Hoops was always a part of the plan for Latrell Davis
Credit: San Jose State Athletics
The former San Jose State guard brings Mountain West experience to San Diego State, with the ability to be a quality scoring threat
Latrell Davis’ road to San Diego State didn’t come by accident. Davis had dreams of playing on The Mesa ever since he first set foot on campus.
“I came on my visit, and felt welcomed,” Davis told East Village Times on an upcoming episode of The SDSU Podcast. “It felt like home. It was calling me to be here. I remember my freshman year playing against San Diego State and playing against the crowd; it is always tough. No matter who steps into Viejas, it’s always going to be a tough crowd. It’s like two different battles in one.”
“I felt the love for the school ever since I played them my freshman year and it was a school to where I was like ‘okay if I ever did have a chance to go here I would want to go here for sure.’ When I got the opportunity, I was like ‘yeah, this is a good fit for me.'”
The junior has two years of eligibility remaining after playing two seasons up north at San Jose State. He appeared in 66 games, averaging 8.5 points on 47% shooting. In his sophomore year, Davis saw his point total increase to 11.1 per game, starting nine games for the Spartans. Davis shot 38.3% from three-point range, making 51 triples on the season.
Latrell Davis was one of just 119 players with a 3PAr > 49% to shoot at least 39% 3P (min. 3.5 3PA/g).
Last season, SDSU shot 32.6% from deep – a well below avg 36%ile.
A necessity heading into 25-26’ pic.twitter.com/YVHDvmf8kZ
— Aztec Analytics (@AztecAnalytics) August 5, 2025
Averaging double digits in scoring in the Mountain West is something to be proud of, considering the home environments at altitude and highly competitive teams on the defensive end. Road opponents often struggle playing away from home in this conference. Davis played some of his best games against SDSU and on the road during conference play. Davis scored 23 points at Viejas Arena in a near upset and followed up by scoring 30 points on the road at Fresno State.
The native of Great Britain may be a perfect fit for what the Aztecs are looking for. Basketball has been a part of Davis’s entire life. He would watch his father play and always knew this was going to be the path for him.
“I started playing basketball when I was three years old,” Davis said. “My dad and my mom both played basketball. I was always around basketball at a young age. My dad was playing games and my mom would take me to the games and I would try and crawl onto the court as he is playing. Always had a basketball in my hands, honestly.”
Hooping was meant to be. Playing since a child allowed him to progress into the talent that he is today. Basketball isn’t the popular sport where he grew up, but he made it a priority. He even represented his country in the FIBA U20 European Championships.
Davis explained what it was like to play for Great Britain.
“It was great … my first game playing for my country, we were in Division A. It was a shock, I mean, our first game was against France. They had five NBA players on that team and one being the No. 7 pick in the draft the year after, and he came off the bench that game.”
“It was a good tournament overall, I finished top third in scoring in the whole tournament. I could compete with those guys. I never doubted myself; I always believed in myself.”
Davis proved to be one of the top scoring threats in the tournament. He mentioned he competed with some of the best international prospects in the sport. France is starting to breed basketball talent. The experience he gained during those games is rare for a college athlete.
Davis believes his ability to attack the rim and draw fouls is at the same level as his ability to knock down shots from beyond the arc.
“Getting to the basket and drawing fouls, I feel like I draw a lot of fouls, and I can finish well,” Davis responded when asked about his strengths outside of shooting. “I’m really an energy bringer. I feel like the game can change a lot with how someone plays energy-wise. Talent is going to take you a long way but the team with the most energy and fight and most hustle is probably going to win the game in the end.”
LATRELL DAVIS AND-1 😤#AllSpartans pic.twitter.com/tZKxtJlkpS
— San Jose State Men’s Basketball (@SanJoseStateMBB) November 5, 2024
It’s too early to tell what role the transfer will have this season. With two years of eligibility remaining, there are a couple of options on the table. The roster is deep, especially in the backcourt. Davis could very well be a role player for Brian Dutcher’s team this year, or he could use a redshirt and come back for two seasons starting in the fall of 2026.
Dutcher was asked at Monday’s press conference about Davis’s impressions early on since his arrival.
“Latrell can get downhill,” Dutcher responded. “He lives at the rim. He can get to the rim anytime he wants. So, he has to seize on those opportunities to play downhill-basketball. Latrell is playing good basketball, too. We have an abundance of talent, and we have to find which ones are able to play together and win for San Diego State.”
What we do know is that Miles Byrd, BJ Davis, Reese Dixon-Waters, Sean Newman Jr, Taj DeGourville, and Elzie Harrington will play significant minutes this season. Sources have told East Village Times that Harrington is a threat to play big minutes as a freshman. This could potentially harm Davis’ role this season.
Dutcher and his staff have yet to have talks with Davis about what his role with the team will be for this season.
“We haven’t had the conversations yet … we will see after our exhibition game against UCLA. They haven’t promised anybody anything yet.”
Whatever happens, it’s going to be exciting to watch Davis grow as a player at a place where he wants to be.
The UCLA exhibition is this week, and then the University of San Diego will follow on the 29th. The start of the season on November 4th is approaching quickly.
Chris is a graduate of the University of San Diego. He is the former Sports Editor for the USDVista newspaper. Chris has covered the San Diego Loyal, and now covers San Diego State Men’s Basketball. He also contributes regularly about the Padres. Chris is an athlete and is a huge fan of San Diego sports.