Drive, Dedication, and Dreadlocks: The Devin Davis Story

"That guy with the hair, he can play." – Arizona post player Joseph Blair, March 1995

When Devin Davis came from Miami, Florida to Miami (Ohio) almost 30 years ago, his basketball ability was not what he was most known for.

The gold teeth? Probably. The long hair? Most definitely. The hoop skills? A work in progress.

"Growing up, I wasn't very good, and the people that I knew didn't think I was very good either," Davis remembered.

But with a pair of state titles to his credit, the inner-city native showed up in southwest Ohio as part of a 'package deal' with a high school teammate and did the only thing he knew how: He got to work.

"You live life, and then experience all the people saying you're not good enough or you can't play – with the type of person I am, it only threw gas on the fire," said Davis. "It made me want to work that much harder, and put in that much more time."

The result? One of the most decorated careers in Miami University men's basketball history, as Davis became one of the school's top three all-time scorers (1,828 points) and top three all-time rebounders (1,027) before leaving Oxford.
Devin Davis

It's safe to say Davis stood out in a crowd from his first day at MU, both on the court and off it.

Ask him to describe himself as a basketball player and there's no hesitation: "Crazy."

(Those who saw the intensity on the floor from the 6'6 forward wearing #42 for the Red and White might even argue that such a strong word is still somehow an understatement.)

And then there was the hair. Of course, the hair.

While long dreadlocks may not be an extraordinary look for a basketball player in 2021, Davis was one of the first to embrace the style, if not trademark it, back in the mid-1990's.

"When I first got to campus, people were looking at me like, 'I think he's at the wrong place,'" Davis remembered with a laugh. And although the adjustment to a new culture and new part of the country may have seemed overwhelming at first, Davis' focus on the hardwood paid off quickly.

"In the beginning, I was like, 'Oh man, what's going on?'" Davis said of his first experiences in a very different Miami from the city he grew up in. "But I was open for anything. I just wanted a change from where I was coming from. I wanted an opportunity...

"I always felt like I would be a professional. I don't know why, because I wasn't that good, but you've got to believe it somewhere in there, and it was in me. I didn't know why I felt that way, but I wasn't going to school to play around.

"I was on a mission… to play basketball. And most of the guys will tell you that was how I approached the game."

Davis took pride in his rebounding and defense from day one, trusting that the offensive prowess would come later. The self-described 'original Draymond Green' averaged 8.6 boards a game over his four years at Miami, and loved out-working opponents on the backboards.

Miami-Arizona 1995 box score — *Box score from the 'perfect' game: MU 71, Arizona 62*

"Points? We all can get that, but when you're able to dominate on both sides of the court, on the glass – people see you everywhere," he said. "That's effort and heart, and I felt like I had the biggest heart and I was always giving 120 [percent]. That's all I knew."

Davis' all-around brilliance culminated in what he calls a 'perfect game', the 1995 NCAA Tournament upset of fifth-seeded Arizona that forever earned the MU star a place in March Madness lore. Miami shocked the Damon Stoudamire-led Wildcats (a Final Four team the season before) 71-62, as 'that guy with the hair' played all 40 minutes, poured in 24 points, and pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds to help his team advance to the second round.

That it came just down the road in Dayton, Ohio made the victory even sweeter.

"It was everything of a home game except the gym," Davis said. "It made a difference, because we had that support. People expect you to win home games, and I felt like it was a home game.

"I went in not so much feeling like the underdog anymore. It was an exciting opportunity, and I felt like I had to cash in on that opportunity: It's why we're here."

Davis went on to become one of just eight players in school history to participate in four postseason tournaments. His Miami teams qualified for the 1994 NIT, the 1995 NCAA tournament, the 1996 NIT, and the 1997 NCAA tournament, earning Mid-American Conference titles in 1995 and 1997 and a MAC tourney crown in his senior year as well.

While the postseason success was special, some of Davis' favorite college hoops memories came in regular-season matchups. Namely, the ones against rival Ohio University. 'Devin for Men's Hair Club' signs all over the gym in Athens…the entire student section wearing mops on their heads…and Davis, the center of attention, reveling in every minute of it. Devin Davis

"I usually liked to get out early and get my shots in so I could have the court to myself," Davis explained. "But every time I walked on that floor at Ohio, those guys would be waiting on me. Two hours before the game, they were there. And I loved it. I thrilled off of that. If I wasn't ready for the game, when I saw them, I was."

Davis earned all-MAC honors in 1995, 1996, and 1997, and was named MAC tournament MVP in 1997. Of course, once his college career was done, Davis still had plenty of ball left to play. Over the next 14 years, he went on to make his mark in professional basketball all over the world, including Spain, Russia, Argentina, and the Philippines.

Davis said his experience transitioning from inner-city Miami (Fla.) to the college town life of Miami (Ohio) helped prepare him for a hoops career that would ultimately stretch across four continents.

"The hardest thing, coming to a place where people don't know you and you don't know them: people assume who you are and what you are before they get to know you. In college, I was exposed to something different. It was a shocker in the beginning, but in the end, everything was good.

"I think when I got to Spain, it started all over again, like arriving in Oxford. People looking at me crazy, like, 'I think he's in the wrong place again.' But as time went on, they got to know me as a person on the court, and off the court. They started to see me a little different.

"Playing ball across the water was just superb. I had a great experience."

Devin Davis

And for many years while he played overseas, Davis came home each summer to the school that had shaped him as a player, as a pro, and as a person.

"The big joke was, 'you're from Florida- why are you always running back to Oxford?'", he said. "I'd tell people, 'You just don't understand. You've got to be me, to understand why.'

"It's not for everybody, but for me, it's perfect."

Davis will return once more to Millett Hall this Wednesday, Dec. 1, as the RedHawks honor one of their most beloved alumni during the 'Rivalry Returns' men's basketball game vs. Cincinnati, presented by Foster & Motley. Miami plans to celebrate 'Devin Davis Day' with special Davis-themed giveaways and an on-court recognition.

"I want to be known as that guy who changed the school and took it to the next level," Davis said. "A guy who gave it his all and was about the team…

"I always tell people I was an overachiever. I felt like I got the best out of my talent in terms of basketball. Could a couple of other things have gone my way? For sure. But if I look back, I'm content and happy with what I've been able to accomplish."

The hard work and the hair: A winning combination for an all-time Miami legend.

Find more Front Row Features at MiamiRedHawks.com/FrontRowFeatures.

Be in Millett Hall as the Rivalry Returns, presented by Foster & Motley, on Wednesday, December 1 at 7 p.m. when Miami takes on the University of Cincinnati - purchase your tickets today!

Drive, Dedication, and Dreadlocks: The Devin Davis Story

Related Videos