Son of former Cat forced to retire from college basketball

Jackson Davis’ college basketball journey has come to an end.

Davis, who emerged on the recruiting scene as a tall and talented middle schooler, grew into a Mr. Basketball finalist at Lafayette High School and then played collegiately at Butler before transferring to Eastern Kentucky, has been forced to give up the game.

New EKU head coach A.W. Hamilton announced Monday that the 6-foot-8 Davis, who would have been a redshirt senior this coming season, will take a medical disqualification and retire from college basketball.

The Colonels’ release did not specify the nature of Davis’ medical condition.

“We are sad about the news on Jackson Davis,” Hamilton said in the news release. “Jackson is a tremendous young man, and he has had a great career on the hardwood. However, we all understand his health is most important. We will continue to support Jackson in the classroom and we look forward to seeing him graduate from EKU this May with a degree in general business.”

Davis played in 16 games last season before suffering a torn labrum in January and missing the remainder of the 2017-18 campaign. He averaged 8.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.

Davis played two seasons at Butler before transferring to EKU, sitting out a year under the NCAA’s transfer rule, then getting back on the court last season.

Davis, the son of former University of Kentucky basketball player Johnathon Davis, was one of seven finalists for Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball award as a senior at Lafayette in 2014 after averaging 24.6 points and 13.8 rebounds per game.