Josh Davis follows Julius Mays, decides to transfer

10-11 Basketball55

Not many people were surprised by Julius Mays’ decision to transfer. That was not the case with Josh Davis. He had come to campus, excelled in his role as a hustle player during his freshman year, and seemed content. Apparently that wasn’t the case.

I’m not sure yet if Davis’ decision is based solely on his playing time situation for next year of if there is something else going on here. I feel like he still would have gotten minutes regardless of how many Leslie, Harrow and Brown got. It’s not like those three guys are going to play 35 a night. There would have been a place for him in the rotation. It might not have been as big as 2009-2010, but he would have played.

I do think Davis can transfer to a smaller school and make an instant impact. It will be interesting to watch his career and see how he develops on the offensive end of the court.

Men’s basketball announces pair of transfers

NC State head coach Sidney Lowe announced today that forward Josh Davis has decided to transfer from NC State.

Davis played in 31 games this past season, including a pair of ACC starts, but did not see action the final five games of the season. The local product from Athens Drive High School averaged 2.6 points and 1.7 rebounds in 10.4 minutes per game as a freshman.

“Josh was one of the hardest workers we had this past season,” said Lowe. “Whenever he was inserted into the game something positive seemed to happen. Josh just expressed to me that he feels like he could have better opportunities at another school. We wish him nothing but the best.”

Lowe also announced that guard Julius Mays has decided to transfer. Mays reached the decision a few weeks ago, but wanted to complete his spring semester at NC State before an announcement was made.

“We appreciate the time and effort that Julius put in with us during his time here, both on and off the court,” said Lowe. “We sat down and talked for a long time after the season, and he feels he might be able to find some better opportunities closer to home. I wish him nothing but the best.”

During his two seasons at NC State, Mays played in 58 games and made six starts as the Pack’s back-up point guard both seasons. He averaged 4.7 points in 17.2 minutes of action, and hit 85.7 percent (78-91) of his career free throw attempts.

Davis has not indicated where he will transfer, while according to the Dayton Daily News, Mays will transfer to Wright State.

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55 Responses to Josh Davis follows Julius Mays, decides to transfer

  1. choppack1 05/19/2010 at 10:12 AM #

    I don’t think that Sid is necessarily hurt here. Davis rarely saw minutes in the last third of the season. It just strikes me as odd. Supposedly, this guy knew he was coming here w/ the odds against him for significant playing time.

    However, to be fair – this happens all the time for these kind of kids who seem to receive the last scholarship we are offering: Justin Flatt, Guidry, Mike O’Donnell, Andy Kennedy, etc, etc.

  2. ChemE79a 05/19/2010 at 11:06 AM #

    In some ways his leaving is a sad ending to a best possible situation.

    Last spring, all we had coming back as inside players who ever played were Horner and Smith. Thomas had been injured for most of two years and who knew if he would ever play or not. We knew Vandenberg and Painter would need some time before they could contribute much. We probably knew Howell would need surgery and could not be confident of how soon he would be ready to go. Bottom line – we needed a body we could throw out there in 09-10 season.

    Davis was not a recruit many schools offered. He was athletic and worked hard and Sid could see that Davis could contribute immediately in the part of the game where effort counts almost as much as talent: rebounding and defense. Plus the kid is a State fan. By offering the kid Sid got a stopgap to cover a front court shortage that, if Howell and Thomas healed and Painter and Vandenberg progressed, only exists for a year even before Leslie signs. Davis got a chance to show his stuff, prove the other schools wrong and to play for his dream team.

    A year later where are we? Howell healed quickly and was a major contributor most of the year. Painter and Vandenberg progressed nicely through the year and appear ready to contribute more next year. By the end of the year Thomas had healed and took all of the remaining reserve minutes.

    OTOH, early in the year Davis got to play major minutes. Didn’t he start a game or two? He was a significant part of several early victories. He got a chance to show he could impact a game at the major college level. He got to hear the Wolfpack fans cheer for him.

