Rutgers basketball: Freshmen Jamichael Davis, Gavin Griffiths set to debut vs. St. John's

Near the end of Friday's "KnightFest" fundraiser for Rutgers' basketball players, head coach Steve Pikiell led a lighthearted Q&A session and asked his players to reveal their teammates' hidden talents. He asked grad transfer Noah Fernandes about freshman guard Jamichael Davis.

"He can actually jump to Mars," Fernandes replied.

Pikiell followed that up by asking the team who has the highest vertical and the response was unanimous: It's the 6-foot-2 freshman guard from Powder Springs, Georgia.

Fans of the Scarlet Knights can get their first look at Davis and highly touted fellow freshman Gavin Griffiths on Saturday afternoon when Rutgers visits St. John's in a charity exhibition benefitting the V Foundation for Cancer Research. The game tips at 2 p.m. at Carnesecca Arena in Queens.

Jamichael Davis 'is just a pest on defense'

Though he arrived on campus as a relatively unheralded recruit (rated three stars and ranked outside the top 200 prospects), Davis is shaping up to be a key contributor in the guard rotation.

"We have a lot of classes together. We got a similar schedule so we spend a lot of a time together," said Griffiths of his fellow freshman. "He's just a pest on defense. So you know sometimes it's frustrating because he'll steal the ball from you, and then you gotta go back and be his roommate."

Davis' on-court speed was the signature trait in the scouting report coming into the season, but his profile has evolved during his first few months on the banks. The leaping ability has been better than advertised, and he shows flashes of it when he contests opponents' shot attempts. He further showed off his defensive prowess near the end of practice on media day by volunteering himself as the best defender on the "red" team (winning at rock-paper-scissors to secure the honor) and facing off in a full-court one-on-one against sophomore Derek Simpson. Davis locked him up, forcing an off-balance missed layup.

"I'm super excited for everyone to find out what he can do on the court," added Griffiths. "He's gonna surprise a lot of people with how good he is."

Rutgers basketball coach Steve Pikiell on Gavin Griffiths: 'The most talented guy we've signed'

In that sense he's the opposite of Griffiths, whose prowess as a prospect was thoroughly documented.

"Gavin, he's the most talented guy we've signed here during my tenure," Pikiell said.

The 6-foot-8 guard from West Hartford was signed right out of the backyard of reigning national champion UConn, a testament to the recent growth of the program in recruiting. In a 5-on-5 scrimmage during media day, Antwone Woolfolk shot a three from the top of the key and Griffiths instinctively sensed the looming miss. He charged from the right corner to complete a putback layup from the left side of the rim. The following possession, Griffiths drilled a 3-pointer from the corner.

"The biggest adjustment is just the size on the court and the physicality," he said after that practice. "Especially on defensive rebounding. Learning how to do those things at the physical level."

Although there's still a sizable gap in terms of intensity between a practice session in October and a Big Ten game in January, Griffiths was astute at using his length to disrupt passing lanes, contest shots and poke the ball loose from unsuspecting ball handlers.

"I feel like I'm learning quickly, when I first got here (defense) was one of my weaknesses," said Griffiths. "The coaches are great teachers. They're just teaching me how to be in the right spots so I can use my length."

St. John's will provide a good gauge for both newcomers. The Red Storm narrowly missed making the preseason Associated Press Top 25 as Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino debuts with a roster loaded with talent.

General admission tickets to the contest will be $20 for lower-level seating, $10 for upper-level seating and $5 for student tickets, with all proceeds going to support innovative pediatric cancer research. The contest will not be televised or live-streamed.

Tickets can be purchased online or by calling the St. John’s Ticket Office at 1-888-GO-STORM.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Rutgers basketball: Freshmen Davis, Griffiths to debut vs. St. John's