Davis, Green Make Presence Felt on Senior Day
3/8/2020 1:34:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - De'Ron Davis and Devonte Green slowly walked off the court, their day finishing without the win they desperately hoped to gain but still knowing they had done all they could, just as they had every time they had taken the court during their IU careers.
They hope they never have to play at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall again. That would mean Indiana had landed in the National Invitation Tournament, and the duo are aiming for the NCAA Tournament. Still, if this is the last time they took Branch McCracken Court in the Cream and Crimson, they know they did their best.
Davis and Green started—Davis for the first time this season, Green for the first time since early January—and they made their presence immediately felt. They combined to score IU's first 17 points, helping the Hoosiers get out to a 17-13 lead in the first nine minutes of the game. Green was doing Green things, knocking down five of his first seven shots, including a pair of 3-pointers. Davis scored two inside buckets, grabbed a pair of offensive rebounds and added two steals, including one dive-to-the-floor job that led to a jump ball.
Green finished with 16 points on 6-of-17 shooting, and he was hobbled some with a sore ankle for the second half. Davis added four points on 2-of-3 shooting. They had been through a lot together, fast friends who are the last two Hoosiers to play for former head coach Tom Crean. When they came to IU, they had dreams of winning Big Ten championships. Those dreams had died along the way, but they didn't hang their heads.
They did what they always did.
They kept working.
"These guys have been great teammates," head coach Archie Miller said. "They brought it every single day in practice. They've communicated the way that you need to communicate with younger people. They've also given us unbelievable effort on game day, which has helped us get to the position that we're in as we finish our regular season. They need to be commended."
Miller remembered his first meeting with Davis and Green during the Senior Day festivities.
"These guys right here were here the first day I walked on campus," Miller said. "They didn't know me, and I didn't know them. At the end of the day, for them to be standing right here, and as we continue to evolve as a program and as we look back on it, these two guys have given up stability. They were able to hang in there through a tough time through transition. It's easy to run away, but they didn't.
"One dealt with a career-threatening injury. Then Devonte, through the course of the last three years, has really shown what he can do on the biggest stage. Both of them have contributed a lot in the last three seasons."
Miller reflected on how his seniors have adjusted to different roles. Green started 31 games in his career, but he had just seven starts this season. Davis averaged double figures in minutes during his first three seasons and started all 15 games he played during the 2017-18 season prior to suffering an Achilles injury. This year, Davis' minutes were reduced thanks to IU's improved depth, but they adjusted.
"We have a deep team," Miller said. "We have a lot of guys. It's easy for one or two guys at some point in time to go away when it's not going well for them. Neither of those two guys did that."
Miller praised Davis' personality, and he said he wouldn't be surprised if Davis ends up doing radio or television broadcasts in the future. Miller predicts Green will watch a lot of 3-pointers fall as he heads into his pro career after his IU career comes to an end.
"That will be a long, long time before they come back," Miller said. "Both of them have really bright futures."
Davis and Green also helped lay the foundation for Miller's program.
"When we get better and keep getting better and getting better, these guys helped lay some bricks along the line to climb the ladder," Miller said.
Davis and Green mostly allowed their playing to speak for them on Senior Day. Davis thanked his mother for her support as well as the IU coaches and medical staff in a speech that lasted all of 63 seconds. Green was nearly as brief, speaking for just two minutes while thanking his coaches past and present, his family, and his teammates.
Davis and Green aren't done. The Big Ten Tournament starts in Indianapolis this week, and there will be postseason basketball beyond that. They have time to make more memories.
But for one last regular-season game, Davis and Green, the two scholarship seniors who have been through so much during their four years at IU, showcased their potential and gave it their all.
And the Hoosier faithful appreciated every minute of it.
They hope they never have to play at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall again. That would mean Indiana had landed in the National Invitation Tournament, and the duo are aiming for the NCAA Tournament. Still, if this is the last time they took Branch McCracken Court in the Cream and Crimson, they know they did their best.
Davis and Green started—Davis for the first time this season, Green for the first time since early January—and they made their presence immediately felt. They combined to score IU's first 17 points, helping the Hoosiers get out to a 17-13 lead in the first nine minutes of the game. Green was doing Green things, knocking down five of his first seven shots, including a pair of 3-pointers. Davis scored two inside buckets, grabbed a pair of offensive rebounds and added two steals, including one dive-to-the-floor job that led to a jump ball.
Green finished with 16 points on 6-of-17 shooting, and he was hobbled some with a sore ankle for the second half. Davis added four points on 2-of-3 shooting. They had been through a lot together, fast friends who are the last two Hoosiers to play for former head coach Tom Crean. When they came to IU, they had dreams of winning Big Ten championships. Those dreams had died along the way, but they didn't hang their heads.
They did what they always did.
They kept working.
"These guys have been great teammates," head coach Archie Miller said. "They brought it every single day in practice. They've communicated the way that you need to communicate with younger people. They've also given us unbelievable effort on game day, which has helped us get to the position that we're in as we finish our regular season. They need to be commended."
Miller remembered his first meeting with Davis and Green during the Senior Day festivities.
"These guys right here were here the first day I walked on campus," Miller said. "They didn't know me, and I didn't know them. At the end of the day, for them to be standing right here, and as we continue to evolve as a program and as we look back on it, these two guys have given up stability. They were able to hang in there through a tough time through transition. It's easy to run away, but they didn't.
"One dealt with a career-threatening injury. Then Devonte, through the course of the last three years, has really shown what he can do on the biggest stage. Both of them have contributed a lot in the last three seasons."
Miller reflected on how his seniors have adjusted to different roles. Green started 31 games in his career, but he had just seven starts this season. Davis averaged double figures in minutes during his first three seasons and started all 15 games he played during the 2017-18 season prior to suffering an Achilles injury. This year, Davis' minutes were reduced thanks to IU's improved depth, but they adjusted.
"We have a deep team," Miller said. "We have a lot of guys. It's easy for one or two guys at some point in time to go away when it's not going well for them. Neither of those two guys did that."
Miller praised Davis' personality, and he said he wouldn't be surprised if Davis ends up doing radio or television broadcasts in the future. Miller predicts Green will watch a lot of 3-pointers fall as he heads into his pro career after his IU career comes to an end.
"That will be a long, long time before they come back," Miller said. "Both of them have really bright futures."
Davis and Green also helped lay the foundation for Miller's program.
"When we get better and keep getting better and getting better, these guys helped lay some bricks along the line to climb the ladder," Miller said.
Davis and Green mostly allowed their playing to speak for them on Senior Day. Davis thanked his mother for her support as well as the IU coaches and medical staff in a speech that lasted all of 63 seconds. Green was nearly as brief, speaking for just two minutes while thanking his coaches past and present, his family, and his teammates.
Davis and Green aren't done. The Big Ten Tournament starts in Indianapolis this week, and there will be postseason basketball beyond that. They have time to make more memories.
But for one last regular-season game, Davis and Green, the two scholarship seniors who have been through so much during their four years at IU, showcased their potential and gave it their all.
And the Hoosier faithful appreciated every minute of it.
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