    Now Davis has been able to fulfill his dream of playing for NCSU and showcase his abilities for other schools. I would think he is a much more sought after prospect now than he was coming out of high school. Unless Thomas leaves when he graduates, we have him for two more seasons of spot duty with probably more responsibility his senior season. We got through last year in better shape than we had a right to expect, given a fair analysis of the personnel preseason.

    There is a sad logic to a parting of the ways at this point. Both parties have gotten what they came into the relationship looking for. Both parties are in a better place than before they came together. I would love it if Josh chose to stick around. By his senior season, maybe even his junior, he would probably get minutes again. But the reality is that next year and likely the next he would hardly see the floor. Go live the next part of your dream young man.

  3. rtpack24 05/19/2010 at 11:10 AM #

    If Josh wants to play this is right move. Mabry to this point has not been offered by us. Also, he claims UNC-W offered which they have not offered. Reminds me of Danny Green’s brother committed to us and to this day we have not offered.

  4. packbackr04 05/19/2010 at 11:13 AM #

    im curious as to why Mabry is putting that info out there RT?

  5. bradleyb123 05/19/2010 at 11:17 AM #

    People who use dirty logic to twist this into a positive are crazy. How is losing a guy good? He got playing time! He was developing into a ROLE PLAYER.

    I don’t think anyone is really turning this into a positive. But likewise, it’s unreasonable to make this into something more negative than it really is. For me, it’s neither good nor bad. It’s bad in the sense that we’re losing a good player that was full of hustle. I liked Josh, and I wish he wasn’t leaving. But I also understand why he’s leaving. He probably came here hoping to progress his way into a bigger role. I don’t blame him for leaving if he was expecting very little playing time next year. I believe he didn’t see a single minute of playing time over the last five games, and he could probably expect more of the same next year. If there’s a positive, it’s that we’ve reached a point where a player like Josh Davis knows he won’t play much. Under Sendek, he might have become a regular starter. It’s not as negative as some previous transfers may have been. It’s not like Tracy Smith is transferring.

    This is a bummer, yes. But not some kind of negative reflection on the program or on Sidney. I suspect some may be hinting at that.

  6. bradleyb123 05/19/2010 at 11:19 AM #

    I wish Josh well, and hate to see him go. Hopefully he’ll go somewhere and have a fruitful career. Just don’t play for a team that might face NC State, Josh!

    If there is a bright side, this does free up yet another scholarship for Sidney. Maybe this means we can load up again next year.

  7. Thinkpack17 05/19/2010 at 11:28 AM #

    “im curious as to why Mabry is putting that info out there RT?”

    If other schools hear you have an offer from an ACC school you start to look more desirable.

    It’s like high school E. You can’t f**k the prom queen until she finds out her best friend jerked you under the bleachers.- Ari Gold

  8. foz 05/19/2010 at 11:47 AM #

    Once again, someone here (ChemE79a this time) has relayed what I tried to say in my earlier post much more effectively. Thank you.

    Guess that’s why I’m not an English Teacher.

  9. JEOH2 05/19/2010 at 12:02 PM #

    Maybe this would serve better as a topic on the boards but…

    What do you all think we should do with these scholarships?

    Hold Onto Them for 2011, 2012?

    Offer One or Both to Mabry? Galaya?

    As for Davis, I wish him the best of luck, its sad to see a player like he go…I dont fault him for looking for an opportunity for more playing time now that he knows that he can compete and even be productive on a Division 1 Level…

    One of my best friends, tried out for the NC State Football team after being a stand out player in Rocky Mount…he made the team, played in the Spring Game, got a few tackles and I believe 2 picks…Not long after he had a minor injury, quit the team, and never tried out again…After a quick healing, I asked him why he didn’t give it another go, especially as a new coach arrived…and he said all he wanted to prove is that he could “compete with some guys on this level” Sometimes all one needs is that confidence to change their perspective on what they do next…

  10. Clarksa 05/19/2010 at 12:28 PM #

    In a predictable move, some of the same people who bitched about giving JD a scholarship are now bitching because he is transferring.

