How Zach Davis' career-high could spell good things for South Carolina basketball
On Thursday night, South Carolina basketball defeated the Mercer Bears in a competitive contest, 84-72. The Gamecocks didn’t have their best day defensively, but a solid offensive showing kept USC on the right side of the scoreboard despite the Bears’ strong attempt at pulling the upset.
Following the final buzzer, head coach Lamont Paris spoke to the media about his team’s performance. While he wasn’t thrilled with the overall defensive effort, he had some good things to say about junior wing Zach Davis.
Against Mercer, Davis finished with a career-high 18 points. He scored his baskets efficiently (7-for-12 from the field) and chipped in a pair of outside shots, too. His coach noticed.
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According to Paris, Davis has grown tremendously on the offensive end of the floor. Said Paris, “Zach’s growth has been phenomenal…He’s changed so much from the time that he got here, in all the right ways.” He added, “He’s identified—and we’ve helped him identify—how you can be a real player at this level and beyond. He really dived into that and has reaped the benefits. He’s in the gym, he works a lot, and he loves the game.”
The Palmetto State native has become a solid driver of the basketball. Using his athletic 6’8″ frame, Davis can be a dangerous slasher when he plays aggressively. Paris shared, “I’ve been trying to get him to [attack]…the one that he made with the little finger roll in front of our bench? What a high-level play that was. It would be nice for him to do that more often.”
Even so, Zach Davis’ bread and butter is his defense. His length, quickness, and toughness make him a tough matchup for any offensive player, and when the Gamecocks utilize their 1-3-1 zone, he is an absolute pest at the top of the key. “[Defense] has still got to be where he hangs his hat,” Paris reminded the media.
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With his potential as a stopper on one end, Davis’ improved offense could yield positive returns for the Gamecocks.
Last year, South Carolina was 5-1 when he scored in double figures. If he can continue putting the ball through the basket efficiently, that can only help the team’s quest to return to the NCAA Tournament. Coach Paris applauded Davis’ shot selection following his outburst against Mercer. “…I thought his quality of shot was really good.” If efficient scoring becomes a regular part of Zach Davis’ contributions to South Carolina basketball, this team’s ceiling will rise.
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The upcoming schedule will put Davis and the Gamecocks to the test.
First, Carolina will travel to Florida for the Fort Myers Tip-Off. There, Sean Miller’s Xavier Musketeers and either the Michigan Wolverines or Virginia Tech Hokies will be waiting. Then, the Gamecocks must take a road trip to Chestnut Hills, Massachusetts to face the Boston College Eagles as part of the SEC/ACC Challenge. Home contests against East Carolina and USC-Upstate (two local teams that would love to beat the Gamecocks) precede the annual rivalry game against the Clemson Tigers.
That’s a tough stretch of out-of-conference basketball.
It begins on Monday as South Carolina and Xavier tip at 8:30 p.m. at Suncoast Credit Union Arena. Fans can tune in to watch the Gamecocks and Musketeers on FS1 or stream the game on the FoxSports app.
