DETROIT — Talking to men's basketball coaches around the Horizon League, the commentary about Antoine Davis runs the gamut. They've enjoyed watching the dynamic shooter do his thing, but they've also been counting down the minutes until he departed Detroit Mercy. After all, you try guarding him.
In April, they appeared to get their wish when Davis, who last season became the leading scorer in program history, shockingly announced on social media that he was transferring. He wanted to take his game to a bigger program, and he wanted some Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) cash, too.
Then, in May, he made an equally surprising decision: He was returning to Detroit Mercy, after all, passing up opportunities at Kansas State and BYU, among others. The Horizon League will get a fifth and final year of The Antoine Davis Show, as he marches toward the top five all-time in Division I scoring.
"These fans want to see Detroit Mercy win, and I want to win for the fans, not only just for myself and my teammates," Davis said recently, before a midday shootaround in a sweltering Calihan Hall. "It would be something for them to look forward to, to be so happy about.
"Detroit hasn't seen any winning in a while, so it'd be something special for them, and for me."
It's now been a decade since Detroit Mercy last made the NCAA Tournament, three coaches ago.
Mike Davis, Antoine's dad, is entering his fifth season as head coach, and he's never gone more than five years at either of his three previous stops (Indiana, UAB, Texas Southern) without making the NCAA Tournament. He figured he would've made the NCAA Tournament by now when he took the Detroit Mercy job, taking over for Bacari Alexander, who was fired after two years. But Year 1, they were way behind in recruiting when they took the job. Year 2, they were banned from the NCAA Tournament because of academic issues that predated every coach and player on the roster. Year 3, COVID-19. And Year 4, more COVID, costing Detroit Mercy a handful of home games — and, thus, a top-four seeding in the Horizon League tournament, which, the way the event is formatted, is critical to get the league's one bid.
Then came the news of Davis' decision to transfer, and Year 5 wasn't looking too hot, either.
That's not the case anymore.
"It was good, good for us," Mike Davis said of Antoine's decision — which, both swear, was not influenced by Mike. "He started here and he needed to finish here. He needs to get into the (NCAA) Tournament."
aid Antoine, on telling his dad of his decision to return in mid-May, following visits to Maryland, Georgetown, Kansas State and BYU, with the latter two being his final picks besides Detroit Mercy out of dozens of interested schools (the fan pressure got to be so intense, he had to mute his Twitter for a while): "He wouldn't tell me to stay, but he wouldn't tell me to go. He just wanted me to be in the best position. … I just told him I wanted to stay, I didn't want to end my career anywhere else. He was really happy about it. Very happy."
Davis, 23, had a number of things tugging at him to leave, and just as many convincing him to stay.
At a bigger, more visible program, of course, he could've pumped up his stock enough to draw some interest in the NBA Draft, which he finally will enter in 2023 — after previously toying with the idea of leaving early, though not as much this year as previous years.
But in Detroit, he could've continued to build on a legacy that includes four league scoring championships, four first-team all-league honors and a co-Horizon League player of the year award in 2022, despite playing through two Achilles injuries. His 2,734 career points rank 22nd all-time, and with another good and injury-free 2022-23, there's a chance for Davis to climb into the top five, past such names as Larry Bird, Elvin Hayes and Oscar Robertson. The only player out of reach is No. 1, Pete Maravich.
"Yeah, I feel like it would've took away a little bit, not being here," Davis said of his Detroit Mercy legacy. "I'm not going to say it would've been forgotten, but at the same time, it would've been different."
(Davis was afforded a fifth year because of COVID, but because of COVID cancellations, he still should finish his career with fewer games than some players currently ahead of him on the all-time scoring list.)
So, what was the tipping point in staying?
NIL money. How's that for honesty?
When Davis decided to transfer, Mike Davis told The News that the opportunity to earn a six-figure NIL deal from schools far more well-connected than Detroit Mercy (which struggles enough just to find housing for its athletes, let alone extra cash) was a major factor, if not the determining one. So when an NIL deal was afforded to Antoine at Detroit Mercy, that made the decision to return much easier.
Davis had a couple small-dollar deals with some local Detroit businesses, but the opportunity for a bigger payday came from a Chinese basketball manufacturer of GlowBalls, which counts former NBA player Stephon Marbury among its endorsers. The balls, of course, glow in rainbow colors, and Davis' custom ball features his trademarked logo, a silhouette of him shooting, complete with his No. 0. The balls retail for $75, and they sold 75 or 80 in the first week — with interest sure to pick up in-season, when he makes another 3-pointer from the Lodge. Some 5,000 basketballs were made in Davis' initial run. Davis will get a percentage of the ball sales, and other sales, too; a merch line is in the works, as well.
And Davis plans to split the profits with all of his Detroit Mercy teammates.
"I didn't have anything, and for me to average the points that I averaged (24.6 for his career), I felt like I needed a part of it," Davis said of the NIL deal.
"And I just wanted to give back to my teammates, because most of them probably don't have NIL deals.
"Everybody benefits."
Said Mike Davis, 61, whose vast ties to contacts throughout the basketball world helped lead to the NIL deal, struck with a Texas sports agency: "You've gotta share with the team, and hopefully that money can help them find a nice apartment, money for food, money for whatever."
Money isn't as much of an issue for Antoine, whose dad has done well over the years — the financial terms of his contract at private Detroit Mercy are unknown, but he's got three years left on the deal. Antoine lives comfortably in an apartment in the Campus Martius area, where he likes his Iggy's Eggies, Mister Dips, Sweetwater Tavern, and a whole bunch of other Detroit staples through — what else — DoorDash.
Davis also likes the people of Detroit, that midwestern charm appealing to a kid who spent the first eight years of his life in Bloomington, Indiana, when dad was first an assistant at Indiana, then head coach.
Mike Davis guided Indiana to four NCAA Tournaments in six years as head coach, including a national runner-up finish, before moving on to UAB and, eventually, Texas Southern.
In his first 18 years as head coach, Mike Davis made nine NCAA Tournaments, but hasn't gone in Detroit. Antoine's return helps the cause for 2022-23, of course, and, at least in part, has helped land a pair of transfer commitments — guard Jayden Stone from Grand Canyon and forward Damezi Anderson from Loyola-Chicago — as well as freshman Isaiah Jones from the Speights Academy in Florida. Last fall, Detroit Mercy signed a top-200 prospect in guard Sonny Johnson, who had offers from Michigan State, Penn State and Nebraska. Guard Kevin McAdoo is expected back, among others.
Among the players leaving Detroit Mercy: Noah Waterman, who just committed to BYU (which was among Davis' four official visits, and likely where he would've gone had he not returned to Detroit; he was especially intrigued by the mountains and learning to snowboard); DJ Harvey, who entered the NBA Draft and went undrafted; and Madut Akec, who left to pursue a professional career.
The 2022-23 roster certainly remains a work in progress, but Antoine provided some serious stability, for dad and Detroit — as well as his and his teammates' bank accounts, too.
"I really love Detroit, even though I entered the portal. I didn't want to end my career somewhere else," said Antoine, who followed his father to Detroit, then set the freshman 3-point record previously held by Steph Curry. "I really couldn't see myself ending my career anywhere else, other than here.
"It was the right move to come back. I'm happy with the decision."
