Before C.J. Davis played a varsity basketball game at Archbishop Molloy, he was compared to Kenny Anderson, one of the city’s greatest all-time prep players.
Davis was coming off a scintillating freshman season and though he performed well as a sophomore, it wasn’t quite up to those unreal expectations.
“I had to get quicker and more aggressive,” Davis said. “I saw people were much stronger and faster than me. I saw I had to progress.”
A year later, Davis has found his niche as the Stanners’ point guard and one of their leaders, guiding Molloy to an impressive 12-5 record and averaging 16 points a game.
“He’s much different than the other [great] point guards we’ve had,” legendary Molloy coach Jack Curran said. “They were all penetrators, Russell [Smith of Louisville] and Kenny Anderson and Kenny Smith. They tried to beat you off the dribble. C.J. can do that, but his main thing is just running the team. He’s a calming influence on the team.”
College coaches have taken notice. Each day a new school calls. Since he is such a top student — Davis had maintained a 95 average his entire career at Molloy — the junior has a variety of options. Columbia, Stanford, Miami, Villanova, West Virginia and Manhattan are just some of the programs interested.
“He always makes the right play,” said one Division I coach who has seen Davis frequently the last few years. “He runs a team, great kid off the floor, low maintenance, good grades — he’s everything you want in your program.”
* Top Queens forward Jermaine Lawrence postponed his visit to St. John’s, scheduled for this weekend, until mid-February. The 6-foot-10 standout returned to the court for Pope John XXIII (N.J.) on Thursday after missing time with a wrist injury. St. John’s coach Steve Lavin was there for the game.
Boys & Girls senior guard Wesley Myers is being actively recruited by St. Bonaventure, Rider and Duquesne.
Ohio State offered elite sophomore wing Malachi Richardson of Roselle Catholic (N.J.), joining Indiana, Cincinnati, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Miami and James Madison, among others.
Hofstra landed its fourth commitment for what is rounding into a big recruiting class when Brooklyn wing Richard Williams of Vermont Academy picked the Pride over St. Peter’s, St. Bonaventure and Kent State.
Football
Sheepshead Bay defensive tackle Rashaad Coward committed to Old Dominion over Maine, Stony Brook and Albany.
Xaverian running back Laray Smith will use the final weekend before National Signing Day by taking an official visit to UConn. He’s also looking at Syracuse, Indiana, West Virginia and Purdue.
New Syracuse football coach Scott Shafer attended the All-City Dinner at New Utrecht High School in Brooklyn Thursday night.