1 on 1 with Mississippi State freshman Jamarion Davis-Fleming
While Mississippi State’s basketball season hasn’t provided a lot of success, freshman Jamarion Davis-Fleming has been a pleasant surprise for the Bulldogs. It hasn’t taken the Canton native long to make an impact at the college level.
Davis-Fleming has started five games this season and is averaging right at 20 minutes a game. He currently leads the team with 33 blocked shots and his 64.9% field goal percentage is also tops on the team.
Earlier this week, Davis-Fleming sat down with Maroon and White Daily to discuss his freshman season and the future ahead:
Q: Did you expect to have this type of production as a true freshman?
Davis-Fleming: To be honest with you, I didn’t. I knew I could and I knew I had the ability to do it. But my freshman year I just wanted to come in, grow and learn. If I told you back in July or August that I would be doing this much my first year, I would say no. So it’s definitely been amazing.
Q: What’s been the biggest adjustment for you coming from high school to the SEC?
Davis-Fleming: Just the pace of the game, being able to slow down and not let people speed me up. Then you have to adjust to the physicality and the big guys and knowing just how physical the SEC is compared to high school. Those have been the biggest adjustments for me.
Q: Still a lot of games left this season. But your thoughts on the future of this program?
Davis-Fleming: We are in a great spot for the future. Of course, we are having a tough season right now. But as freshmen we are learning and will come back next year even better. We will know what to expect. We will know how to play and what to do, know Coach (Chris) Jans’ style. So it will be better next year.
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Q: You were a pretty good shooter in high school. How frustrating has it been for you shooting free throws this year?
Davis-Fleming: It is very frustrating but I think I am starting to figure out. When I came in, it was just a mental thing. I know I got a good stroke and a good technique. It’s just my hand speed. I am not taking my time when I get to the line and it is like I am just throwing it instead of taking my time. I will just keep working on it and before practice I shoot 100 free throws. So it’s been a main thing, trying to keep working and get my percentage back high where it is supposed to be.
Q: Going into the offseason, what are some things you want to work on?
Davis-Fleming: Just expanding my game. Shooting, free throws, my post-up game and be a perimeter threat like I was in high school. Just getting more comfortable at the college level so I will be in the gym all summer long working on my shot and my footwork, just everything to be a totally different player.
Q: What have you seen from Tee Bartlett in his redshirt season?
Davis-Fleming: Tee is amazing. He came in late but he is a great player and a great post player. He has physicality, can score and is a great passer. Once he gets out there everyone will see what the hype is about.
Q: What does it mean to you to play for State being from Mississippi?
Davis-Fleming: It means a lot being my home state. Not often do you see Mississippi guys stay in Mississippi and some want to go somewhere else. But me having that chance to represent Mississippi State and put Mississippi State on the map and win, it means the world to me. I wanted to play for a Chris Jans’ winning program.
