SMU's Kendric Davis makes statement for AAC Player of the Year
Morning, middle of the day and night treatment was SMU point guard Kendric Davis‘ life the past week. After getting injured against East Carolina, he sat out against Temple.
That decision from Tim Jankovich saved Davis’ season and allowed him to play 37 minutes against Memphis. Kendric Davis dazzled with 27 points en route to a 73-57 win. Davis couldn’t watch the Temple game, which SMU lost, but it allowed him to play at a high level when his team needed him.
“It ate me alive because I wanted to be there,” Davis told reporters after the game. “I know we was in first place and sometimes you got to protect the player, he said, from yourself. I’m just thankful he did rest me so it wouldn’t be nothing farther and I’m out for the rest of the year.
“I just know I couldn’t let them down by any means necessary. I knew I was gonna play. I tweaked it in the first four minutes, but we had to be in there by any means necessary.”
His teammates Franklin Agunanne and Marcus Weathers, who were sitting with Davis in the postgame press conference, weren’t surprised Davis played and dominated the way he did.
“Super aggressive. We feed off that,” Weathers said. “We play off of his aggression. When he’s hitting them, we’re tough to beat. So, we’re just following his lead and just helping him along the way.”
With that win and performance, Kendric Davis staked his claim to the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year honor. He’s leading the American in points and in a critical game for the AAC race and NCAA Tournament hopes, he notched a career-high in points for league play.
Kendric Davis deserves AAC Player of the Year honor
Last season, Davis and his team missed out on a chance to make a move both in the standings and for the honor.
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“It’d mean everything. I felt like last year if we played enough games I would’ve got it,” Davis said. “We was cut short. But I think if I played enough games last year, I would have got it, but I didn’t. I’m here so if I get it then I’ll be blessed. If I don’t, oh well.”
Head coach Tim Jankovich wants the team to stay focused on winning and the award will take care of itself.
“He certainly can make a case and I’m proud of him for that,” Jankovich said. “I don’t mean this as a negative. I’m just saying I don’t like thinking in those terms. I think those are dangerous thoughts. I think the thoughts are, how can I play a great game the next game? And how can I get better this week or whatever? And I think when people stay very narrow that way, it usually serves them best but he’s unique.
“He can play with all kinds of stuff on his plate and still perform. I hope that we can finish really, really, really strong and I hope that when all the dust settles that he gets the award that he deserves.”
By any means necessary, Kendric Davis made his statement for AAC Player of the Year, and it should pay off.
Up next, SMU faces Tulsa at home on Wednesday at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN+. The Mustangs sit a game back from Houston in the AAC standings with a rematch coming against the Cougars on Sunday.
