State’s leading boys basketball scorer returns to Madison area for senior year

Chris Davis Jr. is enrolled at Sun Prairie East in the wake of his father’s death. Chris Davis Sr., a star at Madison East and a national player of the year at UW-Whitewater, died Aug. 31. Davis Jr. now resides with his mother.

Sun Prairie East boys basketball coach Steve Maselter said Davis is as good as someone can be during this tough period.

“The basketball side of it is exciting, but he’s a human who just lost his dad, so helping him through this and making sure I can provide whatever he needs is my biggest role,” Maselter said.

Davis Jr. had a close relationship with his father, who coached him at Sun Prairie West the last two seasons. 

“Everybody in the world know if you see me you seeing my pops too. Man I don’t even know if I could be here for long without you Big Dawg,” Davis Jr. wrote on Instagram. “God please give me one more conversation, one more basketball game, one more everything I CANT DO THIS WITHOUT YOU DAD. IM HURT. Everybody love you pops.

“I NEVER THOUGHT ILL WAKE UP AT 6:55am to hear this. Dad please please come back to me I love you with all my heart.”

Maselter said to his understanding Davis Jr. is eligible to play. After his father was fired mid-season, Davis Jr. transferred to DME Academy, a prep school at St. John’s Northwestern in Delafield.

WIAA associate director Mel Dow referred eligibility confirmation to the school and the state organization’s eligibility standards. The WIAA restricts transferring seniors to non varsity for one calendar year, unless the transfer is made necessary by a total change in residence by parent(s).

The WIAA also waives its transfer rule for extenuating circumstances, considered as “unforeseeable, unavoidable and uncorrectable act, condition or event which results in severe burden and/or involuntary change, that mitigates the rule,” the transfer rule document said. 

Davis’ arrival has created “a buzz around our group and an excitement that’s hard to explain,” Maselter said. 

The senior has already attended the Cardinals’ open gyms and workouts in preparation for the season.

“Our guys and culture is strong enough to embrace Chris and not skip a beat,” Maselter said.

Davis led the state in scoring 40.8 points per game on a career-high 55% from the field and 46% from 3-point range, according to WisSports, and was named the 2024 State Journal/WiscNews boys basketball Player of the Year. He joins Max Raimer, a second team all-Big Eight pick last season, as part of the Sun Prairie East backcourt.

“We like to space the court, shoot a lot of 3-pointers and get to the rim, so I think Chris is going to fit in well,” Maselter said. 

The Cardinals lost leading scorer Gavin Van Wie, who averaged 18.2 points per game last season per WisSports, from a team that finished 16-9. Sun Prairie East lost to Verona 86-72 to open regional play two weeks after it beat the Wildcats by three.