Hall of Fame Class: Will Davis II

Setting the Standard

“Well, that’s not a good look big fella.” 

Those were the first words Will Davis II heard when walking into his first summer practice as a freshman, after being roughly five minutes late. He had spent an hour walking around campus, trying to find the Bren Events Center. It was a rough start and the season didn’t get much better in his rookie campaign. 

In 2011-12, Davis II came to UC Irvine as one of seven true freshmen on the Anteater squad. The team was the second youngest team in the country with no seniors, three juniors, one sophomore, and two redshirts. UCI started the season 0-6, but found a way to piece it together to finish the year 12-20. 

From that point on the Anteaters would begin to build. 

Each of the next three seasons UCI would record 20-wins, the first three in the Russell Turner era. 

In 2012-13, UC Irvine locked in and started to get on a roll. The Anteaters lost 64-55 to Pacific in the Big West Tournament but extended the season when they received an invitation to the CollegeInsider Tournament (CIT). In the postseason game, Davis II went off for a career-high 32 points inside Crawford Hall to pull off the 80-71 win over High Point. 

As a sophomore, he broke his own then-UCI single-season record with 88 blocked shots on his way to being named Big West Defensive Player of the Year as well as to the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Defensive All-America team. 

Oh, Injuries

A back injury derailed Davis II’s progress at the beginning of his junior year when he missed a decent portion of the conference slate. His return helped UCI to the Big West regular season title, a first under Turner. The Anteaters advanced to the second round of the Big West Tournament where they fell to Cal Poly. 

“It was just rough because I feel like we should've won that game and if we would've beat Cal Poly, we would've beaten CSUN and made the NCAA tournament,” stated Davis II. 

The Anteaters competed in the postseason once again, this time in the NIT, falling to SMU in Dallas to close out the year. 

A slow start to his senior season fueled his commitment to the team and personal performance. 

“We had a special team when Will was a senior,” said head coach Russell Turner. “His emergence late in that year as the go-to offensive force and a defensive playmaker pushed us over the top in a really tight Big West race.” 

The Brotherhood

Thinking back on the 2015 squad, Davis II realized that the team felt as close as brothers. Everyone hung out with each other and there was no internal “beef” which helped with the production on the court. 

It was different than most teams. They had each other’s backs. 

While the team dynamic helped the momentum of the team, so did big wins on the road. 

Davis II felt that their 78-72 win at Hawai’i, which was part of a six-game league win streak, was a crucial moment of the regular season heading into the Big West Tournament. The Stan Sheriff Center can be a hard place to play, but that wasn’t how the Anteaters felt. They knew it was a business trip, focused in, and got their road work done. 

UC Irvine then took it one game at a time in the Big West postseason taking on UC Riverside in the first round before facing a tough opponent in UC Santa Barbara in the next. The Gauchos missed a game-winner in regulation and forced overtime. The Anteaters battled to a 72-63 victory and onto the title game. 

The slate was set for a UCI and Hawai’i finale. Not an easy task to beat a team for a third time. 

“Hawai’i came out really hard in the first half and they were just making a lot of shots that they don't normally make,” remarked Davis II. “At halftime we were like ‘stay locked in’ and ‘they can’t make all those same shots from the first in the second half’ and that was pretty true.” 

The Anteaters held the second half advantage over the Rainbow Warriors until they closed within three points with 45 seconds left in the game. UCI did not back down, and Davis II punctuated the UCI victory, 67-58, with his windmill dunk with six ticks on the clock. 

Davis II was impressive in the 2015 Big West Tournament, averaging 15.0 points and 11.7 rebounds while shooting .667 from the field. He became the first player in history to record three double-doubles at the Big West Tournament on his way to Big West MVP honors. 

UC Irvine would go dancing for the first time in program history. Everything felt surreal. 

No one knew what was to come, but the publicity the team received made the campus buzz. 

“Just walking around campus or at local restaurants, people kept telling me congratulations,” recalled Davis II. “It was just such a great feeling.” 

Davis II became recognizable to the public after having an interview with CBS on live television after the selection show.

Even though UC Irvine was going where the program had not been before, they didn’t feel like the task was too large. 

Ready to Shock the World 

That was the mentality of the dancing ‘Eaters. Davis II thought the matchup with Louisville was a good one. The Cardinals weren’t a great three-point shooting team and UCI was a great zone team so the No. 4 seed vs No. 13 seed game would be interesting. 

A few small mistakes towards the end of a hard-fought game resulted in a 57-55 loss in UCI’s first ever NCAA appearance. 

Though it was a loss, the program standard was set. UC Irvine became a national contender. 

The 2015 team knew it would not be the last time that UCI would see the national stage. UC Irvine knew that anything was possible. 

