SAN DIEGO COLLEGE NOTEBOOK : Another Davis Joins Crusaders’ Family Affair

It took a while, but Brad Davis finally is following in his father’s footsteps. And his uncles’. And his brothers’. And his cousins’.

Davis, a Point Loma Nazarene junior guard, is the 10th member of his family to play basketball for the Crusaders.

His father, Bob, uncles John, Ed and Jim, brother Bob Jr. and cousins Dick and Dave played for the men’s team. Brad’s cousin, Jennifer Anderson, played for the women two years ago, and another cousin, Julie Anderson, is playing for them this year.

Both the women’s (5:45) and men’s (7:45) teams play their final home games tonight against Christ College Irvine at and Golden Gymnasium. Davis and Anderson will be easy to spot. They both wear the family number--22. PLNC seniors Ron Hubbard and Brian Thurston will be honored before the game. Hubbard’s father, Lee, also played for the school before it moved to Point Loma from Pasadena.

Davis graduated from Pasadena High in 1984. He then attended--in order--Orange Coast Community College, Pasadena City College, Orange Coast and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, before coming to PLNC.

Davis said PLNC Coach Ben Foster recruited him out of high school, but he wasn’t sure about going there because of his family’s legacy.

His father was a great player in the early 1950s and later was invited to try out to play baseball for the Chicago Cubs. “My family’s very religious, and my grandmother reminded him that they play baseball on Sundays so he went back to playing semipro for $13 a game,” Davis said.

John was an NAIA All-American in 1954 and played on the PLNC national championship team known as the Firehouse Five with Jim Bond, now the president of the school.

“Strangely enough, my dad didn’t push me at all,” Davis said. “He wanted me to choose my own college. My mom pushed me a lot.”

The Davis family has always been close and always into sports.

“You should see the Davis family Christmas,” Davis said. “Before my grandparents died, we used to have 50-60 Davises. We would rent out a hall.

“Then after dinner somebody would get the keys to a gym and we’d go play. We’d have some great games.

“My grandfather (Alonzo Davis) started it all. He loved sports. He never played anywhere because the family was poor. But he was really into sports.”

Davis, 24, remembers attending summer basketball camps since the age of 6, but says the sport is becoming less important--at least as a player--now that he is older. “When basketball became less important, it became more fun,” he said. “That’s why I’m still playing at this age.”

Davis (5-feet-8) said the highlight of his season came in the PLNC Tournament in January. Davis led the Crusaders to the title and was selected to the all-tournament team.

In a 69-68 victory over Western Washington, Davis had 17 points, including the Crusaders’ last five. He had a four-point play (a three-pointer and a foul shot) with 40 seconds left to tie it, then made the second of two free throws with one second left to win it.

Imperial Valley College is expected to receive a first-round bye when the California Community College men’s basketball playoffs seedings are announced this afternoon. Pacific Coast Conference champion Imperial Valley (30-1, 11-1) is ranked No. 3 in the state. Palomar (11-18, 7-5) and MiraCosta (13-14, 6-6) have also qualified for postseason play.

Imperial Valley wrapped up the PCC with an 89-68 victory Saturday over Palomar. The Arabs are sixth in the state in defense (allowing 68.5 points per game) and eighth in offense (91.0). Imperial Valley is the only team in the top 10 in both categories.

Grossmont (20-12, 10-2) finished second but has been ruled ineligible for the playoffs because the Griffins played too many games.

In the women’s PCC championship game Friday night, MiraCosta defeated No. 14 Southwestern, 70-48. MiraCosta (16-6, 9-1) was led by Laura Hughes with 27 points. Hughes is second in the state in scoring (23.4) and rebounding (13.0). The Apaches fell to 22-5, 9-1.

Christian Heritage not only helped itself, but UC San Diego as well, by defeating Menlo College, 100-82, in the finals of the Grand Canyon College Tournament Saturday.

No. 20 UC San Diego (20-5) is hoping to receive an NCAA Division III playoff bid. No. 18 Menlo (18-7) is the only West Coast team ranked ahead of them. Division III first-round games begin next Tuesday.

Christian Heritage (27-5) is No. 1 in the National Christian College Athletic Assn. and has won eight in a row. It has the second-best record--behind Westmont (24-2)--in the NAIA District III, of which it is an independent member.