HELPING HANDS BY RORY GLYNN
HOW MYLES DAVIS AND RAESHAUN GAFFNEY ARE WORKING TO IMPROVE THEIR GAME—AND THE COACHES WHO ARE HELPING THEM GET IT DONE.
#15 MYLES DAVIS
Myles Davis #15, Guard
Here’s what Davis focused on improving over the summer: BALL HANDLING—With the graduation of Dee Davis, who started all 37 games at point guard for Xavier last season, Steele says XU may have a point guard by committee—one Myles Davis would like to chair. “I’m trying to become a better ball handler,” Davis says.
4 4 X AV I E R N AT I O N | FA L L 2 0 1 5
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P H OT O G R A P H S B Y G R E G R U S T
Raeshaun Gaffney #30, Guard
From his first to his second season playing at Xavier, Myles Davis doubled his scoring average, hiked his shooting from 33.5 percent to 39.4, and missed the same 15 free throws even while shooting 72 more. By almost every measure he had improved, and significantly, in part because Myles Davis recognized that the offseason is the best time to work on Myles Davis. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized nobody’s going to give it you,” Davis says. “Summer’s a good time to get yourself better. During the season it’s about the team. In the summer it’s just you.” Xavier men’s basketball players each get what coaches call the Invest Book, breaking down the strengths and weaknesses in their games, and including drills to work on outside of supervised time. The book also compares XU players to others at their position in the BIG EAST Conference. “We want those guys to know they’re not the only guys working,” Xavier assistant coach Travis Steele says. “The other guys are trying to get better, too.”