    I wish both Mays and Davis the best on whatever they decide to do…they tried hard and did not embarrass the university while they were here.

  11. MP 05/19/2010 at 1:01 PM #

    It would be interesting to re-read the post & comments from when Josh Davis was offered a scholarship. Lowe was freaking blistered by several commenters.

    All said and done, I agree with the general sentiment in the current comments of ‘good luck & wish you the best’. Sometimes people have to create better opportunities for themselves or take advantage of the ones that are in front of them. I assume that Josh Davis is at a critical point where he can try to put himself in a situation to really enjoy playing college basketball for 3 years. I hate to see him leave NC State but can’t really fault him if he thinks it’s the best decision.

  12. Par Shooter 05/19/2010 at 1:33 PM #

    While I didn’t “blister” Sid for signing Davis, I did sorta roll my eyes. And this scenario is precisely why signing a guy like JD is generally a bad idea. More often than not when you sign these borderline guys late it ends up precisely as this is ending up. They get here, realize they aren’t going to be starters by year 2, and then bail out for a smaller school and a chance to be “da man”. It’s a big waste of time for the school and the kids. This situation seemed different because at least JD was a local kid and all indications were that he would be content working hard in practice and getting spot duty until he was an upperclassman. As it turns out, JD was no different from Rouldra Thomas, Dom Mejia, Justin Flatt, Mike O’Donnell and countless others. Just another guy more worried about himself than showing any loyalty to a coach who went out on a limb and gave him a shot.

    If anything, I would say that the announcment JD is bailing proves correct all of the folks who criticized the offer to begin with. The criticism largely stems from the fact that this is typically how this situation plays out.

  13. Packfan28 05/19/2010 at 1:34 PM #

    I’m not sure why some are concerned about depth. Maybe next year, but I don’t see it this year. This year we have 11 guys that can play and be productive, and some of them can play different positions. We have Howell, Smith, Painter, JV, and CJL who can all play big. CJL, CJW, Johnny Thomas, and Scott Wood who can all play the 3, and Lo Brown, Ryan, Javi, and CJW who can all play the guard position. Regarding next year, Sid is going to need another good recruiting class to maintain this type of depth, but he will have the available scholarships to do that. And next year we will likely have a nucleus of Howell, Painter, Harrow, Lo Brown, and Scott Wood. That is not too shabby.

  14. ChemE79a 05/19/2010 at 2:11 PM #

    Par Shooter I have to disagree with you. The difference in the Davis case (as in the Mike O’Donnell case for those who remember back that far) is that we needed the player his freshman year, but did not need him in later years (see my post above for my explanation of that analysis). That is also why I am not bitter about his leaving. He gave us what we needed, he got what he needed and we both go from here better for the experience.

  15. StateFans 05/19/2010 at 2:13 PM #

    FANTASTIC comments by everyone in this discussion. I totally get what most everyone is saying.

    I cannot for the life of me reconcile the disconnect related to Josh Davis over the last 12 or so months.

    When State offered him and he committed to come it was generally understood to the world that he projected to be the last player off the bench for probably the entirety of his four year career.

    He supposedly knew that and didn’t care. It was all because he LOVED NC STATE and just wanted to a part of the school and our team. He was ‘worth the scholarship’ because of his hustle and mindset and the stable positive impact he would have on the program for FOUR YEARS.

    He ended up playing more minutes in his freshman year than many people thought he would play in a four year career.

    …and…now he is going to transfer for playing time after a hugely successful freshman year when compared to expectations?! The same ‘playing time’ that he knew he was never going to get BEFORE he committed?

    This is insane.

    I don’t know what to think.

