During the Wolverine’s 84-63 opening win over Western Colorado, Davis led all scorers with 22 points while showing off a revitalized and slimed-down body that should enhance his athleticism and overall conditioning. But perhaps more importantly, Davis proved consistent and determined to show significant strides over his somewhat spotty play last season which ended in fairly brutal fashion.

No, Davis doesn’t shy away when asked of his missed alley-oop dunk versus Cal Baptist during the final seconds which prevented the Wolverines from winning a WAC Championship and a berth into the NCAA Tournament. Of course to put the 63-61 loss completely on Davis and his one play isn’t even close to being fair, although the 6-foot-8 forward used it as motivation throughout the offseason and aims to harness it throughout the season.

“It was a tough pill to swallow, and I took it hard,” Davis said of the missed dunk that gained national coverage. “I use it as motivation and I definitely have that chip on my shoulder to prove everyone wrong. After that game the perception was that we were bad and couldn’t get it done, so this year it’s all about proving all of it wrong.”

As mentioned, a lot of the work Davis has done in preparation this season has come with transforming his body.

“He’s lost 25 pounds, and he’s probably our best player,” said UVU coach Todd Phillips. “We’re expecting a lot from him this year and he’s going to be playing more of the (power forward) position as opposed to (center), which we feel will help him and also us, and he’s looking great. He moves noticeably better and while he’s always been a great athlete with a lot of bounce, the weight loss, we feel, is going to help him be more consistent with that athleticism. Night in and night out he’ll be the top athlete on the floor on most occasions and we love what he does for us.”

What Davis can do has always been impressive. Throughout last season there were stretches where he’d dominate the course of play, although the problem was consistency, with the then sophomore forward not providing the type of impact both Phillips and Davis himself believes he’s capable of every minute he’s on the floor.

“That’s definitely the big thing for me — to be the guy I know I can be for this team all the time,” Davis said. “I’m going to have a bigger role this year and I need to show I can handle that role. So losing all that weight, I feel. I can definitely feel it already and I’m excited to prove all the doubters wrong and to just be there for my teammates.”

“There were times last year where opposing teams simply couldn’t guard him, but then he’d disappear a bit,” Phillips added. “So this year it really is all about consistency for him and I think he’s done the work to be that more consistent guy for us. He’s working to be an elite rebounder and on-ball defender and to just be a guy that can play at his great potential all the time. The sky is the limit for him and I’m really encouraged by what I’ve seen throughout the offseason.”

Of course it’s not going to be all about Isaac Davis this season for the Wolverines, and Davis himself was quick to point out his teammates and all the strides they’ve made along with him throughout the offseason. Mentioned prominently is Isaac Hawkins, a 6-foot-10 senior who pairs nicely with Davis in the front court in providing a strong front court presence.

“Hawk, that’s my guy, right there,” Davis said. “He’s going to hold down (the center position), and that’s going to allow me to play more at (power forward), and that’s going to be lit for us. We can’t wait to show what we got and having Hawk out there helps free everything up. I love playing with him and the rest of my team. We’ve put in the work.”

Key returners for the Wolverines include guards like Braden Housley and Sherman Weatherspoon on top of some key additions like Dominick Nelson, who returns to UVU after spending a year playing for Iowa State, and AJ Dixon, who sat out last season due to injury.

With regards to Nelson, he showed much of what he was capable of during the Wolverine’s first game where he contributed 16 points in 21 minutes of play while adding four steals.

“Adding Dom is huge for us,” Phillips said of the 6-foot-5 combo guard. “He’s a guy who can really get to the basket and he’s an elite free-throw shooter, which is great because he gets to the line a lot with how he takes it to the basket. He was great for us when he was here before, but he’s going to be that much better now that he understands the college landscape even better now and you can see how he’s improved, and, like I said, he was already a great player. So we’re really excited about him and what he can add for us this year.”

Altogether expectations are high for all involved with UVU playing its first year as a conference member of the Big West Conference, which will necessarily see the Wolverines playing a bevy of teams from California as opposed to the Texas-heavy slate involved with WAC Conference play.

“I love it. California looks down on us and things we can’t play, and we’re going to prove everyone wrong. That’s our goal,” Davis concluded. “We have a lot to prove, but we’ve worked hard to prove the doubters wrong. We’re working hard and we’ll continue to work and I love my teammates. We have some great players here and now it’s time to let everyone see what we’re capable of. I’m excited. It’s going to be lit.”