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The Detroit Mercy basketball team is looking to give Antoine Davis one more shot at history. The star guard is just four points shy of breaking Pete Maravich’s all-time scoring record.
Davis averaged 28.2 points as a senior and he’s posted more than 23 points a night in each of his five college campaigns. He’s the only NCAA player to get within 400 points of Pistol Pete’s incredible mark.
The sharpshooter actually had a chance to set the NCAA record in his last game as the Titans took on Youngstown State in the conference tournament. Unfortunately, he fell just short after scoring 22 points in a loss. This, coming after a 38-point explosion in the tournament opener to get him within reach.
Unfortunately, that most recent loss effectively ended the Titans’ season. At 14-19, there are few (if any) postseason tournaments that would extend an invite.
That hasn’t stopped athletic director Robert Vowels from exploring his options. He had the following to say about potential postseason opportunities in a recent statement.
“At this time, the University of Detroit Mercy men’s basketball team has not been invited or accepted any postseason invitations. We are exploring all factors if a bid was extended, but until then, we will not have any comments on the matter.”
Head coach Mike Davis weighed in on the discussion, saying that his team “would definitely accept any invitation,” if offered.
While it would give Antoine Davis an opportunity to make history, it would also cause an uproar from college basketball fans. Maravich set his record in three seasons at LSU as freshman were not allowed to compete on the varsity team at the time.
He averaged over 44 points a game for his career without the benefit of the shot clock or three-point shot.
Davis has already had an extra season of eligibility due to the COVID season, and he’s amassed 144 career games compared to Pistol Pete’s 83.
Making things a bit more mucky, Detroit Mercy’s only chance to compete in a postseason tournament would be a pay-for-play scenario. Due to its losing record, the NCAA Tournament and NIT won’t give out an invite. Their best chance at a bid would come from the CBI Tournament.
There appears to be some mutual interest based on a tweet from the CBI Twitter account last week.
— The CBI (@CBITourney) March 3, 2023
Still, Detroit Mercy would have to pay $27,500 if they were to accept the bid.
Fans were quick to comment online.
One person said, “Kind of corny unless they were deserving of the postseason.” Someone else wrote, “This would need a giant asterisk next to it if it happens.”
Others supported the Detroit Mercy star, with one follower commenting, “Only Twitter will shame someone for breaking the all-time record.”
Should Antoine Davis break the record, it will come with debate. Still, his ability to come this close to the mark is a feat in and of itself.