Indiana University Athletics
DiPRIMIO: Senior Send Off – Green, Davis Aim for Grand Finale
3/7/2020 9:43:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Devonte Green smiles and shoots. It's half an hour before Thursday night's Minnesota tipoff and what will become a crucial Indiana victory and the Hoosier senior guard does what he loves best.
Managers toss him balls during this pre-game warm up session. He stands two to three feet outside Branch McCracken Court's 3-point arc. Of course he does. He shoots effortlessly, which is what you'd expect from a guy who has made two half-court shots in a season (more on this in a moment).
Green's Indiana career approaches what he hopes is a grand finale. His last regular season home game is Saturday against No. 24 Wisconsin and high stakes are everywhere.
The Hoosiers (19-11 overall, 9-10 in the Big Ten) have a chance for a sixth win against a ranked team this season. The Badgers (20-10, 13-6) are positioned for at least a share of the conference title.
Next week is the Big Ten tourney in Indianapolis. The week after that is, hopefully, a NCAA Tournament run.
Saturday's game could go a long way in determining that.
Green has spent his career delighting and frustrating fans and coaches. He has ability you can't coach, and a confidence to try what most can't and, perhaps, shouldn't. At times, he's not just the best player on the court, but in the conference.
At other times, not so much.
Coach Archie Miller has tried reigning in Green's high-risk nature to boost consistency, and in some ways, it's worked.
Green averages a career-high 10.7 points, a Big Ten-leading 11.0 coming off the bench. His 926 career points rank 66th on IU's all-time scoring list.
"Devonte really values his offensive ability," Miller says. "You've seen where he's the best player on the floor. I think he sees himself as that guy every time he takes the floor. Sometimes it backfires on him.
"He has a lot of pride and self-confidence. You have to find a way for him to be impactful. Just be solid. Value some of the little things that go on in the course of a game."
Green has played in 118 games at IU and started 30, six this season. His 159 three-pointers rank 12th in school history. He 38.3 career three-point shooting percentage includes two half-court shots, against Austin Peay and Northwestern, from the 2017-17 season.
For those seeking consistency, Green had five straight double-figure scoring games early in the season. He had 30 points against Florida State, 27 against Iowa and 19 against Ohio State. For those who find fault, he's had one scoreless game, and six others of four or fewer points.
Criticism has followed and Green takes the high road.
"I've had positivity, and even with the negativity, it's been fuel to the fire. I thank them, too, because they helped me learn how to battle adversity."
Those battles have delivered more than points. Over his career, Green has grabbed as many as 11 rebounds (part of his only double-double with 18 points against Arkansas in last season's NIT), and totaled as many as seven assists and eight three-pointers.
So what is his most memorable Hoosier moment?
"The Florida State game is probably the most exciting game I've been in in my career," he says.
Green, the younger brother of the NBA's Danny Green, was recruited out of New York City by former coach Tom Crean after a standout high school career in which he was good enough to play high school ball as a seventh grader.
He decided to stay a Hoosier after Crean was fired following his freshman season.
"These four years have been great," he says. "I've been blessed to be in the positions I've been in."
Green and fellow senior De'Ron Davis have never played in the NCAA Tournament. They hope that's about to end.
"We knew what was on the line for us seniors," Green says. "We want to finish up the best we can and do something we've never done in our four years.
"We set a goal this season. We're very close to reaching it, so sticking with it felt like the right choice."
******
Injuries have rocked De'Ron Davis since coming to IU after a dominating high school career in Colorado (including two state titles and the Mr. Colorado award), but so has his ability to play through them.
He has appeared in 108 games (an average of 27 a year) and started 22. If it hasn't turned out the way he had hoped, that doesn't mean he wallows in regret.
"It's bittersweet," he says. "I've had a lot of ups and downs, but it's great to play at such a powerful and impactful school.
"I stuck with it because it's the love for the game. I love playing with my teammates. It made everything worth it."
At 6-10 and 255 pounds, Davis is a big man with nimble feet that makes him hard to stop in the paint.
That peaked last month at Michigan, when he tied a program record by going 9-for-9 from the field for 18 points.
