Photo courtesy of Position Sports/Nike/Jon Lopez
Last month at the Dyckman Tournament in the Inwood section of Manhattan, there was a game between Skull Gang and Harlem 4 Life in the high school division. There was a player that had command of the ball & dribbled down court, on the corner of the three-point line, then then stutter-stepped on his defender, which led to the opposition falling, with the offensive player proceeding to hit a three-pointer, which went in.
On that night, that move went viral & made it to visual basketball platforms such as Ballislife, which let others around the nation get to know what New York City already knows. It’s never easy guarding Dashawn Davis.
Davis is a 6-foot-3 shooting guard and is one of the premier players in the city in the class of 2019 and is known for his ability to score and hold his own in whatever environment he plays in.
When asked what motivates him to be successful on the court, Davis replied, “Just my family, everybody looking out for me and everybody supporting me, everybody wanting me to make it. That’s why I go so hard.”
Another name that Davis goes by that has become synonymous in New York City basketball folklore is “Rams.” When asked about how he got his name, he replied, “It came from a childhood friend, Alexis, he said I looked like somebody that dance, his name is Rams, so he just gave that to me.”
Davis hails from the Baychester section of The Bronx, where players are always hungry and ready for battle at all times. “It’s good, they like basketball a lot,” said Davis about his area, “They got a lot of studs over there and they want me to be next up.”
Like many kids from the North Bronx, he came up playing for the Wiz Kids, a program that competed in many tournaments in the local area and on the middle school circuit. “That program is like family to me,” said Davis of the Wiz Kids. “That’s why I started balling.”
Davis started his scholastic basketball career at Wings Academy, where as a sophomore, he had a big 40-point game against Manhattan Center in PSAL competition. “I had a 40-point game because two of the starters didn’t come,” said Davis about the game, “So I just took over.”
The following year, Davis decided to leave the city and attend Positive Day School in North Carolina. When asked about the prep school experience, he replied, “At first, I didn’t really like it, but then I had to take it, to make me grow as a man, just being by myself.”
Then the next year, he came back home to play at Our Saviour Lutheran High School on Williamsbridge Road in the Bronx. As a junior, he led the Falcons’ National team to a 32-5 season, in which they knocked off top-tier competition such as Vermont Academy, IMG Academy, The Patrick School, Commonwealth Academy, Brighton High School and Lincoln Academy.
When asked about making the move back to OSL, he replied, “OSL is a good program, they look out for their kids. They don’t just only focus on basketball, they focus on schoolwork and making you a better person.”
Davis also formed a great backcourt tandem with Posh Alexander, a top-50 recruit in the Class of 2020. With both guards in the fold, the Falcons were very dominant in the city. Unfortunately, because OSL is an independent program, they cannot play against schools in the CHSAA or the PSAL. However, both Davis and Alexander, may both be the best backcourt in the city.
The past couple of summers, Davis has played on the Nike EYBL circuit for the New York Lightning. This summer has been a revelation for him, as has averaged 14 points, 4.2 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game and helped the Lightning to a 10-6 record and an appearance in the Nike Peach Jam, where they are currently 2-2.
When asked about his time with the Lightning, Davis replied, “The experience is good, because I’m playing against the best players in the country, so that’s just making me better on and off the court.”
In regards to his recruitment, he is fielding offers from St. Louis, UMass, LaSalle, Old Dominion, Toledo, Fordham, Monmouth and Arkansas-Little Rock, to name a few. He says he has no favorites at the present moment, but that may change after Peach Jam.
And when the Live Periods are over, you can catch him tearing up the playgrounds, and on Team Watson in the New York vs. New York Tournament. What he plans to do for the rest of the summer and during his senior season is very simple. “Keep killing, keep grinding, and keep getting better.”
Pretty soon, that all of New York knows as “Rams” will make his presence known around the national scene.
Highlights of Dashawn Davis:
Courtesy of Basketball Showdown.
Courtesy of Ceasy Productions.
Courtesy of 4 The Culture Hoops.
Courtesy of Wiz Kids.
Courtesy of Sports In The Mix.
davesjoint.net 