Maori Davenport wanted to play closer to home. One call to UGA started ‘seamless’ move
Shortly after the basketball season ended, Joni Taylor’s phone rang with a call from an unexpected contact.
The screen read “Maori Davenport,” but Taylor expected the former recruiting target to be nestled a thousand miles away in Piscataway, New Jersey. They hadn’t made significant contact in over a year, and Georgia’s coach even had a second of hesitancy before accepting the call.
“What the heck? Why is she calling?” Taylor asked herself while looking at the screen, not wanting to cross any boundaries. But the Lady Bulldogs’ leader didn’t reach out, so taking the call meant no harm.
One click of the green button would change the trajectory of Georgia’s near future.
“I just landed ... back home in Troy,” Davenport said, referring to the small Alabama town between Dothan and Montgomery, as Taylor recalled. “I want to come to Georgia.”
“OK,” Taylor replied. “What happened (at Rutgers)?”
In a time where extenuating circumstances often lead to transfer choices, Davenport’s path took a rare turn. Nothing happened at Rutgers. Davenport liked the leadership of head coach C. Vivian Stringer and her staff. No ill will existed toward the Scarlet Knights, but a 16-hour car ride or an expensive flight out of New York took too much of a toll on a player who enjoyed proximity to a tight-knit family.
Davenport chose Rutgers over Georgia, Louisville and Mississippi State. Taylor and the Lady Bulldogs pushed hard for the former five-star forward. Davenport simply made the wrong decision after taking a season to realize it.
Taylor called Rutgers for input, because the program has one of the best connections with Georgia’s program. Lady Bulldog assistants Chelsea Newton and Karen Lange played for Stringer. Rutgers assistant Tim Eatman gets credit for much of Taylor’s recruiting knowledge. Also from Rutgers staff: Nadine Domond played with Lange, and Michelle Edwards is best friends with Newton.
A no-brainer of a call gave Taylor the assurance needed to confirm Davenport’s request. Rutgers mimicked Georgia’s perspective of Davenport, had no issues with the move and looked forward to following its former forward’s career unfold in Athens.
“I was in the [transfer] portal for about 20 minutes,” Davenport said in a phone interview with The Telegraph. “I said, ‘I’m coming.’ ”
Taylor’s last check came with the parents, Tara and Mario Davenport, and they confirmed the anticipation around landing at Georgia — for good this time. They didn’t want an open-ended recruiting process and didn’t even think about other programs.
The commitment was done in nearly an instant. Now, it’s officially signed and sealed. Georgia gets to help one of its top 2019 targets write a new chapter.
“Maori has been committed to us for close to a month,” Taylor said. The announcement couldn’t come until April 15 because the NCAA moved the transfer signing period due to COVID-19. “(It was made clear that) this is what she wants to do. It was pretty seamless.”
A waiting game ... or maybe not
Two scenarios exist. Either could bounce in Georgia’s favor.
First, the assumed result: Davenport sits out a full season due to being a traditional transfer without circumstances to merit an extensive waiver process. She would be eligible for the 2021-22 season and have three seasons to play as a Lady Bulldog.
Such a plan brings positives. Davenport would have time to become acclimated to a new college life and learn how to play efficiently in Taylor’s defense-oriented yet fast-paced system. Taylor compared it to Jenna Staiti, who didn’t play during Georgia’s 2017-18 run to the NCAA tournament and learned in the background. Those results showed at the end of last season with a tear of double-doubles and 20-point games.
Davenport would run on the scout team, as UConn transfer Mikayla Coombs did last season, and give Georgia a daunting 6-foot-4 presence each day. In turn, there’s a mutual benefit for Davenport and the Lady Bulldogs.
“I (can take advantage) of sitting out a year if I have to,” Davenport said. “I know it’ll be hard because I like playing basketball.”
Second, the potential fortune due to evolving times: The NCAA votes May 20 on whether it will allow one-time transfer waivers. Davenport, with it being her first time switching programs, could play immediately if the proposal is approved. Kendall Rogers, a writer for D1Baseball, reported the measure on April 9 and it is “expected to pass.”
Taylor said Georgia will handle the eligibility situation if the plan passes, but it would give the Lady Bulldogs an extra layer of depth. Georgia felt the impact of Coombs’ waiver being denied, and would welcome Davenport’s services for the upcoming season.
However, it would force another complication to arise as the learning curve within a new system would need to be expedited. Davenport will not report to campus as usual in June, Taylor said, due to the coronavirus pandemic canceling on-campus instruction through the summer semester.
“We want to make sure she’s in a position to make an impact when she can step on the floor,” Taylor said.
‘Potential hasn’t scratched the surface’
One look at Davenport’s recruiting profile validates why she became a coveted prize for most programs across the country. The ESPN HoopGurlz database gave Davenport a five-star rating and ranked the Alabama product as the 14th-overall player nationally. When Davenport is eligible, Georgia will have three five-star players from the 2019 and 2020 classes (Davenport, point guard Chloe Chapman and forward Javyn Nicholson).
Davenport also brings some unique experiences with time on the U18 USA national team and a heap of accolades — including an Alabama Sportswriters Association (ASWA) first-team honoree — before learning under another coaching staff at Rutgers. Davenport averaged 2.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in 29 games as a Scarlet Knight. She said she learned different skills with guarding post players who are up to 40 pounds heavier.
Sarah Ashlee Barker, an incoming freshman, played against Davenport on the AAU circuit. Barker recounted a championship game, while on the Alabama Southern Starz, against Davenport’s All-Alabama Roadrunners. Barker realized what her now-future teammate was capable of after one evening.
“She’s going to be a good fit for the program and help us out a lot,” Barker said. Georgia will have three Alabama natives on next season’s roster, joining junior Caitlin Hose. “She’s a tall body with good hands. She had great moves to the basket when we played against her. There’s a lot of potential there.”
Once she steps into Georgia’s practice gym, there will be a five-deep group of forwards who will battle for playing time. Davenport will join Staiti, Malury Bates, Javyn Nicholson and Jordan Isaacs as front-court players who are beneficial to the on-court product in different ways. Georgia won’t have many size mismatches with Staiti also standing at 6-foot-4 and Bates slightly shorter at 6-foot-2.
Taylor compared Davenport to Bates due to a similar build and ability to run the floor, but pointed out some deficiencies. Davenport doesn’t possess the range of Staiti or Nicholson, and needs improvement with production while facing the basket. Georgia is aware, however, of Davenport’s readiness for growth and the coaches are eager for that effort.
“Maori is somebody who wants to be really good and coached hard,” Taylor said. “Her potential hasn’t even scratched the surface of what she’s capable of.”
Davenport’s journey is widely known for her battle with the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA). She was suspended in 2019 after USA Basketball mistakenly sent the family a $857.20 check, according to AL.com. The story stole national headlines and the amateurism rule was ultimately changed after a situation that was no fault of Davenport’s.
After a year at Rutgers, Davenport can add more basketball to her script. She can return to prominence as a featured player at Georgia. Davenport wouldn’t have wanted the phone call for a new start to go to any other coach.
Taylor’s glad she answered it, too.
“They were recruiting me whenever they could start — maybe around eighth grade,” Davenport said. “It’s only fair to give Georgia a fair shot, and I know them a lot better now.”
This story was originally published April 17, 2020 at 9:14 AM.