Gonzaga Basketball Recruiting: Just Who Is Josh Davis?

Jan 22, 2013; Memphis, TN, USA; Tulane Green Wave forward Josh Davis (00) shoots a free throw during the game against the Memphis Tigers at the FedEx Forum. Memphis Tigers defeated the Tulane Green Wave 71-60. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden–USA TODAY Sports

After the Zags missed out on transfer Mike Moser, who committed to Oregon yesterday, the staff now turns there attention to Tulane transfer Josh Davis. Many Gonzaga fans were so fixated with the prospect of landing Moser, that many fans forgot about Davis entirely. However, it appears that maybe Davis was much more of a priority for Gonzaga than Moser ever was.

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Davis is an elite talent, that produced at a high level while at Tulane. Last season, he averaged 17.6 points and 1o.7 rebounds for the Green Wave. He recorded a double-double in sixteen contests last season, which is more than that of departing big men Elias Harris and Kelly Olynyk combined. The kid produces, there is no disputing that.

In his freshman season, Davis played with North Carolina State, where he played just over 10 minutes a game. He elected to transfer after he realized he could potentially be the odd man out in the Wolfpacks rotation, especially with five-star forward C.J. Leslie coming in. He found a place where he could play more minutes in Tulane, where he averaged 34.3 and 35.7 minutes per game in his sophomore and junior seasons respectively. Davis is now leaving New Orleans most likely to find a place that would showcase his talent better. He will choose San Diego State or Gonzaga to help him achieve that goal next season.

According to Tulane head coach Ed Conroy, Davis has not completely ruled out staying at Tulane for his senior season, although at this point that seems extremely unlikely. If any NBA teams yield any interest, there is a possibility that Davis would elect to enter the draft, but there has not been much buzz for Davis from professional teams. The more realistic option for Davis would be to transfer to either SDSU or Gonzaga, where he would likely play a big role for a inevitable NCAA tournament team.

Josh Davis is extremely long and lanky, and possesses a great deal of athleticism. He is an average shot blocker, nothing really special in that aspect of his game. However, he would easily be the best shot blocker on Gonzaga if he elects to go there. He is especially good at creating his own offense. He has the ability to dribble the ball down the floor, just like Elias Harris did frequently for the Zags the past few seasons. His game would translate very well to the Gonzaga offense.

Here are some highlights of Davis to furthermore display his skill set. The first video is a monster putback dunk from Davis in a game against Wofford. The second one is Tulane’s highlights from a game against Nebraska-Omaha, where Davis had 17 points and 11 rebounds. (Ignore the annoying announcer, just focus on the play of Davis).