Butler’s Davis pledges to play at UMBC
BUTLER TWP — Butler junior Ayden Davis still has a lot of lacrosse to play before he steps on a college field.
But he already knows where he’ll head after his time with the Golden Tornado is through.
Davis recently committed to continue his career in the sport at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, which has a Division I men’s lacrosse program. The Retrievers compete in the America East Conference.
A number of factors convinced the dynamic talent that he was in the right place.
“I loved the campus,” Davis said. “Their class sizes weren’t that big. It was really ideal ... With a big lecture hall size, you don’t get the one-on-ones with your teachers.”
He’s thinking of majoring in business and minoring in exercise science. On the field, he’ll be surrounded by an assortment of teammates from different backgrounds.
“They have a very diverse team,” Davis said. “Not many teams with lacrosse are diverse. It was cool that there was actually many different types of people on that team.”
It didn’t hurt that the coaching staff can better relate to its players than most others.
“I think the time was good because I had a connection with the coaches,” Davis said. “I like how they have younger coaches as assistant coaches and the head coach is younger than most head coaches.
“The assistant coaches came fresh out of college, not that long ago, and know how the game is working right now.”
One of those mentors, Craig Chick, is also a midfielder for the Professional Lacrosse League’s Atlas Lacrosse Club. Last season, that staff guided the Retrievers to a pair of victories over ranked opponents in Drexel and Utah. The team took on Vermont for the America East championship.
Davis feels his abilities will fit right in. He scored 65 goals and added another 31 assists for Butler last spring.
“My top thing is probably my speed,” Davis said. “I’m able to see the field really well and I have a good step down shot. I can really make a huge impact by outside shooting and being able to use both my hands.”
With two seasons left to play at Butler — along with his work for his club teams — he’ll have a lot of time to sharpen his craft.
“I probably want to work on my off hand more and getting used to playing inside near the crease and quick finishes in front of the crease,” Davis said. “That’s a big part of college ball.”
Davis will also play for the Golden Tornado’s boys basketball team this winter and also plans on running track. He was a wide receiver and defensive back on the football team this year, but the chances of him playing on the gridiron again are 50/50, he said.
He hopes to be able to be a multi-sport athlete and play for the Retrievers’ hoops team, which notably became the first No. 16 seed to knock off a top-seeded team in the NCAA tournament.
Davis also talked to Richmond, Utah, Jacksonville, Lafayette, and Towson before committing. Since pledging to go to UMBC, he hasn’t taken any more calls.
