Ostrom asked if there were one or two under-recruited players Henricksen thought might fit in well at Dayton.
“He mentioned both of those guys before we saw them,” Ostrom said. “We got the names at the same time.”
Ostrom first saw Davis play with the Mac Irvin Fire on the Nike EYBL circuit. He was then as a junior at Morgan Park High School who he is now as a senior guard with the Flyers.
“He’s obviously been a strong, tightly-wound kid,” Ostrom said. “He plays with unbelievable energy, an unbelievable motor and toughness. You see Kyle has a knack for making game-winning plays. Kyle, as much as anyone I’ve been around, he influences winning. He’s rarely going to be the leading scorer or a stat-sheet stuffer, but he influences winning. When the game’s on the line, when the times comes to make a big steal or a big pass or a big shot or big stop, you want Kyle — like against Boise State — on the court. You want him there.”
PHOTOS: Best shots of Kyle Davis
Davis, a 6-foot, 175-pound guard, enters his senior season with 588 points, 242 rebounds, 178 assists and 111 steals. If he averages 8.0 points as he did last season, he’ll finish in the top 65 in UD scoring history.
Davis needs only 23 steals to move into the top 10 in that category. Davis has played in 104 games. If he plays in 35 this season, he’ll pass Chris Johnson for most games played in school history, though fellow senior Scoochie Smith would likely top Davis as he’s played in 106 games the last three seasons.
Davis played with an injured hand last season and had surgery April 1. He comes into this season healthy and has impressed coach Archie Miller.
“Kyle Davis, far and away from the end of last year to right now, has been an absolute stud for us in terms of leadership and what he’s brought to the table early in the year as as senior,” Miller said.
The fans notice those intangibles. Davis has been a fan favorite throughout his career. He doesn’t put up big numbers — his career high is 17 points — but he makes big shots. He hit the game-winner against Miami last December and the go-ahead shot on Senior Night last season against Virginia Commonwealth. Davis is also a two-time winner of Dayton’s best defender award.
No one is a bigger fan of Davis than season-ticket holders Tom and Sara Hirt, of Beavercreek. Tom is a 1997 UD grad, and Sara graduated in 1999. They are both alums of the pep band. Here are their thoughts on their favorite player.
Sara: Kyle has a confidence about him that is really fun to watch. His defense is intense, whether he's guarding an all-conference player of the year or an underclassman off the bench. He has the guts to take a potentially game-winning shot, even if his shots aren't falling all game. We also appreciate how Kyle is gracious with fans. His willingness to take time to reply on social media, pose for a photo, or give an autograph makes you root for him that much more.
Tom: From his first game as a Flyer, Kyle Davis proved he was a winner who just makes the right play. After Khari Price's improbable steal as the clock was winding down against IPFW, he tossed the ball to KD (in the game for defense as a freshman in crunch time!) who instinctively turned toward the basket, then got the ball to the Flyers' best shooter: Jordan Sibert, who drained the game-winning 3. That play is emblematic of his career thus far. He makes things happen on the court, and he has a tremendous basketball IQ.
KD is a disruption on defense and a force on offense despite not being the most reliable shooter. You know he is going to play as hard as possible until the final buzzer sounds. I read soon after he committed to UD that he would win games for us just based on his heart — that quote was spot-on. He brings a confidence, a fire, a swagger that every team needs. Another play from his freshman year that stands out was against Cal in Maui. Not only did he come in and shut down the red-hot Justin Cobbs, but he had studied Cal’s zone from the sideline. He spotted an opening, and took off down the lane to throw down a dunk on the head of Cal’s 7-foot center David Kravish. Cal’s hopes of a comeback were over after that SportsCenter top-10 highlight. There may be guys who are better shooters, with better ball-handling skills, but I’ll take a team full of winners with heart like Kyle Davis any day.
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