Zachary Davis describes work put in during summer to now feel 'confident and comfortable' in his shot
Throughout his career, many coaches told Zachary Davis he could stack the stat sheet with the type of player he is. They all saw what he was capable of not just as a defender but a shooter, too.
The key to unlocking all the tools in his game was a simple one: be himself. And that’s what Davis has tried his best to do since coming to South Carolina.
As Davis progressed and became a full-time starter midway through last season, his defense was superb, arguably the best on the team. As for his jump shot? Hit or miss.
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While Davis shot 43.2 percent from the floor, he only made 25 percent of his three-point shots, the lowest amongst all starters on the team. But the junior guard made it a priority to improve his shot over the summer. And now, he feels much better about where he’s at from that standpoint.
“I knew in the summertime like two weeks before I came back down here to get ready to go back to school. I knew my shot was getting way better,” Davis told GamecockCentral. “Just being more comfortable and confident with my shot. I feel like that was the main thing — being confident and comfortable in my shot.”
By the time the Gamecocks started their preseason practices, Davis was feeling great about how much his shooting had improved. So much so that he remembered getting into a rhythm during a specific practice recently.
“I felt like one practice I hit every shot I took,” he said. “After that, I just had the confidence and been shooting the ball ever since.”
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So, how did Davis get to the point where he now feels comfortable about his shot from nearly anywhere on the floor?
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“It starts with reps and your shot preparation. I always start off inside getting my form right then you back up. Then when you get to the three-point and mid-range, you gotta make sure your feet are set every time,” Davis said.
“I mean, some shots you’re not gonna shoot with the same footwork. But most of the shots, you should have the same footwork. So just repping out shots — good reps — no matter how many shots you take but you gotta have good reps. So just having good reps and working on my mechanics.”
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When the season starts, Davis said he expects other teams to not be ready for him to take good shots considering he’s averaged 4.1 points per game and is a career 22.4 percent three-point shooter. But that could give him an advantage in hopes of surprising a lot of people with what he can do this year.
If there’s anything to surely expect from Davis, though, it will be the “dog energy” he plans to bring back from last year on defense. Then over time, he anticipates his shot coming along well to where he’ll become a true dynamic playmaker.
“They’re going to short close out and then once I start hitting a couple it’s going to open up a rip drive,” Davis said. “I can dish off my passing abilities. I can finish at the rack. It’s iffy but just gotta wait til the games start.”
