The Grind, presented by Bank of Clarendon: Crestwood's Davis aims to follow in the footsteps of Knights' biggest hoops star, Ja Morant

Crestwood head coach Aric Samuel has always used one name when seeking a comparison for his senior point guard, Shannon Davis.

"I always compare him to Ja Morant with his length, his athleticism, his ball-handling skills," Aric said of his lanky point guard who can jump out of the gym. "When I tell him that, there's a little smile, but he takes it with a sense of humbleness. I do see the similarities."

When asked about that comparison, Shannon simply flashes a shy smile.

"I must be doing something good to be compared to him," Shannon said with a chuckle.

The comparison is fitting. If you squint while looking at Shannon on the court, you'll see a similar build. Two tall, thin point guards with explosive hops and a desire to violently drive to the basket. They also share a lineage. Shannon's father, Ramsey "Shannon" Davis, is the cousin of Ja's father, Tee Morant.

"I went to his house a lot to watch the older boys play," Shannon recalled. "I used to play sometimes. My dad really pushed me to work out a lot, so I did a lot of working out at that house."

SPORTS FAMILY

Shannon may be related to the most famous basketball player from Sumter, but Ja isn't the only family member who knows the hard work required to excel in sports.

Ramsey, who is still known across Sumter by his middle name, was a standout football player at Lakewood in the late '90s and early 2000s. He took his talents to Kent State for four years to play defensive back before playing Arena League football. Ramsey used his experience to teach his children work ethic to thrive on the court. He was Shannon's first coach and had a keen focus on accountability.

"Sometimes, it was rough. I got him a lot, so sometimes I felt like he kinda hated me, but I guess when he got older, he started to see the bigger picture," Ramsey said. "I tried to hold him accountable with stuff like, if he's not playing a lot, some kids like to blame the coaches. I tried to hold him accountable, asking what he did, how did he help the team, what do you need to work on to get better?

"You can't just blame everybody else for why you're not playing or playing well. It took him a while to understand that, but I used to keep him in the gym a lot, but he decided, even when I had to work late a lot, he continued to go to the gym by himself. His work ethic really showed during his high school years."

The other key was confidence. Shannon showed his electric athleticism at a young age; he just needed to channel it.

"He wasn't the biggest kid, he wasn't the strongest kid. He's a quiet guy, kinda shy a little bit, so it took a while for me to get his mind right to be able to compete against other kids," Ramsey said. "Once I knew he found his confidence, I knew it would take off because he already had the talent."

Shannon had his share of mentors in the game. His older sister, Shania, played for Crestwood just before Shannon reached high school. She set an example of how to approach the game.

"I took away a lot," Shannon said of watching his sister. "You can look at what they do wrong and fix that and put it into your game."

As Shannon developed as a player, the Davis family knew he had to find new sources of knowledge. He started to work with Khadijah Sessions, who serves as an assistant to Dawn Staley at South Carolina. Shannon's mother, Monishia, loved the way she pushed her son to the next level.

"She put him up against other kids that were older than him, bigger than him and faster than him, so she made him put in the work," Monishia said. "Sometimes he would try to fall to the back of the line, and Khadijah wouldn't allow it. She would force him to go against this person so he could train against older kids, and I think that kind of helped his confidence and showed him that he could compete against kids that were older, bigger and faster than him."

Of course, the legendary courts at the Morant house were the perfect place to soak in knowledge. The best basketball players in the area always made their way to that court, so Shannon had a front-row seat to elite players. He also was able to work with Tee, who had a Hall of Fame career at Claflin before molding his son into an NBA superstar.

"Tee used to call us to come over and play basketball and train with them," Ramsey said. "It was a good moment for the kids to see someone who is trying to reach the same goals they're trying to reach and put in that work ethic to get where he needed to be. It was a good experience for my kids to see someone in the same situation as them."

Shannon still watches Ja's game closely, trying to find little things he can learn from the former CHS star.

"I like how he gets downhill," Shannon said. "I think I try to get downhill like him."

TAKING CRESTWOOD TO NEW HEIGHTS

When Shannon made the jump to varsity basketball as a sophomore, he played a role in the beginning of a sensational run of hoops for the Knights.

During his sophomore season in 2022-23, Shannon was a spark plug off the bench for a team that played for their first state championship in program history.

"When I was in the state championship game when I was a sophomore, I was very nervous. Now that I've played in that game, it really calms me with the rest of the games," Shannon said. "It was important because I knew I could get out there. I knew I could change the game in some type of way because I knew I have the talent to do it."

During that season, Shannon played behind a pair of senior guards, Corean Nelson and Justin Rembert, who helped set an example he would follow for the next two years.

"I think that was big," Aric said of the mentorship those seniors provided. "Shannon being a competitive player, he wanted to be on the floor, but he understood we had two veteran guards in front of him. Just to see their approach to the game every day, how they operated on the court and the success they had was something he could learn from and grow into. Shannon stepped right in and took it to another level."

