June 2, 2011
When traveling to Paris, Montmartre in the 18th arrondissement is a great place to visit. The white-domed Basilica of the Sacré Cœur sits atop of the hill, which has a great panoramic view of the city. The combination of the view and the church could rival the Eiffel Tower and the cathedral Notre Dame.
However, in Oakland, Paris Davis of Skyline High could light up the summer season for the Oakland Rebels 17U club team. At 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, Davis is a shooting guard built more like a running back. This 2012 prospect averaged 17.3 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists per game for the Titans as they finished an underwhelming 10-18 season.
Davis was a varsity starter last year who is in his first season with the Rebels. He considers his step back and euro step moves to be his strengths. Aside from playing with the Rebels, he plans on working on his defense, ball handling, and shooting.
Rebels Coach Ryant Diew has been pleased as he says, "Paris's best strength is his ability to score baskets quickly. He has the ability to score off the drive or the jump shot. He is without of doubt, the best scorer I've ever coach. In very his first game as a Rebel this spring, he debuted with 32 points. He has consistently been our top scorer this AAU season. I call him 'Mr. Buckets.' Defensively, he's has been just as competitive and has been a surprisingly good 'On ball' defender. He definitely has the potential to be a lock down defender."
At the recent Memorial Day Classic in Hayward, Davis displayed his relentless motor as he ran the court well and hustled on every play. When he took the ball to the basket, he went up strong and initiated the contact. And he also had a nice pull up jumper that had good form.
"On the court, he's a very competitive player," says Coach Diew. "He doesn't back down from anyone and he looks forward to challenging whomever he's playing that particular game. However, he sometimes can get into trouble because he takes everything so personal. When he does that, he tends to sometime make bad decisions."
His Skyline team has been undersized and has forced Davis to play out of position in the interior. But he believes that this has forced him to be a better rebounder which has made him a more complete player. He hopes to get league MVP honors while making a deeper run in the playoffs.
Despite his offensive output, Davis has not had any college contacts. He would like to play in a fast pace and open space offense that would take advantage his physical attributes and abilities. He models his game after former 2008 Oakland High standout Damian Lillard, who is currently at Weber State and built very similar as a shooting guard as well.
Coach Diew has this perspective on Davis' future. "Off the court, he has been a breath of fresh air. He answers everything with 'yes sir' or 'no sir' or 'yes coach' or 'Ok coach.' He looks you in the eye every time you talk to him. He's always asking me questions about how to get to the next level. He wants to be good so badly, it has been an absolute pleasure to coach him. A very respectful kid. I think Paris can be a D-1 player if he continues to put in the work necessary to play at that level. I feel if he continues to work on his ball handling, passing, and court awareness, there is no doubt he can be a Low to Mid level D-1 player."
As a result, expect Paris to shine bright on the summer circuit to get more college exposure. And if all goes well in the wide open OAL, watch for Paris to shine in Oakland. Finally, watch for Paris to shine on the collegiate level in 2012.
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