Brad Davison, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound junior point guard from Maple Grove (MN) High, is considered one of the Minnesota’s top players from the Class of 2017. Davison is also an outstanding quarterback for the Crimson, who are one of the state’s top 6A squads.
Davison helped lead Maple Grove to a 23-4 record as a sophomore, losing 77-62 to Wayzata in the second round of the Section 5AAAA playoffs. Davison averaged 16.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 8.6 assists and 3.5 steals per game. Davison had 20 double figure games this year with ten games of 20 or more points. with a season-best 42 points in the playoff loss to Wayzata.
Davison has scholarship offers from South Dakota, South Dakota State, Northern Iowa, Nebraska, Winthrop and Buffalo.
Gopher Hole recently caught up with Davison to learn the latest on his recruitment.
Gopher Hole: You had a busy summer AAU-wise playing with the Howard Pulley top team. How pleased were you with how well things went in July in front of the college coaches?
Brad Davison: I was really happy with my July. We were in three tournaments. We did really well. We really finished strong in Kansas, going 9-2, so it was a good way to end.
Gopher Hole: You played in the Bracket Buster in the end of July and had a nice win against Champlin Park, a team that you know very well.
Brad Davison: Yes, sir. It was a little rivalry game in July. It was back and forth. It was a lot of fun. It is always fun playing against those guys that you play with in the summer. It is always fun. It gives us confidence going into the season that we can play with them because they were the powerhouse last year and to know that we are right there with them is really good.
Gopher Hole: This is a big year for you guys basketball-wise because it is Reed Nikko’s senior year and you, Jack Hutchison and Tywhon Pickford are all juniors. You figure to be one of the better teams again this year.
Brad Davison: Yes, sir. We have a lot of our returners. Some of main core and we have got a lot of players from JV that will have some experience this year. Hopefully, they can contribute, too. We are looking forward to this season. Hopefully, it will be really successful.
Gopher Hole: Have you heard from a lot of coaches since this summer?
Brad Davison: Yes, sir. A lot of the same coaches. I have heard from Gonzaga and Vanderbilt. Those are some of the new schools.
Gopher Hole: It looks like you have gotten a little bigger?
Brad Davison: Yes, sir. Football, we lift Monday through Thursday mornings. I am in there every day, trying to get bigger. Get a better frame and better core.
Gopher Hole: That is going to help you in football since you unfortunately take a little bit of a pounding as a quarterback?
Brad Davison: Exactly. Hopefully, I won’t get a pounding if my line keeps doing their job, but basketball-wise, I think just ball handling, rebounding and defense, just being stronger makes you harder to guard and harder for people to score against you because you are stronger and you can take more hits.
Gopher Hole: You obviously still have a long ways to go before you make a college decision, but do you like the recruiting process so far?
Brad Davison: Yes, sir. I am really just trying to enjoy it. Take it all in and listen to what all the coaches have to say because I know that you can only go through that experience once. I am trying to make the most of it and enjoy myself.
Gopher Hole: I know that your sister’s recruitment was a little bit different. Have you talked to them about what they went through? I know that it is different with girl’s basketball, but do ever reach out to them?
Brad Davison: Sure, I talk to them quite a bit. My parents were their coaches, so they were really influential in that. I have talked to them as well. My younger sister verballed before her sophomore year, so she didn’t really go through the recruiting process a lot because she know that was where she wanted to go. I talked to them a little bit, but I don’t really talk about recruiting a lot with my sisters.
Gopher Hole: You guys have come close the past couple year, but you were in one of the toughest sections. This year, you are in a different section. With Reed being a senior, does that make it a priority to get to state?
Brad Davison: It is a little different this year, but we still have the same goal that we have had every year and that is to win a state championship and we really think that this could be our year, just because we have so many pieces back. We have a lot of talent on our roster. We are really working on trying to come together and get things clicking and as a team when the season comes around, be ready to go.
Gopher Hole: What are you hearing from the hometown team?
Brad Davison: I text Coach Johnson quite a bit and hopefully, I’ll get to go to some more basketball games.