After three seasons full of team success, high-scoring individual output, and All-Ohio recognition — elements that would seemingly equate to abundant college basketball prospects — Madison Royal-Davis faces uncertainty as she looks toward her senior year at Toledo Christian in 2020-21.
The 5-foot-10 guard has totaled 1,742 career points through three seasons, including 1,042 in her first two years while helping Rogers win back-to-back Division II state championships in 2018 and 2019.
As of Tuesday, Royal-Davis said she has college scholarship offers from six Division I programs: Kentucky, Toledo, Bowling Green, Butler, DePaul, and Western Kentucky. She listed Ohio State, Clemson, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, and Marquette, among others, as schools that have contacted her with at least some recruiting interest.
This is not exactly a bad group of prospective routes for the next level of her career, but it might be considered a relatively short list for a player earning the type of accolades Royal-Davis has accumulated.
“I’m comfortable with the offers I have,” Royal-Davis said of her recruiting progress. “I just hope we have AAU so I have a chance to get more.
“It’s very stressful because I’m worried about working on my game. I don’t know what opportunities I’ll get, and I don’t know if I’ll be ready because I haven’t played in so long. It’s kind of scary.”
Royal-Davis said she is unable to determine which college program she is currently leaning toward, mainly because the coronavirus pandemic has led to closures of most college campuses.
“I don’t really know yet because I haven’t been on any official visits,” Royal-Davis said. “I want to wait until I see the campuses to decide. They’re not open now. Hopefully I will eventually be able to go on some visits. Normally, you’d go during the summer. But, right now, I can’t go.”
High school players are permitted to go on up to five official visits to colleges while being recruited. The cost of these trips is covered by the college programs.
Last season, after transferring to Toledo Christian, Royal-Davis averaged 28.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 6.0 steals, and 3.7 blocked shots per game. She helped the 21-4 Eagles to a Toledo Area Athletic Conference title, a No. 6 final state ranking, and advancement to the Division IV regional semifinals.
“Having Madison on our team was great with her athleticism and the way that she played,” said Toledo Christian girls head coach Tim Wensink of Royal-Davis helping the Eagles reach their first regional since 1994. “She had a confidence coming into last year, and it really showed.
“Her teammates fed off of her confidence and relied on her scoring. That put us at a stage where we were able to compete with all of the teams in Ohio.I think she’s got a nice list of colleges, and any of them will help her be successful in college.”
Toledo Christian lost 58-50 to two-time defending state champion Minster in the regional semis. Royal-Davis led an Eagles rally that trimmed an 18-point second-quarter deficit to a three-point margin with 45 seconds remaining in that game.
It was the first time in her three-year prep career that Royal-Davis ended a season with a loss (19-1 postseason record).
“I was proud that we were able to go as far as we did, and what we were able to overcome throughout the season,” Royal-Davis said of her first season at Toledo Christian.
The All-Ohioan has extra incentive entering her senior season.
“My sister will be with us this year, so I’m really excited,” Royal-Davis said of incoming 5-11 freshman sister Mackenzie, who is also a talented basketball player.
While Royal-Davis was at Rogers and teaming with All-American guard Zia Cooke for two seasons, the Rams went 8-0 each year in D-II tourney play. They were 27-3 overall in 2017-18 and 27-2 in 2018-19 under coach Lamar Smith.
Royal-Davis was named second-team All-Ohio in D-II in 2018, first team All-Ohio in D-II in 2019, and last season was named Division IV state player of the year.
Although she still has a high school season remaining, pending the status of the pandemic during the winter of 2020-21, Royal-Davis is concerned with just what she will be able to show college recruiters between now and the time she chooses her school.
The pandemic has put athletics at every level on a virtual hold nationwide since mid-March. Optimism returned when Ohio prep programs were permitted to resume basketball-related workouts under special coronavirus precautions as of Tuesday.
But, the Ohio Department of Health has yet to approve any practice drills that allow for player-to-player physical contact, let alone give a green light to scrimmages or games.
Tentatively, AAU basketball teams in Ohio plan to resume practices in June and subsequently have games in July. Those aspirations might not actually be realized if current state-by-state re-openings significantly increase the spread of coronavirus.
“I’ve been working out at home training my body, but it’ll have to be AAU for the basketball,” said Royal-Davis, who expects to play this summer for a Columbus-based team called All Ohio. “Right now it sounds pretty good that we’ll be playing. I need to work on my mid-range jump shots and shooting in the paint off the dribble.”
Does the uncertainty of her basketball future cause any anxiety?
“It bothers me a little, but I’m not worried too much,” Royal-Davis said. “I’m just going to have to roll with the punches.”
First Published May 26, 2020, 10:53 p.m.