That run to state came with a slew of highlights for Shannon and the rest of the Knights. Shannon's first in-game dunk came in what proved to be a coming-out party as Crestwood defeated Lower Richland 68-49.

"I knew we were up a little bit, so when Corean threw me the ball down the court, I was like, 'I just hope I don't miss,'" Shannon said.

That game gave the basketball community in South Carolina their first real taste of the player Shannon would become.

"He had tremendous growth in the playoffs. I remember playing a very intense game during Lower Richland, and he came off the bench and had his breakout game. I think he ended up with 12 points, hit some big threes in the corner and had his first in-game dunk," Aric said. "He took that experience into the lower state championship against Orangeburg-Wilkinson, and he came off the bench and hit a couple of big shots when the game was kinda stiff. We saw the big shot-making ability and the talent in this kid."

After the Knights pulled out a 66-62 win over Orangeburg-Wilkinson in the lower state championship, they battled Wren for the SCHSL 3A state title but ultimately suffered a heartbreaking 56-49 defeat. That loss lit a fire in Shannon and the rest of the Knights.

"It really sparked a lot because a lot of people were expecting us to get back there," Shannon said. "Some people didn't think we could do it without Justin and Corean, so I had to fill those shoes and play that role that I needed to play for us to win."

Ramsey still remembers the conversation he had with his son outside of the gym at USC-Aiken that day.

"After that championship his sophomore year, right outside the arena, I had my talk with him. I knew he was going to step up," Ramsey recalled. "I asked him how it felt to lose that game, to be that close and not seal the deal. He let me know how he felt, so I told him to remember that feeling. 'I want you to remember that feeling, get in the gym and become a leader, be there for your team.' Him getting a feeling for that state championship game really pushed him to be a better person and a better player."

Over the next two years, Shannon stepped up. He had an exceptional junior season, but they fell just short of returning to the state championship when they made a trip to Lower Richland in the third round of the playoffs. A scrappy game went into overtime, but the Knights were without standout center Teon Tindal in the extra period after the junior fouled out. Crestwood couldn't get enough of their shots to fall in a 55-52 loss, which only pushed Shannon to hunger for more improvement.

"I wasn't really hitting a lot of shots, so this year I wanted to focus more on getting in the paint, getting my teammates involved and get layups instead of settling on my jump shot," Shannon said of his priorities this offseason. "(The loss) really helped us because we look back at that, and we've just got to play harder at the jump. We can't just put the game in the refs' hands. We've got to handle our business wherever we go."

NOT SO STORYBOOK ENDING

That playoff loss was supposed to launch Crestwood to another level this season. The Knights had a massive senior class, led by Shannon and Teon, who were both named Top 5 Seniors in SCHSL 4A by the South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association prior to the season. Last week, Shannon was named All-State after averaging 18.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.7 steals per game. In the Knights' regular season finale, he scored his 1,000th career point.

"I was told I wasn't going to be able to do it, but I did it," Shannon said of his proudest high school achievement. "I had a lot of family out there. They've always been supportive. I have a great support system. I love my family; I always put family first. I was very happy, and all of them were happy for me."

Throughout the winter, the Knights had a season that looked like a sports movie. They dominated early, winning their first 11 games before running into their first road block, a matchup with Atlantic Collegiate, who will play for the 2A Lower State Championship on Tuesday. Crestwood then won three games, including their first matchup with region foe Wilson, before a tournament loss to Keenan, who played for the 3A Lower State Championship on Friday.

"We love having tough games," Shannon said. "We always tell Coach Sam we need to get at least a couple of tough games in before we head into the region and we head into the playoffs, so we can always be prepared for anything."

Crestwood's only other blemish was a region loss to Darlington after they claimed the region championship with a win over South Florence three days prior. They opened the playoffs against South Aiken and Brookland-Cayce, winning both games to set up a third matchup with Wilson on Tuesday. After sweeping the regular season matchup, the Knights struggled in the second half of a 63-55 loss. Their fairytale season ended prematurely.

"When I walked in, I was excited to see the gym packed. It has not been that packed in all the four years here," Monishia said of watching that final game. "I was disappointed to see it end the way that it did because I know he's worked so hard. He's tried to bring a championship to the team since 10th grade, so it was very disappointing to see the season come to an end."

"It still was a proud moment," Ramsey said, "even though they couldn't pull it off in the end."

While Shannon finished his high school career without his championship, Aric knows his star senior grew from every experience.

"I know he's learned a lot. We've had a lot of big playoff games where we had success, didn't have success," Aric said. "It was state championship game, third round, third round, and it hurt, but you're learning something. I think he's grown from those moments."

