Archie Miller is no math whiz.
Admittedly, Miller said he learned more about golf course maintenance than he did coaching as a parks, recreation and tourism major at North Carolina State.
Yet, when it came to the 2018 IU men’s basketball team, Miller had devised a Pythagorean formula for success. His formula read: veteran talent + highly touted recruiting class + impressive transfer = success.
Senior co-captains Juwan Morgan and Zach McRoberts represent the beginning of that equation. Newcomers Romeo Langoford, Rob Phinisee, Jerome Hunter, Damezi Anderson and Jake Forrester comprise the freshman component of Miller’s theory. Snagging St. Mary’s College of California graduate transfer Evan Fitzner filled the final component.
On paper, Miller’s equation of excellence balanced out.
But for redshirt junior forward De’Ron Davis, there appeared to be no space for him in the IU basketball equation.
“Honestly, my role is just probably continue to do what I'm doing, be dominant in the post,” Davis optimistically predicted in September. “I feel like I'm a great passer, so I can draw the double-team, kick it out.”
Entering 2018, Davis' role remains to be seen. With a growing stockpile of youthful wings that can guard multiple positions, the experienced forward could see his minutes decrease, even when healthy.
He's still recovering from a debilitating torn right Achilles he suffered during a Jan. 4 practice last season. Surgery and months of rehabilitation followed. Regaining his conditioning has been the next step in his progression.
“It's been a long off-season for me,” Davis said after IU’s win over Montana State. “Just working myself back into game shape. I feel like, you know, as far as my Achilles and where I feel with that, I feel pretty much 100 percent now. I’m full-go in practice.”
In five games this year, Davis is averaging 13.4 minutes per contest. However, that stat is slightly skewed — an outlying 23 minutes against Arkansas on Nov. 18 is part of this. Further, aside from the matchup with the Razorbacks, Davis has played no more than 15 minutes in any given game.
He also didn't play in IU’s stagnant victory over UT-Arlington last week due to soreness in his left Achilles and played just six minutes against UC-Davis on Friday.
In response to the UT-Arlington game, Miller pleaded ignorance.
“I'm not sure what his situation is,” Miller said at the time. “We found out this morning. He's obviously got some Achilles soreness in his other leg and had some pain running. I just listen to what they tell me. He wasn't available tonight.”
And though IU is just six games into the season, it’s fair to question where Davis fits into the rotation.
Offensively, he’s limited. The Park Hill, Colorado, native serves more as a traditional back-to-the-basket big man whose offensive repertoire is limited beyond 12-18 feet.
More realistically, Davis will make his money on the defensive end. At 6-foot-10 and 255 pounds, he has far and away the largest body IU has on its roster. Additionally, he’s totaled 50 blocks and has never averaged less than three rebounds per game in parts of three years in Bloomington
“Defensively, I think I'm going to be way better,” Davis said in September of 2017. “In high school, I took pride on defense, and me coming in late, out of shape, kind of hindered that a lot.”
The torn Achilles obviously cut into Davis realizing this preseason prediction, but the sentiment remains.
That said, Miller’s system has shifted toward the modernized, positionless basketball that has piqued the games’ greatest minds. Gone are the days where centers will get 20-25 touches in the paint each night. High-flying, athletic wing play has seemingly become the present and future.
There have been glimpses of Davis’ athletic ability. Against Montana State, the one-time Colorado Mr. Basketball bodied a smaller Bobcat defender midway through the second half.
Careening along the baseline with a right-handed dribble, Davis scooped under his man. He then delivered a picturesque righty hook shot that danced around the rim and through the netting at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
“Honestly practice is just taking every repetition I can,” Davis said of how he’s working back to full strength. “Try not to take reps off. Try to build my conditioning.”
The staunch reality is Davis will be a work-in-progress in the near future. Conditioning should come. Health is a great unknown. But as it stands, Davis is intent on becoming an unforeseen variable in Miller’s formula.
