Davis switching numbers to honor Finley
October 11, 2021 | Men's Basketball, Mike Lucas
Sophomore knew moving out of No. 24 was proper way to honor Finley’s legacy
BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. — On February 26, 2002, Michael Finley was nearly unstoppable. Playing in front of his home fans at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, the 28-year-old Finley had 30 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists in the Mavericks 104-91 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
That next morning, a little over 1,000 miles away in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Sara Davis gave birth to twins, Johnny and Jordan. Their proud dad, Mark, a former fourth round draft pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers, accessorized their cribs with Nerf basketballs and they both grew up loving the sport.
Years later, Johnny and Jordan Davis earned scholarships to Finley's alma mater, the University of Wisconsin, as members of the 2020 recruiting class. When they got to the Madison campus, they were aware of Finley's contributions to the program and his extended run in the NBA.
Less than two weeks ago (Sept. 24), the school announced that Finley's No. 24 jersey would be retired and raised to the Kohl Center rafters at some point during the upcoming season. Only two other numbers in school history have been so recognized: Ab Nicholas' No. 8 and Frank Kaminsky's No. 44.
When Davis heard the news, it gave him pause. Especially since he wore No. 24 for the Badgers last season. Although the number will not be taken out of circulation, even after the halftime ceremony honoring Finley, it got Davis thinking about what he could do to honor Finley's legacy.
"I thought to myself, 'Well, shoot, I'm No. 24 and I'm an instate kid,'" he recalled. "I didn't grow up watching Michael; obviously he played before I was born. But I've heard about him, and I know who he is. I have high respect for him and what he has done for the program.
"I did know that he was in the league for 15 seasons and he and a couple of other guys (Tracy Webster and Rashard Griffith) broke our long drought of not making any NCAA tournament appearances. I knew that they pretty much pulled Wisconsin back on the path to what it is today."
The more Davis thought about their impact in 1994 – the UW's first trip to the Big Dance since 1947 – the more resolute he became in his thinking, "I just felt that group of guys – that Michael Finley was with – deserved to be recognize as a special group that came through Wisconsin basketball."
Suitably moved to do his small part in that recognition, Davis decided that he would give up No. 24 and switch to another jersey number. He first ran his idea past Marc VandeWettering, the UW's Director of Basketball Operations. And then, he took it up with head coach Greg Gard.
"I told coach Gard that I wanted to make the change – I asked him if I could do that – and he was perfectly fine with," said Davis, noting how Gard brought up how it was only fitting that an instate kid would feel so strongly about the program's history and acknowledged Davis' love of all things Wisconsin.
Besides, it was not like No. 24 had a strong sentimental value to Davis. At La Crosse Central High School, he wore No. 23 in basketball, and No. 5 in football. At the UW, his selection was limited. But he opted for No. 24 out of respect to Kobe Bryant who switched from 8 to 24 later in his Lakers career.
"I was a big Kobe fan," he said. "Why not rock the Mamba's mentality with his number?"
After getting clearance to choose a new number, Jordan consulted with his dad, Mark, who had played collegiately at Old Dominion before embarking on a 13-year professional career that included 31 games with the Milwaukee Bucks and a couple with the Phoenix Suns during the 1988-89 season.
"My dad was saying I should go with No. 2 and, actually, I was going to tell him I was going to be No. 2. It's weird how we both picked the same number," said Davis, adding that his UW teammates have supported the switch. "They had nothing but respect and were glad I was recognizing him (Finley)."
New Year, New Number, Same Goal… #Year2
— Jordan Davis (@jordan_davis_23) October 11, 2021
Let's Rock🔴⚪️ @BadgerMBB https://t.co/lHPN2VAkwU pic.twitter.com/Ai3gEck7a7
There will now be a sequential order to the roster in that Johnny Davis is No. 1 and Jordan Davis is No. 2. Seems only appropriate, too, since Johnny was born eight minutes before Jordan. The brothers have always been close and had each other's back regardless of the sport or competition.
This summer, they teamed up with skills trainer Jim Fox to host a basketball camp in La Crosse.
"It went really well, we had over 200 kids over three days," said Jordan, pointing out the emphasis was on developing fundamentals. "The kids brought the energy and it not only taught me more about basketball, but how to teach it to little kids. It was a fun experience."
It was a busy off-season for the fraternal twins. Johnny Davis brought home a gold medal from his participation on Team USA in the FIBA U19 World Cup. Jordan Davis spent even more time than normal in conditioning and reshaping his body and lost more than 10 pounds.
"Coming into my freshman year, I was about 210 to 215, and now I'm 200 pounds," he said, crediting basketball strength coach Jim Snider for his direction in the weight room. "I was able to get my body right. I feel great now. I feel more athletic and more healthy and I just feel more fit."
Last season, Jordan logged 19 minutes of playing time in 12 games. His main contribution was on the scout team during practices. He did get off the bench in the final minute of Wisconsin's first round NCAA Tournament win over North Carolina and hit his only field goal attempt, a 3-pointer.
"Honestly, I was always a Badger fan first, but my second favorite team was North Carolina – hitting that shot was pretty special to me," said Davis whose skill set is seemingly best suited to scrap on defense and attack from the perimeter. "I'll do anything to help our team get the 'W.'"
That extends to giving someone the shirt off his back. Or jersey. A tribute to Michael Finley.
"I have so much respect for him," Jordan Davis said. "He inspires me. I look up to him."
And soon, he'll look up to No. 24 in the rafters.
