LSU's Big Baby wimps out on the big stage
Davis doesn't want to leave on sour note, vows to return for junior season
John Gress / ReutersGlen Davis went from the lovable, talkative darling of the Final Four to a huffing, puffing laughingstock for LSU, unable to do much of anything against the Bruins’ defensive clampdown Saturday night.
updated 1:57 a.m. ET April 2, 2006
INDIANAPOLIS - Big Baby was UCLA’s big target.
Glen Davis went from the lovable, talkative darling of the Final Four to a huffing, puffing laughingstock for LSU, unable to do much of anything against the Bruins’ defensive clampdown Saturday night.
“Who’s your daddy?” the UCLA fans chanted over and over again, after Ryan Hollins drew an offensive foul on Davis.
Even the cheerleaders got in on it.
“He’s such a big baby,” one of them mouthed to another when Davis went tumbling to the court for the umpteenth time.
Davis shot only 5-of-17 in LSU’s 59-45 loss to the Bruins, a dismal end to an NCAA tournament that established the 310-pound center with the catchy nickname as a true national star.
But there might be a silver lining for the Tigers: Davis doesn’t want to go out like this, so he plans to return for his junior season.
“To be so close and not taste that trophy, I really feel empty right now,” he said, surrounded by reporters in the somber LSU locker room. “I’ll be back. Do y’all think I’m ready? I don’t feel I’m ready yet. There’s a lot of things to work on.”
That was apparent in his performance against the Bruins, who double-teamed Davis every time he tried to dribble, leaned on the big man and made sure he hardly ever got a clear look at the basket.
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Davis and the Tigers were never in this one. Their only lead was 2-0. UCLA was up by 10 just 7½ minutes into the game. The margin at halftime was 39-24.
“That came out of nowhere,” Davis said. “You have to show character. When you’re hit, you have to get back up. We didn’t get back up.”
The charming personality, Charles Barkley-like physique and surprisingly soft touch around the basket didn’t do him much good against the Bruins, who play defense as if their lives depend on every opposing shot.
Davis mercifully fouled out with 2:09 remaining, his team down by 20 and having yet to break the 40-point barrier. He bent over, put his hands on his knees and straggled to the bench.
“I was tired,” he said. “I wanted to leave it all on the floor, and that had an effect on the way I played. I wanted to make sure I had no regrets.”
The fans in blue took great delight in Davis’ misery, undoubtedly ticked off by his comments a couple of days earlier. Davis said he respected the Bruins’ tradition, but didn’t fear it.
“Bill Walton doesn’t play for them anymore, does he?” Davis asked jokingly. “Kareem Abdul-Jabbar doesn’t play for them anymore.”
No, those guys aren’t around anymore. But Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Ryan Hollins and Lorenzo Mata did a pretty good impersonation of them, limiting Davis to 14 points and seven rebounds.
Big Baby will surely be hurting on Sunday after getting knocked down or falling to the court at least four times — most tellingly, when he literally tackled Darren Collison after jumping out to double-team the 155-pound guard.
“That,” Davis said, “was just frustration, man.”
His angst reached its peak on this stretch of four possessions: Davis missed three shots in close and rimmed out a pair of free throws the one time he managed to draw a foul.
“I’ve never seen Glen Davis miss five or six gimmes around the basket,” LSU coach John Brady said. “He missed some baskets he normally makes, and he got a little frustrated.”
Mbah a Moute knew what the Bruins were up against.
“It takes effort, effort and toughness,” the slender freshman said. “My teammates did a great job tonight helping me down in the post, whether it was just rotating for a steal or pressuring the ball so he wouldn’t get catches and stuff.”
Davis would love to get another crack at UCLA. Maybe he’ll get his chance next year, assuming he follows through on his vow to stay in school.
“There’s a couple of things I need to work on as far as stamina and explosiveness,” he said. “I have a lot of potential, but I don’t want to be a basketball vagabond. I don’t want to get lost in the shuffle. I want to maximize my ability.”
Even on perhaps the worst night of his career, Davis would see the bright side. LSU’s surprising run to the Final Four helped improve the mood of his home state, still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
“We did something higher than just make it to the Final Four,” he said. “We had an impact on a lot of people’s lives. We gave people a sense of hope and pride.”
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