Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Davis embraces ‘Silent Assassin’ nickname
11/17/2020 6:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — There's an old sports adage that some players let their game do their talking.
Middle Tennessee guard Jordan Davis probably embodies that more than most, and he has the perfect nickname to go with it.
Davis, who will be in the Blue Raider lineup for the first time this season after taking a redshirt last year, has been dubbed by his teammates as the "Silent Assassin."
"He is a quiet and reserved young man, for sure, but he lets his game do all the talking," MT head coach Nick McDevitt said. "He has some days in practice where he really heats up and can really score it, but he never says a word. The 'Silent Assassin' is appropriate."
If you're looking for a guy to make a big motivational speech to a team or spend an hour talking to the media, Davis might not be your guy. If you're looking for a dominant defender and dynamic scorer, though, he fits the bill.
Davis went to Dayton after winning back-to-back Class 4A Player of the Year awards at Dutch Fork High School in South Carolina. He proved to already be a talented scorer as a freshman, but his defense on the wing is what really stood out. He tied the team lead with 32 steals in his first year then led the team with 32 again as a sophomore.
It was during his freshman season when the nickname started to pop up on social media and around practice.
"It just showed up one day," Davis said. "I guess it just comes from me being quiet and my play on the court. I just let my game do the talking."
After two years at Dayton, Davis made the difficult decision to transfer. He already had a relationship with Middle Tennessee assistant coach Wes Long, who recruited Davis out of high school while he was at VCU.
That relationship proved to be a big reason why Davis felt comfortable committing to the Blue Raiders.
"Coach Wes recruited me out of high school, so I already knew him," Davis said. "It was a big reason why I came here. I can just remember him coming to my high school and watching practice, and that really just stuck out to me."
While he was forced to take a redshirt last season due to NCAA transfer rules, McDevitt and Davis' teammates got to see in practice some of what he will bring to the roster.
To go with his good wing defense, he's a good shooter. He averaged eight points per game as a freshman then 9.8 as a sophomore at Dayton while shooting .412 (199-483) from the field and .359 (110-306) from three-point range in two years. He also takes care of the ball well, sporting a 1.7-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio at Dayton.
"He doesn't speak much, but he's more than a pleasure to have on the court with you, especially when he's on your team," junior Jayce Johnson said. "He creates a lot of headaches when he's not on your team. He's just a handful."
Davis is growing more excited as the season's start is inching closer. After having to sit out a year, he feels like he is in a better spot now with his game than he's ever been.
"I knew it was going to be tough, but I just wanted to work on my body and work on my game," he said. "I stepped back a little bit and just focused on me."
The Blue Raider fans in attendance at the Murphy Center this year might not hear Davis talk much, but his game will speak volumes.
Middle Tennessee guard Jordan Davis probably embodies that more than most, and he has the perfect nickname to go with it.
Davis, who will be in the Blue Raider lineup for the first time this season after taking a redshirt last year, has been dubbed by his teammates as the "Silent Assassin."
"He is a quiet and reserved young man, for sure, but he lets his game do all the talking," MT head coach Nick McDevitt said. "He has some days in practice where he really heats up and can really score it, but he never says a word. The 'Silent Assassin' is appropriate."
If you're looking for a guy to make a big motivational speech to a team or spend an hour talking to the media, Davis might not be your guy. If you're looking for a dominant defender and dynamic scorer, though, he fits the bill.
Davis went to Dayton after winning back-to-back Class 4A Player of the Year awards at Dutch Fork High School in South Carolina. He proved to already be a talented scorer as a freshman, but his defense on the wing is what really stood out. He tied the team lead with 32 steals in his first year then led the team with 32 again as a sophomore.
It was during his freshman season when the nickname started to pop up on social media and around practice.
"It just showed up one day," Davis said. "I guess it just comes from me being quiet and my play on the court. I just let my game do the talking."
After two years at Dayton, Davis made the difficult decision to transfer. He already had a relationship with Middle Tennessee assistant coach Wes Long, who recruited Davis out of high school while he was at VCU.
That relationship proved to be a big reason why Davis felt comfortable committing to the Blue Raiders.
"Coach Wes recruited me out of high school, so I already knew him," Davis said. "It was a big reason why I came here. I can just remember him coming to my high school and watching practice, and that really just stuck out to me."
While he was forced to take a redshirt last season due to NCAA transfer rules, McDevitt and Davis' teammates got to see in practice some of what he will bring to the roster.
To go with his good wing defense, he's a good shooter. He averaged eight points per game as a freshman then 9.8 as a sophomore at Dayton while shooting .412 (199-483) from the field and .359 (110-306) from three-point range in two years. He also takes care of the ball well, sporting a 1.7-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio at Dayton.
"He doesn't speak much, but he's more than a pleasure to have on the court with you, especially when he's on your team," junior Jayce Johnson said. "He creates a lot of headaches when he's not on your team. He's just a handful."
Davis is growing more excited as the season's start is inching closer. After having to sit out a year, he feels like he is in a better spot now with his game than he's ever been.
"I knew it was going to be tough, but I just wanted to work on my body and work on my game," he said. "I stepped back a little bit and just focused on me."
The Blue Raider fans in attendance at the Murphy Center this year might not hear Davis talk much, but his game will speak volumes.
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