Huskies Are Hoping DJ Davis Gives It His Best Shot

Over a scrambling two months, newly hired University of Washington basketball coach Danny Sprinkle has given the Huskies a near total makeover, swapping out 10 of 13 roster spots. He's brought in an assortment of interesting big men and all new guards, coming from all over the country.

Sprinkle appears to have greatly bolstered a Husky front line that in recent seasons often was pushed around by the better teams and he's primarily done this by obtaining a commitment from the $2 million man, 6-foot-8 Great Osobor, the Mountain West Player of the Year formerly of Utah State and originally from London. Tyler Harris, an intriguing 6-foot-8 sophomore forward from Portland, will provide a lot of finesse. There are playmakers galore.

Yet after all of this whirlwind shopping spree, the big question persists, one that could determine if these Huskies are better or a lot better: who will provide the 3-point shooting?

Sprinkle doesn't hesitate to name his leading candidate who will be entrusted with this long-range responsibility -- 6-foot-1 Butler transfer DJ Davis.

Before heading to Indianapolis to play a season in the land of the Hoosiers and in a gym used in the movie of the same name, Davis spent three years at UC Irvine and was a first-team All-Big West selection. He'll be going from the West Coast to the Midwest and back to the West Coast.

"He is one of the best shooters in the country with an exciting ability to stretch the defense with his unlimited range," Sprinkle said in a statement when Davis signed. "We are excited for him to bring his veteran presence and poise to the Huskies."

For sure, Davis has a golden touch from 15 feet after leading the nation in free-throw shooting last season, dropping in 95 of 100 attempts for a near-perfect 95 percent. Still, can that translate to something game-changing from 22 feet and an inch?

In his four seasons combined at Butler and UC Irvine, Davis connected on 216 of 587 3-point tries, or 36.7 percent.

Butler guard DJ Davis (4) celebrates with the student section after defeating the Providence Friars at Hinkle Fieldhouse. | Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

To contrast Davis' accuracy, Steph Curry, considered the finest long-range shooter in basketball over the past two decades, fired away at a 41.2 percent clip for Davidson (414 of 1,004) before joining the Golden State Warriors.

While this new Husky marksmen would be hard-pressed to shoot like Steph, Davis was at his best from 3-point range against the better teams he faced last season. He sank 5 of 8 against DePaul, 5 of 10 against St. John's, 5 of 11 against Villanova, 4 of 7 against Providence and 4 of 8 against national champion Connecticut.

Put it this way, Davis should be an improvement over the 3-point shooters trotted out by the UW in recent seasons. It's still cringeworthy remembering off-target guys like Hameir Wright and Erik Stevenson firing at will for the Huskies. Keion Brooks was a great player, but his 3-point shot was something to be desired. It's been a while since the UW had a prolific outer-reaches shooter in Tre Simmons or Terrance Ross to count on.

So now it's Davis' turn to upgrade an area that has kept the Huskies mediocre and easier to defend. He'll carry a big burden.

"DJ Davis is a talented, veteran guard who will have an immediate impact on our program," Sprinkle said.

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