IU lands top recruiting target De'Ron Davis
BLOOMINGTON — Danny Fisher admitted he had never seen a recruitment develop quite like De'ron Davis' did.
From Grade 8 phenom on coach Tom Crean's radar, to a ninth-grader with an Indiana University offer, to plucking an Indiana hat off of a table at Overland High School in suburban Denver on Thursday, Davis' route to Bloomington has been paved through years of relationship-building and persistence — on both sides.
"On the shoe company basketball scene, you see these phenoms offered in the eighth grade, but so often, it’s fluff, and so many things change over the course of time," Fisher, Davis' high school coach at Overland, told The Indianapolis Star after the announcement in Aurora, Colo. "I’ve never seen so much consistency, in their message to him, the vision they’ve had for him since he was an eighth-grader."
Indiana's 2016 recruiting class got a crowning jewel in the post when Davis, a 6-10 forward, picked the Hoosiers over Mississippi State.
Fisher said Davis will sign his national letter of intent and fax it to Indiana on Friday morning.
Davis was ranked 38th among 2016 recruits in the country, according to the 247Sports.comComposite on Thursday night, and the No. 10 power forward.
After making his announcement, Davis credited the "family atmosphere" he found in Bloomington during his official visit as crucial to his decision. He also said he was impressed with "how (players) compete at practice, make each other better."
Ultimately, though, the driving force was Crean's persistence with a player he first offered a scholarship to as a high school freshman.
"Tom Crean, he’s been there for a long time. He’s been there since my eighth-grade year," Davis told the crowd assembled at his announcement ceremony. "I have a real good connection with him."
Davis' recruitment at various points involved IU, Mississippi State, Texas, Arizona and others, but had been whittled down to just the Hoosiers and Bulldogs by the end.
Thursday afternoon, Crean and his staff got their forward of the future, a player who could be ready to pair with Thomas Bryant in the frontcourt next season.
"I know and De’Ron knows that Indiana and coach Crean are 100 percent committed to his development as a player," Fisher said. "In the meantime, I think he has an opportunity to step right in and play, play some four, play some five."
Fisher said Davis' versatility is his greatest strength, that the high school senior can play inside out and stretch defenses with moderate range.
"The skill set that he has, you just don’t see it with bigs," Fisher said. "I’m biased, but I think he’s the most-skilled big in the class."
Davis joins a recruiting class that includes Crown Point guard Grant Gelon and likely Virginia guard Curtis Jones, who plays at Huntington Prep School in West Virginia. Gelon signed with Indiana on Wednesday. Jones is expected to sign Monday.
IU's three available scholarships for next season are now filled, but multiple underclassmen could consider NBA opportunities after this season. It's likely the Hoosiers will need to add at least one or two more players, with guard Bruce Brown and forward Thon Maker among their top targets.
For now, Davis will prep for his senior season at Overland. Fisher said his forward needs to add strength to accompany the skills that made him a coveted prospect in the first place.
"The versatility in his game is at a very high level," Fisher said, "but the versatility in his body needs work."
Follow Star reporter Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman.