Former Gamecock Devan Downey filling a passport, still ‘always in the gym’
It was a Monday afternoon on Martin Luther King Day and Devan Downey was in a familiar place – a gym.
The South Carolina Hall of Fame guard was taking in some high school basketball at the Crescent Construction MLK Bash at Eau Claire High School. A few hours earlier, Downey was working out at USC, trying to get ready for his upcoming season in Venezuela.
“I’m always in the gym. Any time I’m around, I’m in somebody’s gym,” Downey said.
Downey still has the tenacity and work ethic that endeared him to USC fans in his three seasons. Some of his highlights include two wins against Kentucky and helping engineer a big comeback at Florida.
Fans still remember Downey’s 30-point performance in 2010 during the Gamecocks’ 66-58 win against No. 1 Kentucky, which featured future NBA All-Stars Demarcus Cousins and John Wall. A year before, Downey hit the game-winner in the 77-76 win against the Wildcats at Rupp Arena.
Downey was a three-time first-team All-SEC player, helped USC to a share of the 2009 SEC East title and was inducted to the school’s athletic hall of fame in 2015.
Since graduating from USC, Downey’s career has bounced around from country to country with stops in the D-League, Belgium, Turkey, Dubai, Quatar, France and Italy. Last year, he signed a two-year deal to play in Venezuela and his second season begins in February.
“I got a whole lot of stamps on the passport,” Downey joked. “Guys that have given it up, think they are missing out on things. I credit my support system and my family to put me in a position that I’m not missing anything. But you definitely have to be mentally strong, because it isn’t cut out for everyone.
“I love this game. It’s not work for me. It’s a passion. I can’t see myself doing anything (else) anytime soon. They are going to have to drag me off the court. As long as they are going to keep paying me to play a game I would play for free, then I am going to keep playing.”
Last season, Downey averaged 15.8 points and was fourth in the league in assists at 4.9 per game. He played in the same league as former Gamecock Carlos Powell, who earned MVP honors.
The two former USC standouts were “locked in” as they watched the Gamecocks make their run to the Final Four this past season. They hoped to attend the Final Four in Phoenix, but their teams would not let them miss games for a trip back to the states.
Downey follows the USC program closely and had a chance to talk with Frank Martin, who was at the MLK Bash watching recruits. Martin tried to get Downey to Kansas State when he was an assistant there before the Chester native decided to transfer to South Carolina from Cincinnati.
“I like what coach Martin has done,” Downey said. “This year has been a little rough, but I got all the faith in the world that he is going to find it and turn it around. Nothing but respect for him and the way he coaches and has his players play hard.”
Playing hard has never been a problem for Downey, and it is a message he tries to convey to high school kids. Downey wouldn’t rule out coaching in the future when his playing days are over. He acts as a mentor to several kids throughout the state, encouraging them and giving them advice when they need it.
“I’m going to have something to do with basketball. I haven’t decided what yet,” Downey said. “At the end of the day, I’m kind of the voice who did it. It is easy hearing from your mom or coach. But I am guy who went through it so I can give a lot of insight.”
This story was originally published January 30, 2018 at 12:37 PM with the headline "Former Gamecock Devan Downey filling a passport, still ‘always in the gym’."