Once upon a time, dinosaurs roamed the Earth.
People referred to them as “big men”, “post players”, “centers”, “power forwards”, with the emphasis on power. Their names were Wilt, Kareem, Shaq, Hakeem, Ewing, Sampson, among many others.
Having one of these talented big men was crucial to your team’s chances of success.
But now, the game has changed into more of a shooter’s game. There are still big men, but they are now “stretch four” types, or simply role players inserted into a game for rebounds, fouls and the occasional garbage basket. They lack the footwork, soft hands and natural scoring ability of the big men of yesteryear.
And that is why Tyler Davis is such a breath of fresh air.
Entering his junior season, Davis will be one of the best big men in the SEC. He’s one of several veteran players returning, which has led to A&M being a trendy dark horse pick to win the league.
Should that come to pass, expect Davis will be a serious contender for SEC Player of the Year.
Inside the Numbers
Davis led the Aggies in scoring (14.1 ppg) last season, and was second on the team in rebounding (7.0 rpg).
He and freshman star Robert Williams were a potent inside duo, which should continue to be the case after Williams surprised many by electing to return to A&M for his sophomore season.
Davis was also efficient with the ball, making 61.7% of his field goal attempts. That can be attributed to Davis playing to his strengths. You won’t see Davis roaming the 3-point line. As you would expect of a big man in the classic mold, Davis took just one 3-point attempt last season; and that was in the first game of the season, a 28-point victory.
While he didn’t shoot as many free throw attempts as his freshman season, Davis did improve his free throw percentage from 62.5 to 69.3 percent. That’s a solid number for a big man.
On the defensive end, while he lacks the above-the-rim athleticism of Williams that can aid in shot-blocking and rebounding, Davis’ frame does aid him in boxing out for rebounds, as well as holding defensive positioning.
Good luck moving this guy if he doesn’t want to move.
One area of improvement is ball protection. Davis tied for the team lead in turnovers last season.
Analysis
There are few teams in the league with the type of talent in the paint that A&M has with Davis and Williams.
Even on a team last season that lacked a true point guard, Davis and Williams averaged a combined 26 points, 15.2 rebounds, 3.4 blocks, 2.8 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.
The continued improvement of Williams should also aid Davis. Teams will be less inclined to double-team one or the other when both of those guys are on the floor together.
The point guard situation appears to be resolved which means the Aggies should run better offense, which means more touches for Davis, which means greater production for one of the best big men in the league, which could result in a league title, which could mean an SEC Player of the Year type of season.
That’s why expectations are certainly high for Davis and company heading into the season.