"De'Ron is a really talented player," Miller says. "He's got unbelievable hands and footwork, and can really pass.
"This is the year he's been the most steady in terms of his consistency and trying to do what we ask. I think he realizes winning is the most important thing for him to finish."
Davis's career 54 percent shooting ranks 10th in school history. He has twice shot better than 60 percent from the field in a season.
He also has twice grabbed eight rebounds and had four blocks against Iowa in 2017, seven assists against Iowa in 2019.
He averaged 5.9 points and 3.1 rebounds at a freshman, 9.6 and 4.3 as a sophomore (limited to 15 games because of a severe Achilles injury that nearly ended his career), and 5.4 and 2.5 last year.
This season he's at 2.7 and 1.3 while averaging a career-low 8.5 minutes as freshman Trayce Jackson-Davis, transfer junior Joey Brunk and junior Race Thompson have taken larger roles.
"To be derailed the way he was derailed for almost a year and a half, that's tough," Miller says. "Sometimes he gets down on himself, but when he's engaged, he has a huge impact.
"He's given us some big moments. He's going to continue to play a big role. My hope is he continues to finish strong."
Or, as Davis puts it, "Not a lot of kids get an offer from a D-I school like Indiana where I come from. I embraced it. It's been a long journey. It's been fun."
*******
IU seeks to avoid a Wednesday Big Ten tourney opening. To do that, it needs to beat Wisconsin and Purdue must lose to Rutgers.
"For our guys, to play off the Minnesota emotion and come into Saturday, you have to have optimism it's going to be an energetic group," Miller says.
"We're playing for a lot, as is everybody this time of year. This is what March is about. It's a Big Ten heavyweight game."
Wisconsin will play for its first Big Ten title in five years thanks to a seven-game winning streak that turned a mediocre season into a potential championship one.
The Badgers are tied for first with Michigan State and Maryland.
Hot perimeter shooting has sparked Wisconsin's surge. At one point it was averaging 11 three-pointers a game.
Overall, the Badgers average 42.7 percent from the field, 35.3 percent from three-point range and 77.1 percent from the line.
IU counters with strong perimeter defense. In the last four games, opponents have shot just 22.6 percent beyond the arc.
Something will give.
Wisconsin has bounced back from the loss of guard Kobe King, a 10-point-a-game scorer who left the program after 19 games in late January. He will transfer to Nebraska.
He had a career-high 24 points against Indiana in the first meeting.
Nate Reuvers, a 6-11, 235-pounds junior forward, averages 12.9 points and 4.5 rebounds.
Micah Potter, a 6-10, 248-pound junior center, shoots 52.7 percent overall, 47.8 percent from three-point range and 84.6 percent from the line. He averages 10.1 points and 6.0 rebounds.
Junior guard Brad Davison averages 10.0 points and 4.4 rebounds. He shoots 86.3 percent from the line.
Junior guard D'Mitrik Trice averages 9.8 points and 3.8 rebounds, and has 120 assists. Guard Brevin Pritzel shoots three-pointers at a 38.1-percent clip. He averages 8.2 points and 3.7 rebounds.
Wednesday night's Senior Night victory over Northwestern gave coach Greg Gard his 100th career victory in four-plus years with the Badgers. He is a strong contender to win Big Ten coach-of-the-year honors.
"What Greg has done with his group through the course of the season has been as impressive as any," Miller says.
IU has won three of the last four meetings with Wisconsin in Bloomington, and all were nail-biters. It won 75-73 last year in double overtime, 59-58 in 2016 and 75-72 in 2014.
The Badgers beat the Hoosiers 84-64 in Madison in early December.
Win or lose, Green and Davis will be honored in the traditional post-game Senior ceremony.
"They came into a situation where there was a transition, and that's not easy," Miller says. "What they've come through to do what they've done is great
"They've had unique paths to the floor. De'Ron had a serious career threatening type of injury, Devonte with some spectacular individual performances
"They've had great humility through the process. They've tried to understand what we've tried to do, and gotten better.
