Recruiting Report 2018 : Davis Long
Davis Long, 6’3″ CG, 2018. Sherwood Warriors. 300 Olney-Sandy Spring Rd. Sandy Spring, MD. 20860.
Grassroots Team: Team Takeover Orange
Prep Hoops has written several articles this preseason regarding sleepers in the DC DMV, Northern VA & MD. Davis Long is one of the best & we rate him as D1 recruit. He plays in MOCO 4A for Sherwood HS which is located 8 miles outside the the I-495 Beltway near Silver Spring, MD. Davis is receiving heavy interest from Wisconsin, Delaware, Charleston, Wofford & Colorado State. AAU Coach Brandon Howell helped get Davis’s name out with obvious success. Despite national interest, Davis not a well known player in the talent rich DC DMV area.However, Southern Montgomery County know Davis very well & make their game plan based on how to defend him.. He is best known as a long range bomber with range even beyond the NBA 3 point line. He knows he can drill 3s just over half court & says, ” I have the green light on shooting 3s & I will on occasion pull up from 3 in transition. I will not shoot 35 footers in a game unless it is a buzzer beater, which I have made in the past.” Davis has a tad of of an unorthodox shot but we really like his mechanics & soft shot. He has a high & quick release with nice backspin rotation with several styles of shooting. If Davis needs high elevation he can get up very high or he can shoot spot ups with less elevation & take a little more time if he does not need his ultra quick release. Davis can shoot from all angles on & off the dribble & has a developed a very solid mid range range game. He is very far from a one dimensional player & can play both sides of the ball. Davis possesses a very high IQ, performs every intangible, an intense competitor, great teammate & a winner. He beams with self confidence, but Davis has a chip on his shoulder & he should have. THE DC DMV just does not how good he is.
Last season Davis led Sherwood in scoring at 15.6 ppg in the Warriors 3 guard attack where all 3 averaged over 13 ppg. With the graduation of 6’2″ WG Josh Seils (13.6) & 6’2″ PG John Ervin (13.4 ppg) Davis will face even tougher defenses than last season when he was doubled & face guarded. He adds, ” This season I will be a quick ball mover & look to score in other ways. We have 3 players this season I can hit for back doors & alley oops or score in other ways; 6’3″ senior Donovan Lacey, his bother 6’3″ sophomore Nate Lacey & 6’5″ senior Jackson Sherrard will all be contributors. Since defenses will continue to play up on me & will try to takeaway my perimeter shots, I worked very hard this off season to improve attacking the rim from both sides & thru contact. However, I still consider my 3 point shooting a strength and this summer I got better off the dribble.” Davis can really handle the ball & beat full court pressure with a straight blow bye or hesitation & go. He has developed a superb in & out hesitation, crossovers in addition to being a legitimate triple threat having an excellent jab step. Davis excels at creating space & he gets off his moves in a very effective manner which gives him a clear shot at the rim.
This summer Davis tore rib cartilage & did not play at all for the Sherwood summer league team. Additionally. he missed a substantial amount of games for Team Takeover Orange Takeover when Davis had to sit out from June 6 thru mid July. He adds, “I could not do anything during this period, it was too painful to even shoot. I did not want to risk becoming re injured & losing more time. Following my Doctors orders I gave my body total rest & thankfully I am healed 100%.” Once he was healed Davis was able to play in the final 2 tournaments for TTO Orange who lost in the Peach Jam finals to Ring City. TTO Orange came back to win the TTO tournament at Good Counsel HS defeating Team Melo who plays on the Nike EYBL Circuit. In the final 2 tourneys Davis averaged 8ppg & plaved tough defense. Davis is very grateful for being a member of Team Takeover & says “Coach Darryl Prue (Dunbar HS DC, All Conference @WVU, 89 Grad) was a big reason as to why we were successful as a team during the Grassroots season. He never allowed us to get away with anything short of greatness.” On many occasions when a player is labeled a sniper or sharpshooter people often times perceive the player can not defend & is soft. Those would be 100 % wrong. Davis is a very tough, high motor player who will get the 50/50s, rebound in traffic & make steals. He can defend at high level & credits playing for TTO this summer & last who stress defense. Davis studies players he will guard & takes great pride on his defense.Despite losing time Davis worked very hard this off-season becoming faster & stronger. He gained 15 pounds of lean muscle to his current weight of 180 & became more explosive.
Davis works out 6-7 days a week & he has multiple Trainers & says, “My strength & conditioning Coach Kevin Maskelka is my go to explosion Coach. Brad Pinchbach, Brandon Howell & Patrick Robinson (ball handling) all work with me & have helped me greatly. Additionally,I work out with my dad which is great. He really knows basketball & could really play in HS before an injury. This summer & early fall I have been running a lot with my mile run clocking in at 5:15. After additional stretching I ran 100 meter sprints & suicides on the Sherwood cushioned track. Since practice began my Trainers will make sure I do not over train. In my strength training Coach Maskella had me going to max reps & shocking my muscle with lighter weights. We switched muscle groups and movements thru the week & I performed body resistance exercises such as dips, pull ups and push up & dips while adding in plyos during the week. I would be very tired after workouts but I was never over trained. Before & after each workout stretching & flexibility was a high priority & always will be. During the season I will continue to get ready for college in my downtime. I am in the best shape of my life & I am excited for this season at Sherwood.”
In the classroom Davis is an excellent student maintaining a 3.5 GPA. He has 2 potential majors in college in Criminology or to become a Physicians Assistant. Davis says'”I know they are 2 totally different majors, but I am interested in both careers. I do not want to become a Doctor or major in Pre Med at this time due to the long period of time that would be required to be in school.” Davis names his mother & father as his role models. In the NBA he likes to study Steph Curry, Kyrie Irving & Klay Thompson. Davis addressed his team goals this season & said, “I want to go out with a bang & make a deep run in the Regional & get to Xfinity (University of MD) for the State Semis & finals. Brad Riley (6’2″ PG) can shoot, handle & pass. Nate Lacey has a D1 upside, Donovan Lacey can really play, and Jackson Sherrad can play in the paint. We will be attending several Sherwood games or more this season with live game reports & player articles. We are looking forward to covering Davis & his Warrior teammates this season.
Check out Davis Long Junior Year Highlights on @Hudl http://www.hudl.com/video/3/4921859/587c330e3deaaa2a80e57ddd … #hudl