« Women’s Basketball 2020-21

Rennia Davis

School
University of Tennessee
Position
Forward
Major
Master’s in Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications Bachelor’s in Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management
Rennia Davis Winner

Classroom

Davis is and has always been a very committed student, completing a college associate of arts degree while still in high school.

She earned a degree at Tennessee in only three years in hotel, restaurant and tourism management with a minor in business administration. After completing that degree in May of 2020, Davis is working on a master’s in agricultural leadership, education, and communications.

She earned 2019-20 Chancellor’s Honors for Extraordinary Academic Achievement for her work in the classroom. Davis is a two-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll and is in line for her third such honor this season.

Character

Due to her character and leadership potential, Davis was chosen for the 2019-20 VOLunteer Leaders Academy. By using their platform in sport, student-athletes admitted into the VOLeaders Academy learn how to positively impact their team, campus, and local and global communities. The program aims to inspire student-athletes to find ways to use their passion of sport and their influence to enact positive change that transcends their athletic success.

As part of that experience, Davis and her fellow VOLeaders would have had the opportunity to travel to the Philippines and immerse themselves in exercising their leadership and service capabilities. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 global health pandemic, that trip was cancelled. Davis, though, continues to impact her team, our university and the local community through her positive actions.

Community

Davis has logged over 50 hours of service in and around the Knoxville community over the last three-plus years. She has spent her free time serving at the Love Kitchen, a local soup kitchen in East Knoxville, visiting sick and injured patients at the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, and participating with the Lady Vol basketball team at the Hoops for Hope event supporting the Down Syndrome Awareness Group of East Tennessee.

She has also volunteered at the annual Community Holiday Meal, where student-athletes serve individuals from the Knoxville Area Rescue Mission a meal. Additionally, Davis has participated in the women’s basketball team’s annual Christmas party, cookie decorating and gift giving for a deserving family in the Knoxville area.

Competition

Davis, a 6-foot-2 forward from Jacksonville, Fla., averaged 17.3­ points and 8.8 rebounds per game to pace Tennessee in both categories this season. She shot 48.0 percent from the field and 85.3 percent at the free-throw line. Her worksheet also included 10 double-doubles and 10 games of 20 or more points, leading UT to a 17-8 final record, a third-place mark of 9-4 in SEC play, a No. 13 AP national ranking and advancement to the NCAA Tournament Second Round for the first time since 2018.

Even better in SEC play, Davis put up 20.0 ppg. and 9.0 rpg. while shooting 52.3 percent from the floor and 85.2 at the charity stripe. She earned All-SEC accolades for the third time in her career, including first-team honors the past two seasons. She also was an AP All-America Honorable Mention choice for the second time, a finalist for the Cheryl Miller Award and a repeat candidate as well for the Wade Trophy, Naismith Trophy, and John R. Wooden Award.

From a career standpoint, the projected first-round pick in the upcoming WNBA Draft concluded her UT tenure fourth all-time among Lady Vols in double-doubles with 39, trailing only Chamique Holdsclaw (57), Mercedes Russell (46) and Candace Parker (45). She was fifth in career 20-point scoring games with 23.

In the Lady Vol record book, Davis wound up ninth in scoring (1,815) and points per game (15.4), 10th in rebounds (947) and sixth in rebounds per game at 8.03 rpg. Additionally, she finished sixth in free-throw percentage (.816), eighth in field goals attempted (1,477) and ninth in field goals made (696).