South Carolina basketball legend Larry Davis is coming home to Columbia. Per The State's Lou Bezjak, Davis is set to take over as the new head coach of the Brookland-Cayce Bearcats. The former Gamecock standout is set to return to Columbia area after leading the Mars Hill University program in North Carolina. At Brookland-Cayce, he will replace Robert Wells, who recently accepted the head coaching job at Lexington High School.
ICYMI, #Gamecocks Hall of Famer Larry Davis taking over Midlands basketball programhttps://t.co/D6wrJIlA5I
— Lou Bezjak (@LouatTheState) May 16, 2025
Davis is no stranger to the Palmetto State sidelines, as he spent nearly a decade coaching high school basketball in South Carolina, making successful stops at Lewisville, Northwestern, and York Prep. He led Lewisville to a state championship and established a reputation as one of the state's top high school coaches.
Prior to coaching, Davis made a name for himself in South Carolina. As a star player at Denmark-Olar in the late 80's and early 90's, he broke the single-season state record before signing with North Carolina. After his playing time was limited, Davis transferred to South Carolina, where he quickly became a Gamecock standout.
In two seasons as a Gamecock, Davis was named All-SEC twice and formed one of the best backcourts in program history alongside Melvin Watson and BJ McKie. Davis was a key player in a nine-win turnaround in his first season and another five-game improvement in the second. Those two years were the beginning of something great at South Carolina, as the Gamecocks won 66 games and made two NCAA Tournaments.
As a senior in the late 90s, Davis also helped South Carolina to its first and only SEC regular season title. The Gamecocks went 24-8, finished 15-1 in conference play, and earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Over his career as a Gamecock, Davis averaged 17 points, 4.4 rebounds, two assists, and 1.8 steals per game. He was inducted into the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017.