Reed Named a Senior CLASS Award Candidate
University of Miami senior guard Davon Reed was one of 60 NCAA men’s and women’s basketball student-athletes who were selected as candidates for the 2016-17 Senior CLASS Award, honoring those players who excel both on and off the court.
Reed is majoring in sports administration with a double minor in marketing and communications. Following his junior campaign, he was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Honors Court, a national award “recognizing the talents and gifts that these men possess off the court and the hard work they exhibit in the classroom.” He is a two-time All-ACC Academic Team honoree and has been listed on the All-ACC Academic Honor Roll all three seasons at Miami. Reed has been named to the Dean’s List (3.5 GPA) twice, Athletic Director’s List (3.2) five times and was a five-time Book Buster (3.0). Reed serves as a basketball representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee at the university. In that role, he attends regular SAAC meetings, participates in campus and community events, and votes in yearly elections.
Reed is known as Mr. Dependable on the men’s basketball team due to his professionalism in his daily life and the consistent leadership he provides to his teammates. He chose to attend the University of Miami for its mix of academics as well as athletics, after attending Princeton Day School, where his peers are accepted to Ivy League schools. As a sophomore Reed was dealt an injury that could have cost him an entire season, but with his work ethic and determination, he only missed eight games that season. Along with playing on the men’s basketball team, Reed also works in the athletics marketing department, assisting with the execution of strategic marketing plans for all sports at the university.
Davon Reed serves as a leader on the basketball court and also in the Coral Gables community. For three years he has served as an elementary school pen pal, writing letters to local students, promoting the importance of academics while striving for professional dreams, in any field of work. Reed has also volunteered in the community at the Miami Rescue Mission Homeless Shelter. In the summer, Reed gives back to local youth by working as a counselor at the Jim Larrañaga Basketball Camp, providing leadership to campers through recreational endeavors.
A three-year team captain, Davon Reed has shown competitive leadership since his arrival on the campus of the University of Miami. Reed was third on the team in scoring as a junior (11.1 ppg), behind a pair of men who are now playing pro basketball. He started all 35 games for a team that played in the NCAA Sweet 16 and tied for second place in the Atlantic Coast Conference. As a sophomore, Reed was named to the NIT All-Tournament Team after battling through an early-season injury that could have caused him to redshirt the campaign. That season he improved from 2.4 points and 2.4 rebounds per game in five non-conference games to 9.2 ppg and 3.6 rpg in ACC play, helping the Canes to the championship game of the NIT. As a rookie, Reed spent time in the starting lineup, despite being on a team with six experienced upperclassmen.
To be eligible for the Senior CLASS Award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. The complete list of candidates follows this release.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
Among the 60 candidates, all are in excellent academic standing with 10 having grade-point averages of 3.5 or higher. Five of this year’s candidates were 2015-16 CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-Americans, and 20 returned to the court this season after receiving All-America honors for their performances a year ago. Each of the candidates also volunteers his or her time with charitable organizations and causes while upholding a reputation for positive character on campus and in the community.
Each of the 30 candidate classes will be narrowed to fields of 10 finalists in February, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one male candidate and one female candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.
The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2017 NCAA Men’s Final Four® and NCAA Women’s Final Four® this spring. For more information on each of the candidates, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.
