DEKALB, Ill. (WTVO/WQRF) — DeKalb native and NIU standout forward A’Jah Davis, will not play for the Huskies next season. She entered the transfer portal this offseason and has found a new home with the Seton Hall Pirates.
Seton Hall is a DI program that competes in the Big East Conference located in South Orange, New Jersey.
Davis was in Rockford on Saturday as one of the special guest coaches for the Elite Girls Basketball Camp. She enjoys spending her summer, obviously working on her game, but giving back to the community and helping other girls develop their skills and passion for basketball.
“I recognize a lot of these young ladies from different camps I’ve worked at, or even just coming to the games at NIU,” said Davis. “For me to give back to them now, that’s really what it’s all about. My summer is really about obviously getting better at things I need to, but just giving back to the youth that support me all winter.
But these young ladies here in the Rockford area won’t get to be taught by the 6’1 forward much longer as she prepares for her move to the east coast.
If you have followed NIU women’s basketball in the last four years, you know that Davis has been the center of the Huskies’ offense. This past season she averaged 16 points and 12 rebounds a game, she was also named to the All-MAC First Team.
But with an extra year of eligibility, she decided it was time to enter the transfer portal and work to expand her game.
“I chose Seton Hall for numerous reasons, but really the coaching staff believed in me,” said Davis. “One thing I thought was really cool is on my visit, he (the coach) showed me film from NIU, and he showed me film from their five players and where he saw I would fit best in expanding my game.”
Davis knows how to score at the rim, and her stats are evidence of that, but her skills beyond the basket are what she’s looking to improve.
“That’s really why I chose to enter the portal was really to expand my game, shoot the 15-footer, and even out to the three-point line, so that’s really what I’m looking forward to.”
But it doesn’t change what NIU and the DeKalb community has done for her in helping her get to this point.
“NIU has done me justice. I’ll always be a Huskie. Anything I can do to give back to them, I will, but I’m excited for my next chapter.”
Davis has a lot of girls who look up to her, especially for what she’s done and continues to do on the basketball court. So, what would her message be to those who want to get to where she is, one day?
“Stay consistent. That’s really probably my biggest message, it’s a lot of outside factors, but if you really want to go and get it and stay in the gym and be consistent.”
For more on this story watch the media player above.
