After reaching a near nervous breakdown while working in the shadow of Bob Knight at Indiana, Mike Davis is moving to the more relaxed atmosphere of UAB, replacing local hero Mike Davis, who made the curious (i.e., dumb) decision to leave his hometown for more cash at Mizzou.
This looks like a good deal all around for everyone.
For Davis, who played college ball at 'Bama, UAB will be a far less pressure-packed situation than Bloomington, where anything short of winning multiple championships was going to be deemed a disappointment. The Blazers program, meanwhile, is already in solid shape, having appeared in three consecutive NCAA tourneys. Davis won't be building from scratch. He'll have an opportunity to step in and immediately compete for an NCAA tourney bid.
For UAB, Davis gives the Blazers a big name and a chance to make a smooth transition in staying atop Conference USA with Memphis. Let's not forget that Davis is not exactly an incompetent coach, despite what you may have heard by resltess Hoosiers fans. He took Indiana to a national championship game in 2002 and to the second round this past season despite playing virtually the entire year without D.J. White, who was arguably the Hoosiers best player. (Sorry, but Marco Killingsworth was often a disappointment.)
By the way, both Killingsworth and White played high school ball in Alabama. Davis may just be able to push the Crimson Tide and Auburn for the state's best talent.
Good deal all around.
