Scholar Stories: Basketball Center Davis 'Captivated' by Physical Therapy
11/14/2018 11:24:00 AM | Men's Basketball, Features
Continuing the popular series that began in 2016-17, each Wednesday MGoBlue.com will highlight a Michigan student-athlete and their academic pursuits. These are our Scholar-Athlete Stories, presented by Prairie Farms.
By Steve Kornacki
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Austin Davis gleans knowledge from every aspect of the University of Michigan men's basketball program.
Wolverine head coach John Beilein and his staff, particularly big man coach Saddi Washington, are providing Davis, a 6-foot-10 center, with the technique and know-how required for him to become a significant contributor.
Davis also is learning from athletic trainer Alex Wong and head strength and conditioning coach Jon Sanderson where physical therapy is concerned. That's a vocation Davis is seriously considering as he pursues a degree in movement science in the School of Kinesiology.
"That's kind of captivated me," Davis said of physical therapy. "I try to learn as much from them (Wong and Sanderson) as I can."
Davis, who came to Michigan from Onsted, Michigan, an Irish Hills community with 971 residents located about a one-hour drive southwest of Ann Arbor, is just the 14th Division I player from largely rural Lenawee County.
"He came here as a really young senior," Beilein said of the redshirt sophomore who is now 20, "and with a completely different body than he has right now. From the time of his senior year when he made his commitment, he's been training and training, and now he's actually running the floor and moving more like he should be moving.
"And in today's ball-screen defenses, everything is basically going through him. So, it's three or four different effort areas sometimes in one time down the court. He's got to continue to think. So, that's been the biggest challenge for him."
Davis finished second in Mr. Basketball voting after averaging 25.3 points and 14.3 rebounds as a senior at Onsted Community High. He totaled 1,687 points, 1,087 rebounds and 297 blocked shots in his career and had 62 double-doubles.
But he required the first two seasons on campus to adjust to playing at the highest level.
Davis played sparingly last season behind Moritz Wagner and current starter Jon Teske, averaging 1.2 points and 1.4 rebounds on a Final Four team. But he's going to be counted on for more this season as Teske's backup, and David has a 7-foot-2 wingspan and athleticism that could make him special once he gets things down.
He earned Academic All-Big Ten honors and a Michigan Academic Achievement Award in 2017-18. He was the salutatorian of his senior class, while one of his best friends, Austin Thompson, who also attends Michigan, was the valedictorian. Davis posted a grade-point average over 4.0 thanks to advanced placement courses he took.
"He's an elite student and has done really well here," Beilein said of Davis. "His family is involved in education and very involved in his life."
His mother, Marsha, is the principal at Onsted Elementary and played basketball at Oakland University. His father, Eric, played basketball at Adrian (Michigan) College and works for Penske Racing Shocks, building and selling shock absorbers.
"The biggest thing they did for me was they held me accountable and taught me how to be accountable," said Davis. "My mom was an elementary school teacher when I was coming through there, and I was never able to get away with anything. And my dad is very active in our community and is always around."
Davis said his top studying tip in college is staying ahead of assignments, doing classwork whenever he can and often studying right up to going to sleep. The Wolverines were on the road for four weeks of postseason basketball last spring, and that presented challenges.
"You miss a lot of class," said Davis, "but they're great with helping you catch back up and helping you understand and get through what you missed, and keeping you on track. It's definitely tough, but you roll with the punches and figure it out. Trying to get stuff done before we go on trips has helped me a lot.
"And a lot of the professors in kinesiology are really interested in what's going on with the team, too. You build relationships that way, too."
Davis currently has classes in movement science, statistics, scientific writing (focusing on a journal article), linguistics ("I'm enjoying that one") and an elective on the evolution of hip-hop music.
"I'm a country music person," said Davis, a Kenny Chesney fan. "So, that's a little bit out of my realm. I'm expanding my horizons."
He said he enjoys every class, but one has been particularly interesting.
"I'm really connecting well with the scientific writing professor, Dr. (Kathy) Clark, the associate chairman of kinesiology," said Davis. "She's a really great professor and is growing my love for the area.
"And I took an anatomy class last winter that was an amazing class. It blew my mind -- how intricate the human body is and just how incredible it is."
After classes, he's off to basketball practice and development. Davis scored two points with two rebounds, two steals and one blocked shot in the season opener against Norfolk State.
He had career highs with four points and five rebounds in both the Chaminade and Alabama A&M games last season. And while he was only on the court for a brief time at the end of the national championship game loss to Villanova in San Antonio, Texas, it was an experience not many get to have.
"The overall experience and being able to be in that atmosphere -- let alone step on the court -- especially with my (basketball) brothers, and just the relationships we were able to build and strengthen in that entire experience was just incredible."
His favorite moment came in the Elite Eight contest against Texas A&M, when walk-on forward C.J. Baird hit a three-point shot late in the 99-72 victory.
"It was just so incredible, because I was able to be on the court for that," said Davis. "Everybody on the bench was just going crazy."
The No. 18 Wolverines travel to No. 8 Villanova on Wednesday night (Nov. 14) in a championship game rematch.
Davis is vying for more playing time along with Teske and highly recruited freshmen Colin Castleton and Brandon Johns Jr., who will primarily play forward. They will collectively be replacing Wagner, the first-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Lakers.
"Those are huge shoes to fill," said Davis. "Moe was a great player, great leader and a great motivator. He brought so much energy every day to practice that everyone fed off. It'll be tough to make up for what we're losing with him, but we're up to it. We each bring something unique to the table."
What does Davis bring?
"I really bring a lot of strength," he said. "I try to get in there and play very strong and physical. I try to get every rebound."
He credits Sanderson with improving his running with work on the VersaClimber and morning "bleacher runs" at Crisler Center.
"Coach Sanderson is an incredible person to resource in that field," said Davis. "He's creating so many incredible athletes and gets results."
Beilein also has had a big impact on him.
"Coach Beilein is an amazing person," said Davis. "Being here, we're surrounded by so many amazing people. He looks out for each of us and ways he can push us, and he does it very creatively. He gets to know us and likes to talk to me about hunting." Â Â
Beilein smiled and said, "He killed a deer last week, and I got some venison jerky."
There isn't much time for hunting, but Davis enjoys donning camouflage and going out with his uncle. Then it's back to Ann Arbor.
Davis said he's experiencing the best of both worlds at Michigan.
"It's a really incredible experience," said Davis.
