Davis, Seniors Close Out NU Home Careers
BOSTON – Aaron Davis has just about seen it all on Huntington Ave. He’s seen highs and lows, and a real transition along the way.
When Davis first came to Northeastern, Ron Everhart was starting out as head coach. The program had been in a real slump, not having made the NCAA Tournament since 1991 and having fallen on hard times. He’s seen the program go from 7-21 as a freshman to last season’s 21-10 mark, then into the Colonial Athletic Association this season, where the Huskies are now 15-10 overall and 10-6 in CAA play. He saw a number of players enter and exit the program in the early going, but he’s still there as we speak, for just a little longer.
Much has been written about another senior honored on Saturday, Jose Juan Barea, who will go down as one of the Husky greats. Barea, who surpassed Pete Harris into second place all-time in scoring on Saturday, is certainly the biggest key to the recent resurgence of the program, which fell on hard times in the 1990s. But Davis has been there throughout Everhart’s tenure and has had a bigger hand in the program’s resurgence than he’s given credit for.
As a freshman, Davis led the team in scoring – something that not even Reggie Lewis did (Mark Halsel lead the team in scoring in 1983-84, Lewis’ freshman year). The Huskies’ steady rise began after that, and Davis was a constant save for the 2003-04 season, which he had to redshirt due to a dislocated shoulder.
While he hasn’t led the team in scoring since his first year, and didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard in his final home game (five points), he’s been a consistent presence at both ends of the floor. Sometimes it was scoring that he did, but other times it was shutting down an opposing scorer or playing bigger than his 6’3″ frame on the glass. He’s also been known for his many hustle plays, constantly sacrificing his body for the team even when playing with a dislocated shoulder.
Indeed, it’s been a running joke that Davis is always banged up, although it was never really that way before college. The shoulder has bothered him since his sophomore year, when it popped out numerous times, forcing him to have off-season surgery. The surgery didn’t go right the first time around, and he had to have it done again; he was going to redshirt either way, but having to have it a second time slowed his overall recovery. He’s also had nagging knee and back injuries at various times. Through it all, he kept playing with the reckless abandon he’s known for, diving for loose balls even though he knew the shoulder would pop out again.
“He’s the one guy that you know, effort-wise, hurt or not hurt, he’s going to give you every single ounce of energy and enthusiasm he’s got,” said Everhart, who feels that his career was certainly hurt by never really being able to play healthy.
Davis is in his second year of team captaincy, and it’s well-deserved. Though his scoring dropped after his freshman year, he’s raised his average again this season, up over nine points per game. He broke out of a shooting slump in January and was a real key to the Huskies’ surge in late January and early February. With at least three games left (two regular season and at least one in the CAA Tournament), he stands a good chance to reach 1,000 career points, as he currently has 972.
But more important than his scoring has been his overall value. He’s tied for the team lead in steals and is averaging a career-high 3.8 rebounds per game. The Huskies are assured of a winning season for the fourth straight year, the first time that has happened since the glory days of the 1980s, when they had eight straight winning seasons from 1983-1991.
Davis grew up in Maplewood, a small town in New Jersey just south of Seton Hall. Being in Boston, a big city full of college kids, has been a different experience that he’s enjoyed. He comes from a religious family and enjoys preaching to youth. When he was younger, his mother said he would one day be a preacher, and that’s the eventual goal of the sociology major. His coach certainly believes he’ll get there one day.
“Whatever Aaron Davis does, he’s going to be good at,” Everhart said. “That’s just the kind of kid he is; he’s the kind of guy that will go out and beat you in touch football in the backyard, beat you at ping-pong, or out-shoot you on the basketball court.”
When people look back at the resurgence of Northeastern in recent years, names like Sylbrin Robinson, Marcus Barnes and Jose Juan Barea will come up quickly as players go. Aaron Davis needs to be mentioned in that discussion as well.
Four Huskies Honored
Barea and Davis were the most notable Huskies who played their last home game on Saturday, but they weren’t alone. Joining them are two-year players Janon Cole and Jeff Farmer.
Cole, a junior college transfer, has been a key reserve this season. He’s third on the team in rebounding and has frequently given them a lift off the bench, and has been more consistent this year. The economics major, who is already married and has a child, will graduate next year.
Everhart calls Farmer “our emotional leader all year,” noting that the La Salle transfer often leads the team when they get ready to head out to the court. Although he’s played sparingly in his two seasons on Huntington Avenue, he’s been a fan favorite. Sports runs in his family, as his dad played football at Boston College and his brother, Ben, plays basketball at Marist. The Clinton, CT native is a huge Boston Red Sox fan, so transferring to Northeastern was like coming home. He’ll graduate in May with his degree in communications.
Everhart reflected fondly on all four seniors, who have served as captains this year.
“Every single one of those kids that are leaving this program are better people than they are basketball players,” he said.
