Transfer Profile: Dre Davis

Louisville’s Dre Davis will have an opportunity to make an impact with Holloway’s Pirates

Dre Davis

Height: 6-6

Former School: Louisville

New School: Seton Hall

Years Remaining: Three

Recruiting Ranking: 117th

2021-22 Stats: 7.4 ppg/3.0 rpg/0.8 apg/20.0 mpg; 42.7%/20.8%/74.5%

Dre Davis was a frequent member of the starting lineup at Louisville, starting 40 of the 50 games he played through his sophomore season. He hit the ground running as a freshman, scoring in double-figures in just his second game against his future school. He finished his freshman year averaging 7.5 points and 3.2 rebounds in nearly 29 minutes played per contest.

Davis saw less playing time as a sophomore with the additions of Noah Locke and El Ellis to the roster. His minutes varied wildly – he once played 35 minutes in one game and only 8 in the next – as the Cardinals struggled to figure things out. Davis made just two field goals or less in 19 of Louisville’s 30 games last season. He made at least five shots in eight of the remaining 11 games. That type of inconsistency made him hard to rely upon, but Davis was lights out when playing with confidence.

With Chris Mack out, Davis sought a new home for 2022. He entered the transfer portal and opted to join the Big East along with his teammate, Noah Locke. Davis picked Shaheen Holloway and the Seton Hall Pirates as his new team, and he will have three years of eligibility remaining to use in Newark.

What’s His Game?

Dre Davis has been a hit-or-miss player through two seasons. When he’s on his game, though, he plays with toughness and through contact in the paint. He’s most comfortable playing downhill and taking the ball to the basket where he hit 57.3 percent of his shots last year. Nearly 45 percent of his attempts as a sophomore came at the rim.

Davis is a scrappy player down low, where he always fights for rebounds and loose balls. He throws his body around to create extra chances for the offense. He has fantastic length and can elevate well to win battles on the boards. He plays much bigger than his listed height and more than strong enough to battle with the boys down low.

Dre Davis isn’t limited to just playing around the basket, either. He took plenty of shots in the mid-range last year and hit a high percentage of them. He isn’t able to create a ton of space, but, with his length, it didn’t seem to matter.

Davis has a slow release on his 3-pointer, a shot he hits less than 25 percent of the time for his career. Still, he hit more than 40 percent of his mid-range shots last year and around 75 percent of his free throw attempts. Those numbers suggest Davis may be able to find his stroke from deep, and he’s more than able to hit the open looks.

He’s also proven to be a good defender through two seasons. Davis isn’t always great at fighting through screens, but his long arms allow him to lock down ballhandlers if he can stay in front of them. It also helps him block more shots than almost anyone on the Cardinals.

When Davis puts his game together, he’s a very good defender who can score at all three levels. He hasn’t done that for more than short stretches in his career, but even those runs can change games.

What’s His Role?

Dre Davis is not expected to start for Seton Hall next season, but he should emerge as a top bench player with the ability to start when needed.

Shaheen Holloway will need to find a way to replace the production of Jared Rhoden, and Davis is a true wing-guard who can play a part in that. He doesn’t have the scoring touch yet, but he can finish around the basket and play defense well enough to produce quality minutes. Davis is more than capable of being a depth scorer and defender this season.

Davis has three years of eligibility remaining, which means he has time to develop. If he can add a perimeter shot to his game and clean up the fouls and turnovers, Davis can become a good Big East starter. He clearly displays the attitude and energy needed in the conference and to play under Shaheen Holloway. Refinement is what he needs to become a bigger contributor.