If college basketball handed out a Most Improved Player award for the 2016-17 season, few players would have had as strong a case as Ole Miss guard Terence Davis.
After playing only 6.9 minutes per game during his freshman year, Davis saw his role change dramatically in his sophomore campaign.
He played 25.3 minutes per contest and averaged 14.9 points in becoming one of the Rebels’ most valuable performers down the stretch.
Will he continue his ascent up the SEC ladder this season?
Inside the Numbers
There are a few numbers that do a good job of showing just how dramatic the rise was for Davis last season.
| STAT | 2015-16 | 2016-17 |
|---|---|---|
| Minutes played | 131 | 911 |
| Games started | 0 | 27 |
| Points per game | 1.9 | 14.9 |
| Total points | 36 | 535 |
Not all players seize their opportunities. The freshman to sophomore slump has been well-documented, but that did not apply to Davis.
When given the chance to showcase his skills during his sophomore season, he didn’t let Rebel fans down. He
To be able to be that effective after playing less than 10 minutes a game in his first year says a lot about Davis’ development.
He clearly used the offseason to hone his skills, and it paid off in a big way.
What They’re Saying
“He was without question the most improved player in the SEC. He went from barely playing at all his freshman season to being a guy that was our best player down the stretch.
Going into his junior year, he really has an understanding of what it takes to be successful and what it takes to be an all-league caliber player.” – Ole Miss head coach Andy Kennedy on the Marching to Madness podcast
Lovell’s Analysis
Will Davis become a 20-point per game scorer this season? Probably not, simply because Ole Miss has a ton of offensive weapons.
But that doesn’t mean that he won’t take another big step forward.
The Rebels have one of the deepest backcourts in the SEC, with Deandre Burnett, Breein Tyree, and Memphis transfer Markell Crawford joining Davis at the guard position.
Because Ole Miss has so many options, opposing teams will struggle to figure out who to put their focus on night in and night out.
If Burnett is off one night, Tyree could break out for 20-plus points. If Tyree is off one night, Davis could break out for 20-plus points.
And after scoring 33 points against LSU and adding another 30-point performance against Syracuse in the NIT, we know that Davis is more than capable of explosive scoring outputs.
With so much versatility across the board – he also averaged 5.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game – Davis is set for an All-SEC season in Oxford.