University of Minnesota Athletics
Player Profile: Freshman Brittney Davis
1/6/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Brittney took a different road in becoming a Golden Gopher than most of her temmates did. On a team of 10 Minnesotans, and three others from neighboring states, she hails from far-off Oregon. While her fellow freshman classmates either knew players on the team or each other before coming to Minnesota, she headed east to play college ball, ready for the adventure of meeting new people and experiencing a new environment.
"When I came on my visit, I really got along with the team and coaches," said Brittney. "I felt a real bond with them. I felt this was the right place for me. I was ready to get away from home and experience something on my own and adjust to a different culture."
While she still adjusts her life at college and in Minnesota, Brittney still takes time out of her busy schedule to talk to the person she considers as her hero, Grandpa Cedric.
"I call him pretty much every day, just to see how he's doing," says Brittney.
Cedric and Brittney could often be found playing hoops at a local gym in their hometown of Portland. Brittney fondly remembers playing one-on-one with her grandpa and two-on-one when her brother Sean tagged along.
"We'd play one-on-one all the time and it get would get pretty physical out there," said Brittney. "I think it took me until about eighth grade before I was able to beat him for the first time."
Gopher fans haven't seen a lot of Brittney on the court yet, especially since a good portion of her early season was stolen to a bout of mononeucleosis, but perhaps the quick, sharp-shooting guard we saw at the season-opening Hoopla celebration is a reflection of some of those enjoyable hours with Grandpa at the gym.
"He'd block my shot when I'd go inside, but I could get him from the outside, " explains Brittney. "He wasn't too quick on the perimeter but if I went inside, he'd sure be there to block my shot."
Ask Brittney if Grandpa Cedric would take some of the credit for the player she is today and she says probably not. "Grandpa is pretty humble and laid back. He doesn't say a whole lot but if asked, he probably would say I am the player I am today because I worked hard."
While her family hasn't seen her play in a Golden Gopher uniform yet, Brittney is looking forward to the day they do, especially for Grandpa Cedric. "It will mean a lot just to see him there. He was always at my games in high school and AAU. It will mean so much to have him see me play in college."
As Brittney prepares for that big day, she has plenty of work to do. Her bout of mono cost her five weeks of practice time on the court, time especially important for the rookies just learning a whole new system. Unable to participate in any physical part of basketball for weeks, Brittney worked on the mental aspect. Along the way found a new role model in Schonrock.
"I love Schoney. I tell her all the time that she is my role model on the team," said Brittney. "I've learned a lot from her while I was sitting out. I watched everything she did, on the court, off the court, how she leads the team, how she encourages everyone. She's really a spark on this team."
As the Gophers ran through drills and learned new plays, Brittney took notes. She jotted down the plays and worked to memorize the actions and responsibilities of each position on the floor. She watched and learned how All-American center Janel McCarville ran the plays, but she was most intent on watching Schonrock. "I took notes on whatever Schoney was doing on the floor," explains Brittney. "I want to learn how to lead the team like she does."
Brittney hopes that her time on the sidelines will help her in the long run. "It was tough sitting out because I had never missed a game. To sit there knowing I couldn't help my team was a struggle but it also helped me because I think it improved my basketball IQ for the game."
Brittney would be the first to admit that her Golden Gopher career hasn't started in the manner she would have wished. All she has to do is look up to her well-chosen role models of Grandpa Cedric and Shannon Schonrock to see that with belief and hard work, good things will happen.
Story by Becky Bohm, Assoc. Director of Athletic Communications Brittney Davis</ a> knows the value of learning from positive role models. She grew up in a close family where her Grandpa Cedric first took her to a local gym and taught her the basics of the game of basketball. And now, as a freshman on the Golden Gopher women's basketball team, she has picked another top-notch role model to emulate, team captain and starting point guard Shannon Schonrock.
Brittney took a different road in becoming a Golden Gopher than most of her temmates did. On a team of 10 Minnesotans, and three others from neighboring states, she hails from far-off Oregon. While her fellow freshman classmates either knew players on the team or each other before coming to Minnesota, she headed east to play college ball, ready for the adventure of meeting new people and experiencing a new environment.
"When I came on my visit, I really got along with the team and coaches," said Brittney. "I felt a real bond with them. I felt this was the right place for me. I was ready to get away from home and experience something on my own and adjust to a different culture."
While she still adjusts her life at college and in Minnesota, Brittney still takes time out of her busy schedule to talk to the person she considers as her hero, Grandpa Cedric.
"I call him pretty much every day, just to see how he's doing," says Brittney.
Cedric and Brittney could often be found playing hoops at a local gym in their hometown of Portland. Brittney fondly remembers playing one-on-one with her grandpa and two-on-one when her brother Sean tagged along.
"We'd play one-on-one all the time and it get would get pretty physical out there," said Brittney. "I think it took me until about eighth grade before I was able to beat him for the first time."
Gopher fans haven't seen a lot of Brittney on the court yet, especially since a good portion of her early season was stolen to a bout of mononeucleosis, but perhaps the quick, sharp-shooting guard we saw at the season-opening Hoopla celebration is a reflection of some of those enjoyable hours with Grandpa at the gym.
"He'd block my shot when I'd go inside, but I could get him from the outside, " explains Brittney. "He wasn't too quick on the perimeter but if I went inside, he'd sure be there to block my shot."
Ask Brittney if Grandpa Cedric would take some of the credit for the player she is today and she says probably not. "Grandpa is pretty humble and laid back. He doesn't say a whole lot but if asked, he probably would say I am the player I am today because I worked hard."
While her family hasn't seen her play in a Golden Gopher uniform yet, Brittney is looking forward to the day they do, especially for Grandpa Cedric. "It will mean a lot just to see him there. He was always at my games in high school and AAU. It will mean so much to have him see me play in college."
As Brittney prepares for that big day, she has plenty of work to do. Her bout of mono cost her five weeks of practice time on the court, time especially important for the rookies just learning a whole new system. Unable to participate in any physical part of basketball for weeks, Brittney worked on the mental aspect. Along the way found a new role model in Schonrock.
"I love Schoney. I tell her all the time that she is my role model on the team," said Brittney. "I've learned a lot from her while I was sitting out. I watched everything she did, on the court, off the court, how she leads the team, how she encourages everyone. She's really a spark on this team."
As the Gophers ran through drills and learned new plays, Brittney took notes. She jotted down the plays and worked to memorize the actions and responsibilities of each position on the floor. She watched and learned how All-American center Janel McCarville ran the plays, but she was most intent on watching Schonrock. "I took notes on whatever Schoney was doing on the floor," explains Brittney. "I want to learn how to lead the team like she does."
Brittney hopes that her time on the sidelines will help her in the long run. "It was tough sitting out because I had never missed a game. To sit there knowing I couldn't help my team was a struggle but it also helped me because I think it improved my basketball IQ for the game."
Brittney would be the first to admit that her Golden Gopher career hasn't started in the manner she would have wished. All she has to do is look up to her well-chosen role models of Grandpa Cedric and Shannon Schonrock to see that with belief and hard work, good things will happen.
Story by Becky Bohm, Assoc. Director of Athletic Communications
