"Swish. Score another two for Joni Davis. Days before being named to the 10-member All-America academic squad, she became the first Mizzou player to top 2,000 career points."--Page 29

Again, Carol

English

University of Missouri: MOspace

JONI DAVIS: . THE TIGERS' ALL AROUND ALL AMERICAN 28~ SWISH. Scorl' another two for Joni Davis. Days before being named to the IQ -merllhrr AIl ·America academic squad , she became the lirst Mizzou play-er to top 2,()()0 career point.s. Big-Eight player-of.l.he-year, Davis also is Mizzou's lirst bonafide Ali-Amer-ica candidate for the Kodak women's t.eam to be named in late March, accord-ing to Dru Ann Hancock, assistant sports inforrnalion direclor. "My academic honors are just as important to me as hasketball," says Davis, who descrihes breaking the all time Mizwu sco ring record held by Steve St.ipanovich of the Indiana Pacers ,L'i a highlight. of her hasketball career. A secondary ed ucation major, Davis will graduate in May with a 3.7 grade-point average. Her coursework included anatomy and I)hysiology and kinesio lo!-\,Y. "As a freshman, I gilt. a 4.0 seco nd semeste r, and people noti ced: 'She's an athlete and she has some int.e lligence, too.' I li ked that feeling. r took ofT and started working hard. Academics be-came a priori ty." The Tigers' co-captain from Hi gh-land , Karl., em pillyed intell igence on t.h e court as wel l. "My first year I heard people say Slipanovich and 1 Jon I Sund· vo id had good co urt sense. I wanted to work on that, to beco me so aware of what's going on on the court." Four years later, Davis herself is an example of court smart.. Though she doesn't consider herself to he excep-tionally fast, bi),( or strong, the six-foot forward this season led the Tigers to the 13ig Eight Conference championship and national post-season play. Named player of the week several times, she's at t.he top of women Tiger career charts in steals and rebollnding. DAVIS PEGS her success on consisten-cy, ex peri ell ce and perfectionism. "When I'm shooting and something uoesn't feel quite right, I know I need to go to the!-\,Ym and practice 1.0 regain the touch." She's worked on "the touch" si nce childhood. lI er father, a basket hall coach, combined babysitting duli es with practices at Missouri Southem State Co ll ege in Joplin. Not contelll to sil still, Davis twice broke her arm climbing bleachers. Event ually, Frank Davis \.Ook his daughter out oflhe st.ands and onto the court "lie has the most unbelievable shot," she says of her father. "After three months of not pl aying, he can shoot for 30 minutes and not miss_ li e taught me how to get the touch." Davis' touch helped her earn an invitation to the 1984 Olympic trials last. sprin),(. Even though she didn't make the U.S. basketball team, '~I'he excitement was unbelievable. Who knows'? I may try oul again in 1988." BUT DAVIS ADMITS her body is te ll -ing herto slowdown. She had surgeryon both knees last year to easc in flamed tendons, and for the past three years has laken anti-innalllll\atory drugs. "If I wasn't on 1 medication I J COUldn't play. My knees ge t so so re, the tendons fee l like cardboard." The condition forced her to give up basketball ill t.he summcrs. "I had to work about 10 ti mesas much as anyone else to get back into shape in Ihe fall. It's nerve-racking to go from where I am in the summ er to being a top athlete." SI)eclators help I)rovidc motiva-tion. "When we played after the guys, it was really hard to go out and see peop le leaving. But I think the re are people who were stayinj:l just to see what we could do, so I wanted 1.0 give them a show." Attendance at women's games this season averaged nearly 2,000. Wit.h her co llege career end ed, Davis is pondering the future. Even with her knee problems, she's hesitant. to ru le outa professional caree r. "It would be a bl ast to make money playing basketball. Hut r have to listen to my body. It's going to be a hard decision." If not a pro career, Davis plans to earn a master's degree in exercise phys iology and he a graduate assistant to a m~or women's co llege team. f~ventu· ally, she'd like to coach. Por now, "I'm happier than eve r before. I'm goinj:l to try to keep it that way." - Carol Again ~ 29 

Joni Davis : the tigers' all-around all-American

https://mospace.umsystem.edu/xmlui/bitstream/10355/73606/1/MizzouAlumnus1985MarchP28-29.pdf

Joni Davis : the tigers' all-around all-American

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

University of Missouri: MOspace