Area duo together at TCNJ

Davison, Grant make Lion men’s basketball team into winners

By: Ben Stentz
   Two winters ago, Bobby Davison and Derick Grant were in different worlds, albeit just one town apart. Grant was a senior sharpshooter for a strong Montgomery High School team, while Davison was leading Princeton High School to the 2001 state tournament.
   "I really didn’t know anything about Derick back then," admitted Davison of his current teammate at The College of New Jersey. "I heard he was a good player but that was about it."
   "I knew a little about Bobby back in high school from following him in the papers," said Grant, who is averaging 13.6 points per game for the Lions. "All I remember is seeing his name in the paper all the time."
   Both players found their way to the Princeton Summer Adult League in 2001. Davison joined the SMB team while Grant played for eventual league champions Dana Communication. Grant and Davison played against each other that summer and have been teammates and good friends ever since.
   "I got to see Bobby play that summer and I realized how good he really was," explained Grant. "I was excited that we were going to play together."
   Both players decided to attend The College of New Jersey and have since become important players for the 12-8 Lions — Davison as the starting power forward and Grant as a starting guard.
   "Derick has played really well for us this season," said Davison, who leads the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) with 11.3 rebounds per game, also good for ninth best nationally in Division III. "We have a strong group of sophomores and Derick is an important part of the group. He has played great since Scott (Findlay) got hurt."
   TCNJ got off to a strong start, winning eight of its first 11 games. The loss of starting forward Scott Findlay to a broken hand left head coach John Castaldo wondering how his team would make up for the lost points and rebounds.
   "Losing Scott was hard for us but Bobby has really picked up his game since then," explained Castaldo. "Bobby has really rebounded the ball and played defense, while Derick has taken his game to a different level since we lost Scott."
   "I knew I had to step up when Scott got hurt," said Grant, who shoots 39 percent from three-point range. "I felt like I could be the spark for this team."
   Davison entered this season as a big question mark. After playing three games as a freshman last season, an ankle injury forced him to sit out the rest of the year. Entering this season, neither Davison nor his head coach was quite sure what to expect.
   "I was really frustrated last season having to sit out, but I realize now that it was a good thing for me," Davison said. "I got a chance to concentrate on my schoolwork and to hit the weight room hard. I think it has paid off for me this year."
   "It is easy to forget that Bobby is a freshman player," Castaldo added. "He is the kind of player who puts high expectations on himself and that is why he has responded so well in his first full season."
   Davison has played well enough to become a candidate for conference Rookie of the Year. He is listed in the top 12 in the NJAC in rebounds per game (11.3), field goal percentage (49 percent), assists (2.8) and offensive rebounds (3.1).
   "I definitely think Bobby can be the Rookie of the Year," Grant said. "There are some other good newcomers in the league but nobody has meant more to their team than Bobby has to us."
   "I don’t think I am the Rookie of the Year," Davison said. "I just want to help my team get wins and we have a chance to get some over the next few weeks. If we can string a few together we can make some noise and maybe get into the playoffs."
   TCNJ is currently 5-8 in conference play after a 72-67 loss to Rowan on Wednesday, good for fifth place. The top four teams advance to the playoffs. The Lions have key home games coming up against William Patterson and Montclair State, two teams that are ahead of them in the standings.
   "We want to make a run over the next few weeks and try to get to the playoffs," Grant said. "Our goal is to win the league and make it to the NCAA tournament. We have to do that before we leave this school."