Rick Pitino didn\u2019t need to say much to Cruz Davis.<\/p>\n
Still, the two-time national-championship-winning head coach compiled a detailed pitch to lure Davis to Iona over multiple Power Five offers in 2021.<\/p>\n
Pitino traveled to West Virginia that November to watch Davis, a four-star shooting guard<\/a>, practice at Huntington Prep High School. There, Davis said Pitino compared his jump shot to Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier\u2019s. Pitino also told Davis that he could help him bulk up and fine tune his shot.<\/p>\n The two stayed in contact over the ensuing months. Davis and his father, Vincent, then took an official visit to Iona the following March. Pitino put Davis through a full workout before they went to an Italian restaurant for dinner.<\/p>\n Afterward, Pitino told them he wanted Davis to commit before they left. Little did Pitino know, his name said enough.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHe didn\u2019t really have to say much to me, it\u2019s Rick Pitino,\u201d Davis said. \u201cOf course you want to go play for a guy like that.\u201d<\/p>\n While operating as Hofstra\u2019s starting point guard this season, Cruz Davis is averaging a career-high in assists, points and field goal percentage. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images<\/p>\n Davis spent two years with Pitino \u2014 one at Iona and another when he followed him to St. John\u2019s<\/a> in 2023. But then, their careers deviated. While Pitino guided the Johnnies to the NCAA Tournament<\/a> last year, Davis transferred to Hofstra, tapping into his star potential on Long Island. Across two years with the Pride, Davis is averaging 17.3 points and shooting 43.1 percent from the floor.<\/p>\n Now, the redshirt junior is looking to lead Hofstra to March Madness by winning the CAA Tournament, which begins Friday.<\/p>\n \u201cI always said Cruz Davis was going to be a great player. He just needed the minutes,\u201d Pitino told The Post on Feb. 20.<\/p>\n \u201cCruz don\u2019t show no fear. He\u2019s a dawg,\u201d former Iona teammate Keither Florence said. \u201cHe don\u2019t care what stage he\u2019s on, he\u2019s gonna perform. So I feel like whoever is up next is gonna get the wrath of Cruz.\u201d<\/p>\n Davis started high school at the iSchool of Lewisville (Texas) but transferred to Huntington Prep for his senior year. Huntington Prep coach Arkell Bruce likened him to the San Antonio Spurs\u2019 De\u2019Aaron Fox due to his \u201cextra burst\u201d and defensive effort. Bruce added they often practiced screen and roll drills with Davis to help him pick apart defenses.<\/p>\n He originally committed to Oregon State as a sophomore but switched to Iona once most of the Beavers\u2019 2021 squad left. Pitino kept up his end of the deal after the decision. He helped Davis improve his off-ball defense and ability to finish at the rim.<\/p>\n Iona\u2019s starting guards, Daniss Jenkins<\/a> and Walter Clayton<\/a>, now both in the NBA, also helped. Davis said Clayton taught him how to use his body to get to the basket, while he learned how to become a true \u201cfloor general\u201d from Jenkins.<\/p>\n But Davis had limited opportunities at Iona. He sat behind Jenkins and Clayton in the Gaels\u2019 rotation, and he was passive when he did play. Davis also missed 11 games due to injuries \u2014 a preseason foot issue that was reaggravated late in the regular season, per Vincent.\u00a0<\/p>\n Still, Davis averaged 6.5 points per game, a key bench piece in the Gaels\u2019 run to the NCAA Tournament.<\/p>\n In his lone year at Iona, Cruz Davis played 24 games but still shot 41.9 percent from the field. USA TODAY Sports<\/p>\n Vincent remembers Davis\u2019 reaction to winning the MAAC Tournament vividly. After Iona dominated Canisius, Davis sprinted to the locker room to grab his phone. When he returned to the court, he FaceTimed his family, MAAC trophy in hand.<\/p>\n Though Iona\u2019s season ended in the first round against UConn, Davis had no time to relax.<\/p>\n Three days later, Pitino moved to St. John\u2019s<\/a>. He had one-on-one meetings with the players he wanted to take with him, Davis included.<\/p>\n Again, Davis\u2019 decision was simple.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t really want to transfer, but when (Pitino) left, that\u2019s who I wanted to play for,\u201d Davis said.<\/p>\n \u201cWherever Coach P would\u2019ve coached, Cruz would\u2019ve went there,\u201d Vincent added.<\/p>\n Cruz Davis produced 22- and 36-point games against Syracuse and Pitt, respectively, helping Hofstra snag two Power Five wins this season. Mark Konezny-Imagn Images<\/p>\n Davis never gained traction at St. John\u2019s, though. Five weeks before the season, he broke his left hand when he jammed his finger on a ball in practice.