have informed us not to be surprised to see the Blue Demons extend a scholarship offer to Jacob Williams some time in the next week.  

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