By Michael Lindsay
White County High School’s Jakeb Davis’ basketball career is far from over as the senior signed with Johnson University Tuesday afternoon.
“I’m feeling a lot of emotions today,” Davis said. “I’m super excited for what the future holds. I have so many people to thank; I’m super blessed to be in this position. I’m super thankful.”
Davis was a key member of this season’s Sparta team that returned to the TSSAA state tournament for the first time since 2015.
“This is the most special place I’ll play for in my entire life,” he said about Sparta. “Not for what we did, but for what we got to play in. The community here is special, and a lot of kids will never get to experience this. I was in tears after the substate win, and they stormed the court. Being in a tight-knit community is special.”
Johnson University was an easy decision for Davis.
“The second I stepped on campus, it was super welcoming,” he said. “It was a great environment and all the coaches were super nice to me. It seems like a great place to be.
“At Johnson, you have to double major,” he added. “You have to major in Bible and then you choose your field of study. I’ll be studying business administration. I may minor in sports media. I don’t want to give that up.”
Davis’ journey to Johnson required faith and patience.
“That last week and a half after the state tournament ended, I thought man, this is boring,” he said. “I don’t want this to be it. It’s like God touched me on the shoulder and told me it’s not over yet. I took his word and kept putting the work in, and a few weeks later coach Logan Sharp called me and I got my offer.”
Davis was second in the state of Tennessee in made 3-pointers last season and he hopes to translate that to the college game.
“I think if you were to watch my film, you’d see I’m a shooter,” he said. “I’ve worked and tried to perfect that. I’m very determined and hate losing. I do not accept losing.”
Despite his successful high school career, Davis sees room in his game for improvement.
“I feel like I’ve always worked super hard, but the biggest thing is adapting to the play style,” Davis said. “We’re going to have a shot clock and it’s going to be faster-paced. It’s going to be more physical, so I’m going to have to gain some weight. I’m super excited.”
Davis’ journey to college basketball wasn’t made alone, as he has plenty of people to thank along the way.
“First, God and my family,” he said. “My mother has put so much money and so many hours to travel around for me to play AAU. My teammates have pushed each other so hard, and they’re one of the biggest reasons I’m here.
“I want to thank all my coaches, especially my uncle coach Eric Mitchell,” Davis added. “Coach Montuka Murray and coach Tyler Hillis were like therapy on the sidelines. I want to thank the entire community of Sparta. I’m so thankful I got to be a part of it.”