<\/p>\n He rushed back for the season opener but never truly recovered. Davis lost feeling in his hand; it was constantly uncomfortable, numb and tingly. He played four of the Johnnies\u2019 first seven games, but Vincent said he couldn\u2019t dribble properly because of a splint engulfing his hand.<\/p>\n Eventually, he was shut down for two months, and he redshirted to preserve his eligibility. Davis was frustrated \u2014 he was wasting his chance to prove himself.<\/p>\n Davis still practiced despite being sidelined, something Pitino implemented unless players truly couldn\u2019t participate. Davis completed running, lifting and shooting workouts, albeit modified without using his left hand.<\/p>\n \u201cHe made sure that he kept his spirits up,\u201d former St. John\u2019s guard Simeon Wilcher said. \u201cHe was just ready to get back out there on the court as fast as he could.\u201d<\/p>\n After the season, Davis and Pitino met to discuss his future. Davis told him he wanted to \u201ctest his options\u201d in the portal for a change of scenery, and the two agreed that was his best route.<\/p>\n While starting every game this season, Cruz Davis has averaged over 38 minutes per game this campaign. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images<\/p>\n Davis was in uncharted territory \u2014 when he signed with Iona, he expected to play with Pitino for his whole college career. But just halfway through, he was looking elsewhere.<\/p>\n Davis landed with another experienced coach in Hofstra\u2019s Speedy Claxton.\u00a0<\/p>\n Claxton, a seven-year NBA veteran<\/a>, and assistant coach Mike DePaoli told Davis he could play 30-plus minutes per game as its starting point guard.\u00a0<\/p>\n So, after a month in the portal, Davis chose Hofstra<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cHe knew that he could go in and play right away,\u201d Vincent said of his son\u2019s decision. \u201cYou play for a Hall of Fame coach in Rick Pitino, and then you get to play for ex-NBA (player) Speedy Claxton, that\u2019s a no-brainer.\u201d<\/p>\n Davis has been nothing short of sensational at Hofstra. This season, he leads the CAA with 20.3 points per game on a 44.7 percent clip. He\u2019s found success driving into the paint, pulling up from 3 and even swinging hook passes inside<\/a> for assists.<\/p>\n Claxton called him the best player in the league after Hofstra\u2019s win over Hampton on Feb. 19. The fans chanting \u201cMVP\u201d after Davis\u2019 20-point, five-assist performance seemed to agree.<\/p>\n Cruz Davis is a dynamic offensive talent.<\/p>\n 39 MPG, 28% USG, 26.3% AST rate (91st %ile among guards).<\/p>\n 1.81 AST\/TO ratio and 42% from 3.<\/p>\n Not sure he\u2019s an NBA guy, but feels like a future two-way. Will get paid in the portal.<\/p>\n Nice game last night from him. pic.twitter.com\/Ybcz0rfUGW<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 JPR (@Scouting_Col) February 20, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Davis said DePaoli has practiced different finishes with him \u2014 off one leg, two legs, high floaters \u2014 to round out his game.<\/p>\n For those close to him, though, this isn\u2019t surprising. Former St. John\u2019s forward Drissa Traore emphasized that Davis has always been a \u201chigh-major player,\u201d while Florence said he could\u2019ve started at Iona if not for its stacked backcourt.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been seeing the same stuff I\u2019ve seen since practice,\u201d Traore said. \u201cIt\u2019s just more opportunity. He\u2019s definitely shooting the ball great, making plays for his teammates. These are the things that he\u2019s been capable of doing.\u201d<\/p>\n Hofstra snagged the No. 3 seed in the CAA Tournament with a 12-6 conference and 21-10 overall record. That included Power Five wins over Pittsburgh<\/a> and Syracuse in December, when Claxton declared that Hofstra would become \u201cthe hunted<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n The best way to complete its season would be making the NCAA Tournament.<\/p>\n Florence remembers a police car escorting Iona\u2019s bus to its tournament game against UConn in 2023. Cameras flashed in players\u2019 faces as they got off. He said everyone felt like superstars.<\/p>\n Davis can show the world he truly is a superstar in the next few weeks. And it took leaving the coach that recruited, developed and trusted him to get there. But Pitino\u2019s work still sticks with him today.<\/p>\n \u201cPitino has a remarkable reputation for developing talent. What you\u2019re seeing from Cruz now, that\u2019s from those workouts, those practices,\u201d Vincent said.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t