Binghamton University Athletics

A native of Woodmere, N.Y., Jim Davis played basketball at Harpur College from 1958-62. He earned his bachelor’s degree in English in 1962 and received his master’s degree in English from the College in 1964.

A 6-foot-3 forward with a deft shooting touch, Davis became the school’s all-time scoring leader in his final collegiate game, and his 1,092 career points represented the most in the program’s first 24 years. His 17.9 scoring average ranked sixth all-time in 55 years of basketball at Binghamton.

As a junior, Davis led Harpur to its best season in more than a decade, averaging 22.9 points per game for the 11-6 Colonials. His scoring average was among the nation’s top-25 for College Division teams and ranked second in program history.

Davis scored in double figures all 17 games in 1960-61 and was named team MVP and Harpur’s “Athlete of the Year.” In his final season, Davis led the Colonials to a 14-3 mark — still the highest win percentage in program history. In addition to his 17.3 points per game, Davis pulled down an average of 12.5 rebounds per contest, which ranks second all-time. Had rebounds been tracked during his first three collegiate seasons, Davis assuredly would have been among the career leaders in that category as well.

A two-time team captain, scoring leader and team MVP, Davis produced double-digit points in 51 of 61 career games, and he still appears among the top-10 in eight statistical categories.

Prior to his arrival at Harpur, the basketball team had won three games in three years. Davis-led teams matched that total in 1958-59, doubled it the next year, and went on to a 25-9 cumulative record in his final two collegiate seasons.