BASKETBALL BROTHERHOOD

Throughout Shannon's entire basketball journey, the Knights have been together. Long before this senior class stepped foot in The Castle, they played church league, Parks and Rec and YMCA basketball together. Shannon has been tossing passes to Tindal, Xavier Johnson, Riley Durant, Jeremie Richardson and so many others since his first days on the court. While their last game didn't go as planned, those memories will last forever.

"Everybody that I'm playing with now, I've been playing with since I've been younger. That's why our chemistry is so good," he said. "It's just amazing how we continue to play basketball, continue to stay close, continue to stay friends. It's just great."

As a parent, Monishia has cherished every season her son had the chance to learn and grow with his brotherhood on the court.

"It has been amazing to see the progression in each one of them," she said. "They have all grown so much, and they've all developed. I feel like a lot of them are getting overlooked, but they're all great players and all brought something to the team. Shannon knew that and knew to trust those teammates, believe in them and just play with them."

This year, that brotherhood was also literal. Shannon's younger brother, eighth-grader Sheldon Davis, got the call up to varsity and was able to play in the postseason. The two Davis brothers shared the court, making what their parents feared would be an impossible dream a reality.

"That was a beautiful experience we thought would never happen," Monishia said. "We thought his senior year, Sheldon would be in middle school, so they would never have gotten to play together. To see that come together warmed my heart. That was such a beautiful experience for me."

The Knights' bond is also one of the main reasons Crestwood has been so successful over the last three years.

"This team can make quick adjustments. I can draw up a play on the sideline, and the chemistry between me and the players was awesome," Aric said. "I noticed it this year when I brought a bunch of new guys in, and you could see the fall off from my second team in terms of teaching the play.

"With that senior class, if I put a play in, after one demonstration they're pushing at full speed. The ability to feed off each other, understand each other and just being around each other so much, there aren't too many schemes or designs that blow them away. They catch on real quick to new actions or details. That's what makes them great; that's what makes Shannon great. He has a great basketball IQ."

Because they've played together for so long, their leadership is able to show up in different ways. On a team with 11 seniors, Shannon doesn't need to be barking orders at the rest of the team.

"Leadership to me is, if I tell you something you need to do, I need to be able to do that, too," Shannon said. "I don't really have to do too much; most of these guys really know what they should be doing. All I can do is lead by example."

Shannon is a tone-setter. He takes the lessons he learned from his father at an early age and passes them on to his younger teammates.

"One thing about Shannon that's special to me is that he misses no practices, no workouts, no team events," Aric said. "He's as solid as a rock with his time management, and he's a role model for showing up on the good days and the bad days. That's something we're going to try to instill in all of our kids moving forward."

The moment is never too big for Shannon. No matter the situation, Shannon maintains a low-key energy that says, "I've got this."

"Shannon demonstrates leadership through fearlessness. When we go into games against top-ranked opponents, he'll go at them and let the team know that we can compete with this team. He shows leadership through his lack of fear against anyone," Aric said. "One of the comments from the Wilson coach when we beat them during the regular season was that normally, opponents are afraid of them, but Crestwood isn't afraid of Wilson, and that's because of Shannon's ability to go at them and the supporting cast around that."

NEXT STEPS

While Shannon's Crestwood career came to a close this week, his basketball journey is just getting started.

The CHS senior committed to Francis Marion last week, setting him on a path he hopes can mirror his superstar relative.

"I look forward to working hard and earning a spot to play and really see the court my freshman year," Shannon said. "Watching (Ja) come out of a small school, I feel like I can do it, too."

Francis Marion is a bit smaller than Murray State, where Ja thrived on the national stage during the NCAA Tournament en route to becoming the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA Draft. But in the current landscape of college basketball, great talent can come from anywhere.

High-schoolers are often left by the wayside. Just last week, legendary college coach Rick Pitino, who is currently coaching at St. John's, outright said he wasn't recruiting high-schoolers in the era of the transfer portal, where college-ready athletes are available every year. That was a tough thing for Shannon to learn in the recruiting process.

"It was kind of rough for him a little bit," Ramsey said of watching Shannon's recruitment. "My son knew I went to a Division I school to play sports, so the only thing he had in his mind was that he wants to play Division I sports, too. He wanted to wait and see what Division I schools would contact him, but I had to let him know things had changed since I played.

"Right now, you've got the transfer portal and everyone staying in school longer. It would be hard for him to get a look from a DI school. They're going to look for people to transfer schools, they're looking at older kids. I had to let him know to go to the school that wants you."

He found that at Francis Marion, and Aric thinks he'll take that opportunity and run with it, just like Ja did with the Racers.

"Ja set a strong example for all athletes across the world. You just need a platform," Aric said. "You've got the 6'2" wiry frame, he's very athletic at the rim, he's got the mid-range game, he's got the penetration game, he's got the three-ball game. That's what you want at the college level. That's pretty much a Division I player. Once he goes out there and he might grow some more, get stronger, I think his talent is going to flash a little bit more."