Antoine Davis’ Pursuit of Pistol Pete Maravich’s NCAA Scoring Record Heats Up
College basketball fans are buzzing about Detroit Mercy guard Antoine Davis, who is just one game away from breaking Pete Maravich’s all-time NCAA scoring record. With 38 points in Detroit Mercy’s 81-68 win over Purdue Fort Wayne in the opening round of the Horizon League tournament, Davis’s career total increased to 3,642 points, 25 shy of equaling Maravich’s 3,667 career points that has stood since 1970.
Davis has been on an impressive scoring tear this season, averaging a national-best 28.1 points per game. He has free rein to shoot from anywhere and everywhere as the centerpiece of a team coached by his father, Mike Davis. If Davis surpasses Maravich on Thursday night, his 143 games played to do so would be nearly double Maravich’s 83.
Maravich played at LSU in an era when freshmen weren’t yet varsity-eligible. For three years, he averaged an unfathomable, almost mythic 44.2 points per game despite not having the benefit of a shot clock or 3-point line. Davis has put up 25.3 points per game for a struggling Detroit Mercy program that has posted losing records in all but one of his five seasons.
Jaeson Maravich, Pistol Pete’s elder son, told Yahoo Sports he feels both Antoine and his father deserve to be recognized as record holders. “I feel like Antoine is the best scorer of this generation and Pistol Pete is the best scorer from his generation,” Jaeson said. “I’m proud of all my dad’s records. I’d like them to stand as long as possible. But if he breaks it, I’m certainly not going to hate on this guy. I’ll be happy for him.”
Davis has taken advantage of the NCAA waiver granting athletes an extra season of eligibility due to COVID-19 disruptions, and with the record within striking distance, he upped his scoring output. He has exceeded 30 points in eight of his past nine games, twice eclipsing 40. On Tuesday night, Davis’ full arsenal of crossovers, jab steps and step-backs were on display during a 14-for-27 shooting night.
With a potential record-breaking performance on the horizon, the debate over who should be recognized as college basketball’s rightful all-time leading scorer is heating up. No matter who comes out on top, both Davis and Maravich have achieved a historic feat that will be remembered for years to come.
