Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 18, 1995 TAG: 9503210048
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DAYTON, OHIO LENGTH: Medium
Devin Davis would have captured the fancy of the college basketball world Thursday if all he had done was run up and down the court a few times.
Davis had 24 points and 15 rebounds in Miami of Ohio's 71-62 upset victory over Arizona in the NCAA Tournament, but his performance almost seemed secondary to his appearance. Davis and the Redskins play Virginia at 4:35 p.m. today at University of Dayton Arena.
``It's the first thing you notice,'' observed Curtis Staples, a freshman for Virginia. ``He's the guy with the hair.
``I've never seen anybody in basketball, at least college basketball, who looks the way he does. I couldn't do it. My mom wouldn't let me in the house with hair like that.''
Davis' 6-inch-long dreadlocks, held aloft by a rubber band when he takes the court, resemble the plume on a peacock and have made him the object of much derision in the Mid-American Conference.
``If nobody harassed me about my hair, I'd probably cut it,'' said Davis, who said the style is popular in his native Miami. ``I almost think it's made it more fun for me.''
Second-year coach Herb Sendek isn't wild about Davis' look, but he can't argue with his athleticism and fire, or his team-high 17 points and 7.4 rebounds.
``Devin and I had [a] conversation both when he came to Miami and again earlier this year,'' Sendek said. ``I felt it was my obligation to give him all the the information to make the best judgment for himself.
``Basically, what I said was, `You and I know that the length and style of a person's hair, wardrobe or any other aesthetics association with an individual has no bearing on what kind of person he or she may be.'
``I told him, `You have to decide if that's too heavy a burden to carry at this point in your life and cut your hair, or it it's too important for you to express yourself and accept the consequences.'''
Davis' unwillingness to cut his hair did not prevent him from making first-team All-MAC, and he has become something of a cult figure among his fellow Miami students.
``I get a lot of questions about my hairdo: how long I've had it, why I wear it [or] whether I'm Jamaican,'' said Davis, a 6-foot-7 sophomore. ``I get tired of the same questions, but it's no big deal really.''
Mike Frensley, a starting guard at St. Peter's, probably feels the same way. Frensley's hair is short on the sides and long on top, pulled back in a ponytail.
``That was a little odd,'' Virginia senior Jason Williford said. ``I like [Davis' style] a little better. It's the first time I've seen it in the NCAA Tournament, but that's his thing.''
The closest Virginia came to a hair controversy was when Williford, who had been growing a beard for the last month, shaved before an appearance on coach Jeff Jones' television show.
``Jason can't put that all on me,'' Jones said. ``We had been winning, and then we lost to Wake Forest [in the ACC tournament]. He was starting to complain about feeling a little rough.
``Our players made the statement, `Coach, there's no way you'd let us play wearing our hair like that.' Sure I would, [but] I think there is a certain level of presentability.''
There were schools that recruited Davis - George Washington for one - who let it be known that he would have to cut his hair if they signed him. Sendek couldn't afford to be so picky.
``I was hired April 19 [1993], and there were four or five days left in the signing period,'' Sendek said. ``Devin came from a program [Miami Senior High School] whose players traditionally sign late.''
Moreover, Sendek had developed a relationship with Miami Senior coach Shaky Rodriguez while recruiting Gimel Martinez and, later, Allen Edwards, for Kentucky.
Davis agreed to visit Miami of Ohio because it was one of the few programs that also made an offer to friend and teammate Puncho Farquarson. Farquarson subsequently transferred from Miami to Tampa.
Davis arrived not only with the hairdo but a tenacity that borders on intimidation. At one point Thursday, officials stepped between Davis and Arizona big man Ray Owes as they wrestled for a rebound.
``I think our team feeds off his passion and his determination,'' Sendek said. ``I've talked to Devin about this: If we can channel [his energy] in the right direction, it can be a great force for our basketball team.''
by CNB