Lady Vols freshman Rennia Davis: Four things to know

Several former Tennessee women’s basketball players dropped by a Lady Vols workout this summer.

They were members of UT’s first national championship team (1987). For Rennia Davis, it seemed like they had not strayed far from the team or each other.

“It was like family oriented still, even though it’s been years since they won a championship,” the Tennessee freshman said. “So it basically emphasized the Lady Vol for life thing. It made me want to be here even more.”

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The experience made her want what they have, too. The 6-foot-2 forward got a taste at Ribault High in Jacksonville, Fla., playing on three state championship teams and amassing 2,304 career points. As a senior, she averaged 26.3 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists.

Davis said she still talks daily to one of her former teammates. 

“For most people,” Davis said, “it’s about meeting people and lasting relationships that will exist past basketball.”

 Davis is one of those people. Here’s four other things to know about the new Lady Vol.

A sense for Tennessee

Davis said Tennessee initially wasn’t among the top five schools she considered attending. Her recruiting visit was due largely to the persuasiveness of former Lady Vols assistant coach Jolette Law.

Once on campus, Davis conceded that she didn’t do much talking to her future teammates either.

“I’m kind of like an introvert for the most part if I don’t really know you,” she said.

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Davis was watchful, however. During her campus tour, she concluded: “I could really see myself here.”

She listened as well. The coaches were hospitable, much like any staff would be for a recruit. Still, they came across differently.

“Coming from them," Davis said, “it seemed like it was really genuine.”

In so doing, coach Holly Warlick struck a familiar cord.

“She’s very chill,” Davis said. “Of course on the court, it may get very intense, but she’s a very chill person naturally and so am I.”     

A junior’s achievement

As a student, Davis can pull rank on her freshman teammates. She took full advantage of Ribault’s college preparatory program.

Davis took all of her mandatory high school courses during her freshman and sophomore years and then attended a local junior college (Florida State College) for her final two years, earning an Associate of Arts degree.

“My mom initially was the one person to put me in that,” Davis said of the program. “But as I matured (I realized) this should be very beneficial to me.”

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Academically, her senior year at Ribault was one of her toughest. The trend has continued at Tennessee.

“It’s tough coming in as a junior,” she said. “I don’t get the two years of padding that other freshmen get. I have to go straight into the hard classes that normal juniors and seniors take. But I’m technically still a freshman.”

Cooking up a career

Davis is pursuing a degree in business management with an eye toward owning and managing her own restaurant. She likes seafood but prefers cooking with soul.

“I feel like after I’ve played here for four years and the fan base becomes accustomed to me and stuff, I would probably open my first soul food restaurant right here,” she said.

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If Davis is placing an order for herself, she’ll have some smothered ribs with yellow rice, macaroni and cheese and cabbage. Anything else?

“Ummm,” she thought, “it depends on what kind of mood I’m in. Maybe cornbread, but I’m not really into the breads.”

Is she dunking?

For the record, Davis dunked in a game last season. There was just one problem.

“Nobody recorded it,” she said. “Nobody thought I was doing it.

There was a steal, a fast break, two dribbles and up she went. And down came the basketball.

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“It wasn’t like a hard dunk, where the rim shook,” Davis said. “It was like I just threw it over the rim.”

Another dunk occurred during a pep-rally event. Since this one was planned, it was captured on video.

Although Davis doesn’t have anything planned for this season, it’s best to be alert.

“If I have a fast break and we have a significant lead, I don’t see why I wouldn’t try it,” she said. “Unless my legs were completely dead.”