Digital Harbor's Usher ready to sign
When Texas A&M-Corpus Christi opens its season Friday against Oregon State in Lubbock, the Islanders will have one assistant coach from Baltimore on the sideline (Kevin Norris, Lake Clifton) and two local players on the court (Kevin Palmer, Parkville and Terence Jones, Lake Clifton).
Dunbar senior Derrell Edwards, a Texas A&M-Corpus Christi commitment, will likely be paying attention to the game from afar, as will Digital Harbor’s Davon Usher, who pledged to the Islanders last week. He plans to sign his letter of intent during the fall period.
Usher, a 6-foot-5, 183-pound shooting guard, visited the campus over Halloween weekend and liked what he saw, calling Corpus Christi “a smaller version of Miami.” Knowing so many people affiliated with the program from his hometown didn’t hurt matters either.
“I think that’s what drove me to want to go to the school even more,” Usher said. “Basically, it’s like a Baltimore family down there. I already knew guys from Baltimore who went to the school and the coach [from Baltimore] who’s there. Me and Derrell basically grew up together. Now we’re just going down there together and getting work done. He committed and he really wanted me to commit. We came to a good decision, somewhere we were going to play together, have fun and win.”
Usher, who averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds as a junior for the Class 1A state champion Rams, said he has been friends with Edwards for years. The two suited up for Nike Baltimore Elite last summer on the AAU circuit and talked occasionally about going to the same school.
“Actually that same day [I committed], his school was playing my school in the football game,” Usher said. “I couldn’t talk to him until after the game, but he was real excited. We were on the phone for about a half hour, talking about what our plans were going to be like when I’m down there. We’re real close outside of basketball.”
Digital Harbor coach Johnnie Grimes said George Mason and UMBC were also looking at Usher, thanks in part to his strong summer on the AAU circuit. Grimes said he thinks Usher will fit in well with Norris as one of his coaches and Jones and Edwards as teammates.
“Coach Norris, he knows the style of basketball that Baltimore guys have and [Davon] has that same type of quality that Kevin Palmer has,” Grimes said. “He’s long and ... he’s a very, very good knockdown shooter. He passes the ball very well at 6-5 and he dribbles well. I think the key for him [in college] is going to be the way he shoots the ball. ... It probably was the perfect fit. With Kevin being down there and Terence coming in, it’ll be perfect.”
While Corpus Christi is nearly 1,670 miles away from Baltimore, Usher said the distance didn’t bother him. Granted, the city’s Miami-like atmosphere was a definite attraction. But having a home away from home certainly had its appeal as well.
“I was kind of thinking that it’s real far,” Usher said, “but [now it seems like] more people from Baltimore are going there than people from Texas. But it’s just good. It’s nice that you have a chance to go somewhere like that, especially being from Baltimore. A lot of people from Baltimore don’t even get a chance to get out of the city, so it’s a blessing and a good opportunity to go across the country and play basketball.”
Baltimore Sun photo of Davon Usher by Gene Sweeney Jr. / March 13, 2009
Comments
Davon, I have followed your career through the press since you entered high school. Remember me? Your fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Elleby?
I am so proud of all you have accomplished on the court and in the classroom. How is Duan? Tell your parents I said hi. Good Luck in Texas! Love, Mrs. Elleby
Posted by: Gail Elleby | December 18, 2009 8:08 PM