"They've gone through ups and downs, but both are primed to do some special things in the next few weeks and be part of something they've haven't been part of in their careers."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Devonte Green smiles and shoots. It's half an hour before Thursday night's Minnesota tipoff and what will become a crucial Indiana victory and the Hoosier senior guard does what he loves best.
Managers toss him balls during this pre-game warm up session. He stands two to three feet outside Branch McCracken Court's 3-point arc. Of course he does. He shoots effortlessly, which is what you'd expect from a guy who has made two half-court shots in a season (more on this in a moment).
Green's Indiana career approaches what he hopes is a grand finale. His last regular season home game is Saturday against No. 24 Wisconsin and high stakes are everywhere.
The Hoosiers (19-11 overall, 9-10 in the Big Ten) have a chance for a sixth win against a ranked team this season. The Badgers (20-10, 13-6) are positioned for at least a share of the conference title.
Next week is the Big Ten tourney in Indianapolis. The week after that is, hopefully, a NCAA Tournament run.
Saturday's game could go a long way in determining that.
Green has spent his career delighting and frustrating fans and coaches. He has ability you can't coach, and a confidence to try what most can't and, perhaps, shouldn't. At times, he's not just the best player on the court, but in the conference.
At other times, not so much.
Coach Archie Miller has tried reigning in Green's high-risk nature to boost consistency, and in some ways, it's worked.
Green averages a career-high 10.7 points, a Big Ten-leading 11.0 coming off the bench. His 926 career points rank 66th on IU's all-time scoring list.
"Devonte really values his offensive ability," Miller says. "You've seen where he's the best player on the floor. I think he sees himself as that guy every time he takes the floor. Sometimes it backfires on him.
"He has a lot of pride and self-confidence. You have to find a way for him to be impactful. Just be solid. Value some of the little things that go on in the course of a game."
Green has played in 118 games at IU and started 30, six this season. His 159 three-pointers rank 12th in school history. He 38.3 career three-point shooting percentage includes two half-court shots, against Austin Peay and Northwestern, from the 2017-17 season.
For those seeking consistency, Green had five straight double-figure scoring games early in the season. He had 30 points against Florida State, 27 against Iowa and 19 against Ohio State. For those who find fault, he's had one scoreless game, and six others of four or fewer points.
Criticism has followed and Green takes the high road.
"I've had positivity, and even with the negativity, it's been fuel to the fire. I thank them, too, because they helped me learn how to battle adversity."
Those battles have delivered more than points. Over his career, Green has grabbed as many as 11 rebounds (part of his only double-double with 18 points against Arkansas in last season's NIT), and totaled as many as seven assists and eight three-pointers.
So what is his most memorable Hoosier moment?
"The Florida State game is probably the most exciting game I've been in in my career," he says.
Green, the younger brother of the NBA's Danny Green, was recruited out of New York City by former coach Tom Crean after a standout high school career in which he was good enough to play high school ball as a seventh grader.
He decided to stay a Hoosier after Crean was fired following his freshman season.
"These four years have been great," he says. "I've been blessed to be in the positions I've been in."
Green and fellow senior De'Ron Davis have never played in the NCAA Tournament. They hope that's about to end.
"We knew what was on the line for us seniors," Green says. "We want to finish up the best we can and do something we've never done in our four years.
"We set a goal this season. We're very close to reaching it, so sticking with it felt like the right choice."
******
Injuries have rocked De'Ron Davis since coming to IU after a dominating high school career in Colorado (including two state titles and the Mr. Colorado award), but so has his ability to play through them.
He has appeared in 108 games (an average of 27 a year) and started 22. If it hasn't turned out the way he had hoped, that doesn't mean he wallows in regret.
"It's bittersweet," he says. "I've had a lot of ups and downs, but it's great to play at such a powerful and impactful school.
"I stuck with it because it's the love for the game. I love playing with my teammates. It made everything worth it."
At 6-10 and 255 pounds, Davis is a big man with nimble feet that makes him hard to stop in the paint.
That peaked last month at Michigan, when he tied a program record by going 9-for-9 from the field for 18 points.
"De'Ron is a really talented player," Miller says. "He's got unbelievable hands and footwork, and can really pass.
