Antoine Davis May Break Pete Maravich’s NCAA Scoring Record

Say this for Davis though. It is not as if many other college players are closing in on Maravich’s record. The next best active player, Taevion Kinsey of Marshall, has 2,623 points, more than 1,000 behind Davis. A word should also be said about the modern college game, which is indisputably faster, more athletic and better defended than the game of the 1960s.

One similarity: Both players played for their father. Maravich was coached by Press Maravich at L.S.U., while Davis is coached by Mike Davis at Detroit Mercy. Neither father seems to have told his son to cut back on his shooting.

In contrast, there were few questions when LeBron James broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s career scoring record in the N.B.A. this year, given that he played fewer games and required fewer shots to pass Abdul-Jabbar.

After L.S.U., Maravich was drafted third overall and went on to a 10-year career in the N.B.A. with five All-Star selections and a scoring average of 24.2 points a game.

Davis, already 24 because of his extended college stay, is unlikely to have a similar pro career. He is not projected to be drafted, and the G League or Europe is a more likely destination. This has also contributed to his huge point total, because if he were a better pro prospect, he might have left school before his eligibility expired. (Maravich stayed through his own senior year because leaving early wasn’t an option at the time.)

So while Davis is not likely to join Maravich in the Basketball Hall of Fame, if he can score 26 points on Thursday, he will put his name in the college record books one spot above one of the greatest scorers in basketball history.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/01/sports/ncaabasketball/pete-maravich-antoine-davis-detroit-mercy.html