Which Wyoming hoopster wore it best? No. 22

LARAMIE -- Do you ever see a number on a Wyoming basketball jersey and think of all the great players to wear it?

Yeah, me too.

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In this summer series, I’ll give you my take on which Pokes’ hoopster was the best ever to don each number. The criteria are simple: How did he perform at UW? What kind of impact did he have on the program?

No. 22 - JOSH DAVIS

Forward, 1998-2002, Salem, Ore.

Résumé in Laramie

* 119 games played at UW

* 12.1 points per game

* One of 38 players to score more than 1,000-career points

* Back-to-back Mountain West Champion (2000-01, 2001-02)

* First Team All-Mountain West selection (1999-00)

* First Team All-Mountain West selection (2000-01)

* Third Team All-Mountain West selection (2001-02)

* NCAA Tournament Appearance (2001-02)

* Mountain West All-Tournament Team (2000-01)

* Three-Time All-Mountain West Player of the Week

* UW Athletics Hall of Fame inductee (2013)

* AP Honorable Mention All-America (2001-02)

Why Davis?

Why did Josh Davis earn this honor over a couple of other deserving candidates in Harry Hall and Larry Nance Jr?

Not only did Davis help lead his team to an NCAA Tournament berth in 2002 -- as did Hall and Nance during their UW careers -- the Cowboys won their opening round game. And plenty of that had to do with the performance of the 6-foot-8 forward from Salem, Ore.

Five.

That's how many blocks Davis finished with in the 73-66 upset win over Gonzaga in Albuquerque's Pit that March. They weren't just half-hearted swats, either. Davis stuffed the ball right down the 'Dogs' throats -- and then celebrated in their misfortune.

The senior netted 11 points on just 3-of-7 shooting. He got the tough baskets, mixing it up in the paint with 'Zags big men Cory Violette and his backup Ronny Turiaf. A vicious fist pump typically followed.

Speaking of going to work on the glass, Davis also pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds, soaring like a prairie-gold flash for 10 of them on the defensive side.

With less than a minute on the clock and the underdog Pokes clinging to a three-point lead, Davis flushed a put-back dunk off an Uche Nsonwu-Amadi miss. He flew to the other end of the floor where he emphatically rejected an attempted lay-in from All-American Dan Dickau.

You know what, no words will do this justice. I'm sure you have 1:57 to spare:

"I'd say that probably was (my best game)," Davis said. "I had games with more points, but as far as the best all-around game, that was a stat-sheet filler."

Davis wasn't a one-trick pony during his four-year career in Laramie.

He was known for effort, emotion and high-flying dunks. He capped his college tenure with 1,439 points. He added 956 total rebounds (second in school history) and 173 blocks (fourth in UW lore).

You can find Davis' name littered throughout the history books. That's no surprise. But for those who got to watch him play, they knew they were watching a special player with the temperament and skillset to thrive on the high plains.

Davis spent parts of five seasons in the NBA with Atlanta, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Houston, Phoenix and Memphis. He also spent numerous seasons playing internationally. He now resides in Golden, Colo., with his family.

Honorable mention

Harry Hall (1966-69) was no stranger to postseason play. As a sophomore, the Illinois native helped lead the Cowboys to the NCAA Tournament after averaging 18.4 points per game from the guard spot. Wyoming fell to Lew Alcindor and the top-ranked UCLA Bruins, 109-60.

UW bounced back to make consecutive NIT appearances -- and conference championships.

Hall, who netted 19.2 points a night during his career, was a three-time All-WAC selection in Laramie. He scored 1,596 points in just 83 career games. Hall was inducted into the UW Athletics Hall of Fame in 2014.

Larry Nance Jr (2011-15) also guided his team to a berth in the NCAA Tournament in 2015 after claiming a Mountain West Tournament Championship in Las Vegas.

Nance, who would go on to be selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 27th pick in the NBA Draft, averaged 11.3 points per night in a Wyoming uniform. Known for his thunderous dunks and smooth mid-range game, Nance quickly became a fan favorite on a resurgent Cowboy squad under head coach Larry Shyatt.

The Ohio native is another member of the exclusive 1,000-point club in Laramie. He splashed 1,386 points during his career. He also chipped in with 807 rebounds and 135 blocked shots.

Nance is currently a member of the New Orleans Pelicans.

Who else wore No. 22

Bill Nelson (50's), Rolle Cahalane (50's), Robert Hanson (60's), Gordon Westhoff (60's), Willie Roberson (60's), Pat Green (70's), Larry Crowe (70's), Garry Phillips (70's), Terry Treece (70's), Bob Ladouceur (80's), Troy Washpun (80's), Marco Fleming (80's), Kevin Richardson (80's), Roman Totta (90's), Aaron Henson (00's), Amath M'Baye (00's), Brandon Porter (10's), Kenny Foster (10's)

You might have noticed we didn't have a selection at No. 21. Here are the players who wore that number in Laramie: Don Hatten (50's), Maynard Lang (60's), Wade Lang (60's), Tom Shields (60's), Reuben Poindexter (60's), Vern Ryan (60's), Terry Delp (60's), Roy Wilson (60's), John Robinson (70's), Lee Mayberry (80's), Chester Washington (90's), John Pettersson (90's), Paris Corner (90's), Justin Williams (00's), Tyson Johnson (00's), Joe Hudson (10's), Austin Haldorson (10's), Jonathan Barnes (10's), Noah Reynolds (20's)

Look who wore the No. 20 best right HERE.

Check out our "Who Wore it Best" football series right HERE.

* All available rosters provided by the University of Wyoming Athletics Department. If we missed a player who wore this number, please email cody@7220sports.com

* A number of players wore different jersey numbers during their careers. From the 1930's through the 50's, players were issued a home and an away jersey.