KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee women’s basketball senior Rennia Davis has been named to the 2021 Women’s Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Watch List, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced on Tuesday.
Overall, the list of 50 women’s players represents 11 national conferences with the Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC having nine players each. Davis, a 6-foot-2 guard/forward from Jacksonville, Florida, made the Naismith preseason list for the third straight season. She was among the 30 players advancing to the midseason list a year ago.
“The competition for the 2021 Women’s Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy will intensify as more players enter the competition throughout the season, but these 50 candidates are the early contenders to watch,” said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “While last season was unlike any college basketball season we’ve experienced, we hope these athletes have the opportunity to compete through their entire schedule this season and showcase the full breadth of their abilities and talent.”
The midseason 30 team will be announced in early February. Players who do not make the watch list are still eligible to be selected for the midseason compilation.
Also a Cheryl Miller Award Preseason Watch list member for the third year in a row, Davis has displayed an impressive knack for knocking down shots at clutch moments during her career. She has hit 14 buckets with the game clock winding down, with two of those falling just before the final horn.
The second-leading returning scorer in the SEC this season, Davis was a first-team All-SEC selection in 2020 as well as an All-America honorable mention recipient from the AP, USBWA and WBCA. She averaged 18.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game in 2019-20 while shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 80.2 percent from the free throw line.
With a scoring average that was the best by a Lady Vol since Candace Parker put up 21.3 ppg. in 2008, Davis enters her final collegiate season tied with Bashaara Graves for 10th in UT history with 29 double-doubles during her first three seasons on Rocky Top.
Davis averaged 19.9 ppg. and 8.0 rpg. vs. league foes in 2019-20. She hit 49.6% from the field and 82.8% at the charity stripe in 16 regular-season contests. Against nine ranked opponents, Davis tallied 19.8 ppg. and 7.0 rpg. and shot 43.8% on field goals and 84.2% on free throws vs. those teams.
The two-time All-SEC choice ranked fifth in the conference in rebounding last season at 8.2 rpg. and eighth in field goal percentage (.469) and stands No. 5 in both categories among returning players. She finished No. 4 in the SEC in free throw percentage at .802 a year ago and is No. 2 among returnees this season.
Davis is among the SEC’s active player career leaders, ranking second in points (1,400 points) and double-doubles (29) and third in rebounds.
-UT Athletics
