D’Andre Davis: Nothing But Family, Friendship, And A Grind
D’Andre Davis - Lawrence Central High School - Class of 2020 - University of Louisville Commit
Speaking with D’Andre “Dre” Davis you can see his priorities are simple - family, loyalty, and humor.
The game is a separate part of his life for Davis, but his work ethic on the court is no different than off of it. He concedes “I know my emotions are high after a game, win or lose, so the next day I’m watching game film by myself or with my uncle and pops.” Even during those wins he’s examining the things he could have done better individually or for his teammates to put them in better positions to succeed.
It’s his family that passed down that competitive spirit to Davis. Although games at home are fun, they always bring out the competitor in each of them and the natural desire to be the best at what they are doing. Yet when a game is over, they hold no grudges and watch a movie together. That similar competitive fire made it even more gratifying when he got the opportunity to play alongside his 16-year-old brother D’Ante over the last two years.
Davis’s father, D’Andre Sr., is a program designer and his mother, Carlonda, works in the Human Resources department for a bank. They’ve provided balance throughout Dre’s life, D’Andre Sr. being the disciplinarian and Carlonda the peacemaker. Both, however, placed an extremely high value on grades and education. For them, the importance of an off-the-court life was always stressed. They spent more time conversing with their son about life responsibilities than basketball drills. They’ve taught him to treat people the way you want to be treated, how to manage your expectations, and prepare for your financial future. He leans on them for everything.
When it’s something he doesn’t feel comfortable talking about with them, he speaks with his trainer Nick Daniels, founder of N14, a training program for basketball players. Whether it’s about women, social pressures like drugs, or attaining goals, Nick helps Dre evaluate a situation before making a decision.
Nick helped Dre channel all of the excess energy he had as a child. Davis, admittedly, became more shy in high school, but as he progressed, he’s found a way to mature from the rambunctious child and quiet high schooler into a laid back adult who knows when to lift his energy level. Says Dre, “give me some Lil Durk and Meek Mill on game day and it gets my energy where it needs to be.”
A big part of his maturity came as part of his transition from public school to private school. The latter helped him attain greater self-discipline and dramatically improve his time management skills. He’ll now balance time out with his friends with watching anime or movies on a Friday night. Equip him with some Raising Cane’s Chicken, a pineapple and pepperoni pizza, and a couch and he’s set.
D’Andre Davis, Jr. (right) and little brother, D’Ante Davis (left)
He knows that in order to achieve his dream, he may have to make sacrifices and sometimes that sacrifice comes in the form of cutting time spent with friends. “I’ve got a group of four or five really close friends. If they’re your true friends,” says Dre, “they’ll understand as long as you make time for them when you can.” With his parents prioritizing education, he learned to do the same. “Senior year was better than the previous two years,” he recalls, “I had AP classes and college courses and times where I even had to be late for practice. There’s a time and place for everything,” adds Davis, “if I have my workouts scheduled I may not be able to hang out and if I can’t move my schedule to get it done, I may have to cancel a workout. The key is eliminating distractions.”
In the end, he does what he can to spend time with the people he cares about. When it came to his teammates, he valued his time off the court just as much as the time on it. It’s the small bonding moments that he remembers. They’d all have scheduled meetups where they’d play board games or Texas Hold ‘Em. Whether it was making a team trip to play laser tag or Coach Golden stumbling and falling to the chagrin of the entire bench, he knows those moments brought them together. He believes his teammates see it the same way. He remembers receiving an award for scoring 1,000 points in his high school career. “It caught me off guard”, Dre admits, “my point guard Nijel Packman brought me the award and it was a special moment.” For Davis, someone who always hated being the center of attention and would rather be making an impact without the acclaim, that was a big moment. Although he still wants to be recognized for his grit rather than star power – similar to his role model, Miami Heat All-Star, Jimmy Butler – he values the effort that was put into that celebration.
The recruiting process was a little shaky for Davis. It started slow, but in late 2018 he committed to Nebraska. Five months later, the Huskers replaced their coaching staff. With that move, he reopened his recruitment and began looking intensely, Purdue, Xavier, and Louisville. He recalls that “all three head coaches were great and came to see [him] in person. Yet his official visit to Louisville is what stayed prevalent in his mind. “They made me feel like family,” he articulates, “that my decision was bigger than the game.
As soon as he committed to Louisville, he got a call. Coach Mike Pegues had reached out to his mom at work to establish how excited they were to have him. They spoke about how with dedication and hard work, “[he] could make an immediate impact.” That dedication will be crucial with Head Coach Chris Mack’s slogan being “Iron sharpens iron as one man sharpens another.” He’s already begun sharpening his relationships with future teammates JJ Traynor, Josh Nickelberry, and Aidan Igiehon.
Before making his decision, Dre spoke with his uncle, discussed the process, and asked his thoughts. Aside from his uncle he consulted his high school coaches Al Gooden, Mike Pace, and Tre Granger. Says Davis, “Coach Good is more than family and showed me what a real coach-player relationship should be like. I’ve known Coach Pace since I was a kid and he always offered encouragement, especially during my recent recovery from surgery.”
“I play for myself instead of other people and the pressure goes away, as long as you play hard, work hard, believe in your game, and love the game.”
Through the process he learned a lot about how so many people wanted to be in his ear regarding his decision. Most of them were positive, but when the negative voices were heard, they were “in one ear and out the other” or used as motivation. He even went so far as to delete his social media for a month to keep more positivity in his life. “I play for myself instead of other people and the pressure goes away,” he explains. For Davis, “as long as you play hard, work hard, believe in your game, and love the game,” it’ll all work out. Through it all, his family was behind them. They constantly let him know they were available if he ever needed their advice, but in the end told him the final decision is up to him.
Now he looks towards his future at Louisville, and can’t wait for the excitement from the crowd during home games. For him, the key is keeping a clear head and relaxing his mind. One of those ways include watching standup, especially comedy icon Martin Lawrence. Without laughter, Dre wouldn’t be the person he is today. Not only does it help him with stress, but it also helps him bond with his teammates.
That bond will be vital as he heads into his freshman year. He knows that he’s going to make some mistakes over the next four years. After all he’s “still just a kid.” But as he admits, he “tries to carry himself as a brand,” knowing that impressions mean a lot. He’s even preparing to eventually teach others how to brand themselves by majoring in the Sports Administration Program at Louisville and potentially becoming a sports agent once his basketball career is over. He knows his brand will change, but for now, he just wants to be known as a kid from Indianapolis who brings nothing but laughter, friendship, and a work ethic like you’ve never seen.