“His desire to win and to see how good he could be was contagious. He helped grow the culture and lead this program to heights it had never seen before,” associate head coach Ryan Badrtalei said. 

As a senior, he was named to the All-Big West first team, finishing 37th in the nation with a field-goal percentage of .543.  

Davis II ranks second in UCI career blocked shots (208), third in rebounds (852) and 10th in points (1,384). He is one of just three players in UCI basketball history to record 1,000 points and 800 rebounds in a career. The forward played in 133 career games, winning 77 times.  

On To A Professional Career

The forward was able to continue his basketball career after his successful career at UC Irvine. Coming out of college, Davis II was invited to pre-draft workouts with the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors. The forward played in the NBA Summer League for the Los Angeles Lakers before receiving his first professional contract in Greece. 

Basketball has taken Davis II all over the world with stints in Cypress, Dubai, Romania, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and now with the G League Ignite in Henderson, Nevada. 

Davis II used his professional experience both abroad and in the United States to prepare for a couple runs with Team USA. Thanks to experiences in Europe, Davis II was familiar with the FIBA rules and was able to adjust easier than some of his Team USA teammates.

A sense of coachability and pride came with playing for Team USA. 

“You just have to be coachable because in those World Cup qualifying windows there's a lot of good players and your minutes can be up and down,” Davis II explains. “You just have to be able to take that in. You're just trying to represent your country well and everybody wants the same goal.” 

Davis II credits success in his professional career to his interactions with head coach Russell Turner. 

A Special Bond 

Davis II knew Michael Wilder as both a friend and a coach, which could get complicated at times. The two formed their bond when Davis II arrived on campus in 2011 and remained close throughout the years. During Davis II’s junior year, Wilder played in Spain, but then returned to Irvine as part of the coaching staff for Davis II’s final year as an Anteater. 

The Sacramento native also played with current assistant coach Alex Young. The trio of Anteaters made it to the big dance in 2015 either as a player or staff member and that was special. 

“It's cool seeing them in that professional setting now. I went to some practices and see how they have matured as coaches,” added Davis II. “I saw them both their first year to compare to how they are now and it’s pretty cool.” 

For The Love of UC Irvine

Davis II’s love for UC Irvine and the community is unwavering. He makes it a point to support the team and catch as many games as he can when he is in town or if the Anteaters are nearby when he is playing on the road. 

Getting the call for his Hall of Fame induction caught him off guard. 

He had a great college experience, made plenty of friends, and contributed to the family environment Coach Turner created. 

“It was such an honor to hear that I would be in the Hall of Fame,” said Davis II. “It is crazy to think that what I did at UC Irvine had enough impact to have them even think of me to be a Hall of Famer.” 

What The Coaching Staff Had To Say

“I am just really happy that Will Davis II is being inducted into the UC Irvine Hall of Fame. It is a deserving honor for Will as he was the first ever Big West Tournament MVP of a winning UC Irvine team and our first team to reach the NCAA tournament. When he came to UC Irvine by way of prep school, I remember vividly being at Will’s house and the value his parents placed on the University of California education. Will is a great story of growth here both as a basketball player and as a person, young man which were both extraordinary. He continued to improve in every part of his game throughout his time here and that is part of what makes him a great story. He has done that also after he left UC Irvine as a professional basketball player and a representative for the United States with Team USA. He has a really accomplished career that everyone at UC Irvine can be proud of.” –Head Coach Russell Turner 

“Will Davis II set the tone for the type of player that has elevated the UC Irvine Basketball program to unprecedented success over the past decade. He arrived on campus with a competitive spirit and desire to leave his mark, and quickly became a prototype of a defensive anchor that has become a cornerstone of this program. His growth and development throughout his career, which sometimes made him unrecognizable to his past peers, were the product of hard work, competitive spirit, support from his family and his love of the game. I could not be more proud than to have Will Davis II be the first Hall of Fame inductee in our time here at UC Irvine.” –Associate Head Coach Ryan Badrtalei 

“I had the pleasure of being Will Davis II's teammate for two years, and then being back on staff for his senior season. Will’s combination of his great personality, work ethic to improve, and desire to win culminated into an incredible career, capped off by the first tournament appearance in school history. He left his mark on this program and in the community in such a positive way, and I’m glad I was able to witness it up close. I’m fortunate to be able to call him my teammate and brother, and couldn’t be happier or more proud for his induction into the Hall of Fame!” –Assistant Coach Michael Wilder

“It's awesome to see Will Davis II go into the Hall of Fame! I'm extremely happy for him and his family on this accomplishment. Will was a huge piece of turning our program into a championship program and obviously a large part of us going to the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. Congrats Will!” –Assistant Coach Alex Young