Ex-Hawkeye Ricky Davis makes D-League roster

Ricky Davis was an Iowa freshman basketball player 16 years ago. He played one season, then left to join the NBA.

It worked out for him. He was a first-round draft choice of the Charlotte Hornets, and played in the league until 2010. He was with Charlotte, Miami, Cleveland, Boston, Minnesota, Miami again, and the Los Angeles Clippers. He played in 736 regular-season games. His season scoring average was over 10 points a game in all of his 12 seasons, and he averaged 20.6 points in the 2002-03 season.

He wants more.

Davis played for teams in Turkey, China, France and Puerto Rico. He was with the Maine Red Claws of the NBA D-League from Dec. 28, 2010 to Jan. 20, 2011.

Now he's back in the D-League. He has made the opening-day roster of the Erie BayHawks at age 34. Erie opens the season tonight at home against the Canton Charge.

Another former Hawkeye is back in the D-League. Doug Thomas, who played for Steve Alford's Hawkeyes in the 2004-05 and 2005-06 season, has made the roster of the Bakersfield Jam.

Thomas has 160 games of D-League experience, 55 with the Iowa Energy and 105 with the Reno Bighorns. He has also played professionally in Switzerland, Venezuela, Sweden, Mexico, Germany, the Philippines and Kuwait.

He is 30. He went to the San Antonio Spurs' training camp in 2011, but has never been on an NBA roster.

Two former Iowa State players are in the D-League. Rookie Chris Babb, a late cut of the Boston Celtics, is with Maine. Chris Allen, a second-year pro, is with the Iowa Energy. Allen played briefly last year in Israel.