On a recent afternoon, standing on the court in one of Marian Catholic’s gyms, senior guard Madison Davis faced the basket with a ball under her arm as she talked about her season.
Call it her final shootaround as a Spartan, again under the watchful eye of Dan Murray, with senior forward Gracie Jensen and sophomore guard Ty Jackson, her teammates, also playing a part.
First things first.
“I think my best memory is some of the top teams we beat,” Davis said as she started to convert her first shot, which of course was a perfect swish. “We beat a lot of the top teams in the state.
“I even think a few of our losses we had we should have won.”
Note the emphasis on the word “we” — as in team accomplishments.
But the 5-foot-10 Davis also ended her career at Marian Catholic with a hatful of individual honors as well, including being the 2023-24 Daily Southtown Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
The Western Illinois recruit averaged 18.7 points in her final season, leading the Spartans (27-8) to their third straight Class 3A supersectional, which ended with a 36-30 loss to Hinsdale South.
Then there were all of those victories, with Davis scoring 17 points in a 39-36 win over Nazareth. The Roadrunners lost 44-40 to undefeated Loyola in the Class 4A state championship game.
“We beat Nazareth, a top team in the state, and beat Butler for a sectional title,” she said. “With how talented our schedule was and our opponents were, we won a lot of tough games.”
While the supersectional loss stung for Davis, it may have been tempered a little by getting named the MVP of the East Suburban Catholic Conference and making second team all-state.
Back to the “we,” though. Another highlight was the Spartans going 3-0 during a California swing in early January. She scored 24 points in a 61-43 win over Los Angeles-area power Calabasas.
All good, to be sure, but what Jensen and Jackson both pointed out was what kind of teammate Davis always was — and how she set them up for success next season and beyond.
“She wants to win no matter what,” Jensen said as Davis nailed layup after layup in the background. “She tries to keep the energy up, get teammates involved. She’s a team-first person.”
But Davis also is competitive off the court, according to Jackson.
“Any time someone gets down, she’s one of the first people picking them up,” Jackson said. “It’s OK. You’ve got it. You’ve got the next one.”
Murray just finished his 11th season at Marian Catholic and 24th overall heading up a varsity head program. Where does Davis rank in the pantheon of the great players he has coached?
That’s a tough question, he confirmed, but there’s a unique answer.
“Let’s put it this way,” Murray said. “If there was a team picture, Maddie would be in it. I think the biggest thing with her is she was so versatile.”
In a few months, Davis will go to college and a new team. It’s a long way from being “discovered” in third grade by a coach from a local feeder program while shooting on a playground hoop.
She wasn’t really considering the future, but the future found her. She can’t wait to play for her new coach, Western Illinois’ JD Gravina. In fact, Davis was Gravina’s first 2024 scholarship offer.
“I think it’s going to be really fun and a great experience,” Davis said, now dribbling the ball behind her back. “The girls there are awesome, and coach Gravina is so supportive.
“He lets you play. He’s going to motivate you. He’s going to push you to be the best you can be. You could just tell they really wanted me.”
Gregg Voss is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
