CORTLAND, N.Y – Long before he wore a jersey for SUNY Cortland, Joel Davis was just a kid hooping in front of his house. Basketball didn’t come by way of joining an expensive travel league or by working with a seasoned coach. Instead, for Davis, basketball became part of his life, simply because of a basketball hoop placed on his street and from pure love for the game.
Basketball was not even the first sport he tried. At his father’s urging, he gave wrestling a shot. But one bad experience at practice ended his wrestling interest quickly, and two hours later, he found himself processing the experience back where another wrestler inappropriately grabbed him during a move.
“Wrestling just wasn’t for me,” Davis said. “After that one practice, I said forget that, and ever since then, I’ve been with basketball.”
Raised in a supportive family, he credits his dad as the biggest influence on his journey, someone who’s always been in his corner.
Over the years, Davis played for coaches who have shaped him and his game. He explains that he experienced both positive, encouraging coaches as well as tougher coaches, crediting each of them with helping mold his basketball IQ and drive.
After high school, he had offers from schools like SUNY Cortland and SUNY Broome, but instead of jumping straight to the big stage, he chose the JUCO route, a decision rooted in the desire to play immediately and keep growing.
“I didn’t want to sit behind a bunch of upperclassmen,” Davis said. “I wanted to hoop. So when TC3 called, I said, let me give this JUCO life a try.”
JUCO life wasn’t easy. It was gritty, raw, and tested his love for the game. Resources were limited. Access to the gym was spotty. Sometimes, just getting shots up meant fighting through red tape and closed doors. But it shaped him not just as a player, but as a person.
“Joel was one of those players you never had to ask twice to put the work in,” Cortland head coach Maurice Kearney said. “He showed up early, stayed late, and didn’t make excuses. That kind of hunger is rare.”
“You really gotta want it,” Davis said. “There’s no one holding your hand. You gotta push yourself.”
He averaged a double-double in his freshman year, 13 points and 11 rebounds per game, but still felt overlooked. A smaller conference meant less scouting and fewer eyes on him. Academic challenges in that first year added to the difficulty, but he stayed grounded.
“There was a month and a half where I was like, man, I don’t know,” Davis said. “But I kept hoping.”
Eventually, he transferred to SUNY Cortland, ready to prove he belonged. Coming in, he wasn’t handed anything. For the first few weeks, he wasn’t in the starting lineup. But he stayed in the gym, grinding every day until he earned his spot and then started every game that season.
“He made an immediate impact, not just with his game, but with his attitude,” coach Kearney said. “He brought a toughness to our team that we needed. His work ethic set the tone for a lot of guys.”
He brought the JUCO mentality with him, that dawg mindset. It shows up in the way he works, the way he competes, and the way he approaches every day.
At Cortland, the differences were clear. Better facilities. More access. Trainers who were available and invested. It was a shift from survival mode to opportunity mode and he took full advantage.
Now, with a SUNYAC title under his belt and his game more polished than ever, he reflects on the path it took to get here.
“The biggest difference from a year ago? Confidence. On the court, off the court, I’ve grown a lot.”
When asked about his favorite moment of the season, he doesn’t hesitate.
“SUNYACs. That was it.”
He credits the team’s success to one simple truth “When we need to get it done, we get it done. It might not always be pretty, but we make it happen,” said Davis
Coach Kearney said, “Joel’s been a leader for us, and that comes from experience. He’s been through the grind. When games got tight, you could see his poise. He’s a winner.”
And with all the attention that comes from winning, he keeps it simple.
“I don’t even think about it. We all know we just gotta keep working. Summer, off-season, every day’s a chance to get better.”
As for the future?
“I could be a lot. I could be a hooper. I could be a lot. But Lord willing, I just wanna go as far as I can.”
