Maple Grove sophomore point guard Brad Davison was dribbling the ball up the court, when he turned towards the bench to get a play from Crimson coach Nick Schroeder.

There appeared to be some confusion between coach and player, and as Davison turned to get the offense into position, he found Jack Hutchison wide open for an easy layup. Davison then turned back to chat with Schroeder some more.

"I was talking to (Schroeder) about what play he wanted but I saw an opening, so I threw it," Davison said. "And then afterwards I told him, 'We'll run (the play) next time down.'"

The sequence came near the end of the first half of Maple Grove's 66-52 drubbing of Robbinsdale Armstrong in a Northwest Suburban Conference game in front of a crowded Maple Grove gymnasium on Friday night, and it demonstrated the role Davison plays for the Crimson.

"(Davison) is an extension of a coach on the basketball floor," Schroeder said. "His basketball IQ is amazing."

Schroeder and Davison both said they have a good relationship, a bond that helps the offense work like a fine-tuned machine. 

Davison was firing on all cylinders against the Falcons. He scored 15 of his game-high 20 points in the first half and commanded runs of 15-2 and 17-5 to start the first and second halves, respectively.

Davison leads the team in scoring (16.4 points per game) and in assists (9.1 per game) after eight contests.

Some aspects of Davison's game still need improvement, such as his decision-making, Schroeder said. However, the coach is not worried because his star point guard is a gym rat.

"The thing about Brad is he's constantly working," Schroeder said. "He works at it every morning and comes in early because it matters to him. He's passionate about it and that's what makes him great."

Davison is the rare high school athlete who - as an underclassman - was voted captain by his teammates before the season. The Crimson point guard said he matured a lot in the offseason and is more comfortable in his second year of varsity basketball.

"It's a huge honor (being voted captain) because it shows that your teammates look to you during the game and off the court, as well," Davison said. "It's something that I take a lot of pride in."

Schroeder said Davison has embraced the leadership role, and his ability to control a game is huge for the Crimson offense, which averages 74.6 points per game

Maple Grove is off to a hot 8-0 start and ranked No. 5 in Class 4A by Minnesota Basketball News, but Davison said Friday night's upset of No. 3-4A Robbinsdale Armstrong was just one of many tests on the path to Target Center and the state tournament.

"We can't get too big of a head just because we're 8-0," Davison said. "We gotta take these games one at a time, and next Friday against Apple Valley is when we'll really see where we are. That'll be a fun game."


Tip off between Maple Grove and Robinsdale Armstrong. Photo by Brian W Nelson - Click image for full size

First Report

Sophomore guard Brad Davison scored 20 points, helping Maple Grove remain unbeaten with a 66-52 upset of Robbinsdale Armstrong Friday night at Maple Grove High School.

Six-foot-nine junior Reed Nikko finished with 14 points - all in the second half - and junior Kayode Awosika chipped in nine points for the Crimson, ranked fifth in Class 4A by Minnesota Basketball News.

Maple Grove improved to 8-0 overall and 5-0 in Northwest Suburban Conference play with the victory over the No. 3-4A Falcons.

Senior Evan Nolan led Robbinsdale Armstrong with nine points as the Falcons (8-1, 4-1) lost for the first time this season.

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