    But, if this hurts our APR numbers, or graduation rates, or causes us depth issues on the front line in the next three years, or messes up our scholarship spacing in the future I am going to by very pissed off.

  16. Clarksa 05/19/2010 at 3:59 PM #

    ^maybe “transferring for more playing time” is a smoke screen…maybe he wants to get away from home…maybe he doesn’t like the hard classes at State…two pure guesses into the mind of a 19 year old…but it just might not be all basketball related.

  17. winstonwolf1 05/19/2010 at 4:09 PM #

    Statefans–I think it’s likely that the success Josh had this year changed his view of himself. What do you think? I mean, he spent quite a bit of time being in the media spotlight, people asking him how it feels to be an impact player right away etc.; I imagine he began to see himself in a different light. So now, the thought of being a rarely used role player burried deep on the bench doesn’t seem quite as appealing as it did before the season started. Besides, I don’t think that we can overestimate the impact of the “people” around these kids, who, in Josh’s case, are also now seeing visions of him doing “great” things.

    I’m sad to see him go. Unlike Mays, Josh has the athletic ability to play at this level, and over time, he could have found decent minutes and helped the program. By contrast, Mays was never going to get any taller, or quicker, or be able to jump higher.

  18. Thinkpack17 05/19/2010 at 4:10 PM #

    That is an interesting and valid take there Par Shooter. Reading the limited quotes that have seen coming from Josh concerning this situation is seems like he too beleives that he can play and the professional level. He won’t go to the NBA, I think he knows that, but there is money to be made in Europe and Latin America playing basketball. So if he can go to a smaller school and build his resume he should do it. And he should be free from guilt for doing it I think. After all his and his families interests should come first.

  19. wolfpackattack89 05/19/2010 at 5:13 PM #

    Remember when Josh played a good deal and during the home stretch Sid hardly ever played him. Looked as if he was in the “dog house” for something. I think maybe that has something to do with it. I loved the way he played, though. He always brought me out of my seat and that means a lot considering how boring we tended to get last year.

  20. Cardiff Giant 05/19/2010 at 5:59 PM #

    I am VERY saddened by this news. Josh was far and away my favorite player on last year’s team. This is an intangible loss but make no mistake – this is a loss.

    Josh, thank you for your time at NC State and I wish the you the very best of success on and off the court.

  21. bradleyb123 05/19/2010 at 6:26 PM #

    In a predictable move, some of the same people who bitched about giving JD a scholarship are now bitching because he is transferring.

    That is interesting. A LOT of people ripped Sid for offering JD.

    I guess all the love for JD here is, in some small way, an endorsement of Sid that those people would never admit to. 🙂

  22. Rick 05/19/2010 at 7:02 PM #

    “That is interesting. A LOT of people ripped Sid for offering JD.”

    What looked like a questionable recruit turned out to be better than anyone expected. And then he left.

    Why is it not natural to not like it, then like then not like it?
    The world is not static so what seemed like a bad idea might become a good one and back to bad again.

    I just do not understand this binary thinking that states “you ever questioned anything Sid does means you ripped him and hate him and thus cannot ever think anything good about him”.

  23. tractor57 05/19/2010 at 7:19 PM #

    With all said and done maybe Josh Davis learned he could “play with the big boys” and now wants more PT. He was an asset last year (especially in the early season) so I don’t see the offer of a scholly as being a waste. I see the program and the player moving in different circles now. Thanks for the memories and much success!

  24. Daily Update 05/19/2010 at 7:42 PM #

    Fortunately our APR is one of the things Sidney has right so far. We were in the top 10% nationally as a basketball program.

  25. tuckerdorm1983 05/19/2010 at 8:56 PM #

    Josh had a lot of potential, still we were the only school that offered him a scholarship. If we keep bringing in top notch players, then he may get little playing time. Basically, Howell plays his spot and Howell seemed heads above him.

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