If Davis elects to turn pro, he could be the first player selected in the upcoming NBA draft. It has been a remarkable journey for Davis, who just last year attended a little known Chicago charter high school.
Perspectives Charter in the South Loop is abundant with pride. A recent alumnus reached extraordinary heights Monday night: Anthony Davis, a graduate of Perspectives, most outstanding player of the Final Four, helped his Kentucky teammates win the NCAA championship.
"I'm glad he won the championship, and he won all of the accolades and awards he did. But it's just exciting that he came through here," said Perspectives college counselor Jonathan Daniels.
"It was amazing just seeing Anthony," said Perspectives Principal Angela Brooks-Rallins. "He's such a team player and such a great example for our students our scholars."
At Perspectives Tuesday, those who knew Davis see the honor roll student they knew continuing to achieve now on a national stage.
"He's just a very level-headed young man," Daniels said. "He's very amenable; he's got a great family background. He's just a great example of what a young man should be, not just an athlete."
Manuel Whitfield is a senior at Perspectives and is a good friend of Davis. Whitfield is among the 97 percent of Perspective seniors accepted to a four-year college.
"I always knew he had it in him, so it's not like anything new to m. I always knew this guy was going somewhere," said Whitfield.
Whitfield said Davis is a role model for classmates, especially the younger students.
"Middle school students, they see an academic athlete, he's doing good, he's doing good in school," Whitfield said. "So that's all they keep hearing about, is all his accomplishments, not only on the court but off the court as well."
Davis's Monday last night on the court is expected to have a lasting impact on those how follow him through Perspectives.