"This is the year he's been the most steady in terms of his consistency and trying to do what we ask. I think he realizes winning is the most important thing for him to finish."
Davis's career 54 percent shooting ranks 10th in school history. He has twice shot better than 60 percent from the field in a season.
He also has twice grabbed eight rebounds and had four blocks against Iowa in 2017, seven assists against Iowa in 2019.
He averaged 5.9 points and 3.1 rebounds at a freshman, 9.6 and 4.3 as a sophomore (limited to 15 games because of a severe Achilles injury that nearly ended his career), and 5.4 and 2.5 last year.
This season he's at 2.7 and 1.3 while averaging a career-low 8.5 minutes as freshman Trayce Jackson-Davis, transfer junior Joey Brunk and junior Race Thompson have taken larger roles.
"To be derailed the way he was derailed for almost a year and a half, that's tough," Miller says. "Sometimes he gets down on himself, but when he's engaged, he has a huge impact.
"He's given us some big moments. He's going to continue to play a big role. My hope is he continues to finish strong."
Or, as Davis puts it, "Not a lot of kids get an offer from a D-I school like Indiana where I come from. I embraced it. It's been a long journey. It's been fun."
*******
IU seeks to avoid a Wednesday Big Ten tourney opening. To do that, it needs to beat Wisconsin and Purdue must lose to Rutgers.
"For our guys, to play off the Minnesota emotion and come into Saturday, you have to have optimism it's going to be an energetic group," Miller says.
"We're playing for a lot, as is everybody this time of year. This is what March is about. It's a Big Ten heavyweight game."
Wisconsin will play for its first Big Ten title in five years thanks to a seven-game winning streak that turned a mediocre season into a potential championship one.
The Badgers are tied for first with Michigan State and Maryland.
Hot perimeter shooting has sparked Wisconsin's surge. At one point it was averaging 11 three-pointers a game.
Overall, the Badgers average 42.7 percent from the field, 35.3 percent from three-point range and 77.1 percent from the line.
IU counters with strong perimeter defense. In the last four games, opponents have shot just 22.6 percent beyond the arc.
Something will give.
Wisconsin has bounced back from the loss of guard Kobe King, a 10-point-a-game scorer who left the program after 19 games in late January. He will transfer to Nebraska.
He had a career-high 24 points against Indiana in the first meeting.
Nate Reuvers, a 6-11, 235-pounds junior forward, averages 12.9 points and 4.5 rebounds.
Micah Potter, a 6-10, 248-pound junior center, shoots 52.7 percent overall, 47.8 percent from three-point range and 84.6 percent from the line. He averages 10.1 points and 6.0 rebounds.
Junior guard Brad Davison averages 10.0 points and 4.4 rebounds. He shoots 86.3 percent from the line.
Junior guard D'Mitrik Trice averages 9.8 points and 3.8 rebounds, and has 120 assists. Guard Brevin Pritzel shoots three-pointers at a 38.1-percent clip. He averages 8.2 points and 3.7 rebounds.
Wednesday night's Senior Night victory over Northwestern gave coach Greg Gard his 100th career victory in four-plus years with the Badgers. He is a strong contender to win Big Ten coach-of-the-year honors.
"What Greg has done with his group through the course of the season has been as impressive as any," Miller says.
IU has won three of the last four meetings with Wisconsin in Bloomington, and all were nail-biters. It won 75-73 last year in double overtime, 59-58 in 2016 and 75-72 in 2014.
The Badgers beat the Hoosiers 84-64 in Madison in early December.
Win or lose, Green and Davis will be honored in the traditional post-game Senior ceremony.
"They came into a situation where there was a transition, and that's not easy," Miller says. "What they've come through to do what they've done is great
"They've had unique paths to the floor. De'Ron had a serious career threatening type of injury, Devonte with some spectacular individual performances
"They've had great humility through the process. They've tried to understand what we've tried to do, and gotten better.
"They've gone through ups and downs, but both are primed to do some special things in the next few weeks and be part of something they've haven't been part of in their careers."
Players Mentioned
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