That made him a hot commodity in basketball hot-bed Chicago, but in an unlikely place: Perspectives Charter School. It is a contradiction to urban public schools that produce high-caliber players and have a reputation for being crowded or run-down.  Perspectives is modern, down to the architecture of its Joslin campus building that is shaped like an isosceles triangle in the Downtown South Loop area.  But Perspectives, with a high school enrollment of about 200, has no gymnasium and plays in the off-the-radar Blue Division of the Chicago Public League, a place for start-ups and foundering programs that are no match for teams from the powerful Red Division.  From this little-known school, Davis made it to Kentucky, the Final Four and NBA draft charts as the projected No. 1 pick if he chooses to declare. He is just a freshman, but his immediate impact reverberated across the country. He won the Oscar Robertson Trophy as national player of the year and will lead NCAA tournament favorite Kentucky in its national semifinal against rival Louisville on Saturday.  "I thought I would do whatever I had to to help my team win," Davis said last weekend during the NCAA regional in Atlanta, "but as far as awards rolling in, I didn't have plans on being this successful in college. I'm just thankful for it."  Davis has nifty averages of 14.3 points, 10.1 rebounds and 4.6 blocked shots a game and holds the Southeastern Conference season record with 175 blocks, but the president and co-founder of Perspectives, Diana Shulla-Cose, raves about the development of his speaking skills because that is emphasized in the school's guiding principles, coined A Disciplined Life.  "I asked him once what about (the principles) resonated with him," she said in an interview this week. "He said, 'A hard work ethic and accept only quality work.' He models it to the core."  While his classmates spent some lunch periods trying yoga, learning how to dance Salsa or picking up tips on how to DJ, Davis, an honor-roll student, was outside, shooting baskets at the school's portable backboard and rim, the closest thing it has to a sports facility. The backboard is beat up and the net tattered.  To get the latest sports news from USA TODAY, including game results, columns and features, follow us on Twitter at @USATODAYSports.  "It's from Anthony dunking on it," said Perspectives senior Ronald Brown.  They call it Anthony's hoop.  Davis is a rare find on many fronts. He became a coveted prospect only two years ago, in contrast to other prospects spotted as early as sixth grade by college recruiters and scouting services fixated on youth basketball in search of the next rising star.  After his junior season Davis signed up with MeanStreets, a Nike-backed club co-owned by former Michigan and NFL football player Tai Streets. Around that time, Davis had interest from a Horizon League school and a few other mid-majors, says Jevon Mamon, a MeanStreets assistant and head coach at Perspectives' Calumet campus (the school has five campuses).  Amid a growth spurt, the lanky Davis needed confidence and a few post moves to suit his towering frame, according to Streets. Davis was accustomed to playing the guard position and seemed tentative about playing in the post. Streets never expected him to become the talk of the club circuit.  "We went to our first tournament and everyone said, 'Who is this kid?' " Streets recalled. "He was blocking shots. He was everywhere doing everything."  Davis became an overnight sensation.  Kentucky, Ohio State, DePaul and Syracuse pursued him. Perspectives' Joslin campus coach Cortez Hale and athletics director Vinay Mullick fielded calls from schools all over the country wanting to schedule games.  Hale was in awe when Davis came back for his senior year measuring 6-10, up three inches from the year before.  "I said, 'How did you do that?' " Hale said. " 'I need to give that to my other players.' He said, 'I just slept, coach.' "  Davis' teammates lacked experience, and the school went 7-18 with an upgraded schedule that included games against Chicago powers Whitney Young and De La Salle and games in Ohio and Massachusetts. ESPNU televised the game against Young, a coup for the school that opened in 1997 with 35 students. Davis averaged 32 points, 22 rebounds and seven blocked shots a game en route to becoming a McDonald's All-American.  The team played and practiced at the nearby Illinois Institute of Technology as well as a park district facility. Perspectives offers sports to attract students but athletics truly take a backseat to preparing students for college. Last year 97% of its seniors were accepted to colleges.  The concept of small public schools in Chicago was embraced by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan while he was the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) chief executive officer. That was a boon for Perspectives and other small CPS schools. Perspectives is a tuition-free public school with open enrollment, unlike Chicago magnet schools that base admissions on grades and test scores.  Its scores on the Illinois Interactive Report Card show Perspectives has made gradual improvement each year with its test scores, though it still lags behind state percentages. Almost all of its students are from low-income homes.  One of the school's most important functions is being a safe haven, says Perspectives senior Manuel Whitfield, Davis' former teammate. "We don't have fights. We don't have metal detectors."  Davis' parents, South Side residents Anthony and Erainer, sent oldest daughter Iesha, 21, to Perspectives. Davis and twin sister Antoinette enrolled as sixth graders in Perspectives' middle school. The absence of a gymnasium didn't bother his mom because she was satisfied with their schooling.  "I didn't see it as a problem," Erainer said in a telephone interview Thursday. "It was better than the other public schools."  Davis' middle-school team practiced in a nearby church and that sufficed for the family.  "I wasn't going there because of basketball," Davis said Thursday. "(Almost all) the kids graduate and go to college. My dream was always to go to college."  Davis has not talked about his NBA plans, but Kentucky coach John Calipari typically advises potential first-rounders to enter the draft. In light of the millions he stands to make, Shulla-Cose said she would understand if Davis left early.  Feeling at home in the post  When Davis was recruited by Kentucky in summer 2010, the Chicago Sun-Times cited anonymous speculation in a story on its web site alleging boosters paid the family to secure Davis' arrival. The story was removed from the web site but the newspaper posted another citing unnamed sources from three universities who said Davis' father had put a price tag on his son's recruitment. Davis' mother declined to comment.  Officials at Kentucky and the family threatened to sue the newspaper. Sun-Times sports editor Chris De Luca said no suits were filed. Illinois has a one-year statute of limitation in libel cases.  It seems Davis put it behind him with the swiftness of one of his powerful swats. He arrived at Kentucky late last spring in need of establishing himself as a forward.  "I wasn't doing so good at first," he said. "I didn't want to be in the post. But I kept working. Now I want the ball in the post."  What sets Davis apart from other low-post players are his ball-handling skills and face-up game. All those years of playing the guard position became an asset.  "You have a guard-skilled, nimble player in a big man's body," Calipari said.  His shot-blocking as well as his unibrow have endeared him to Kentucky fans, some of whom have T-shirts that say "Bow to the Brow," a salute to Davis' play and his dark, thick eyebrows. He encounters fans who bow in person, in photographs and videos.  "I kind of embrace it," said Davis, who turned 19 on March 11. "I love it all."  Back at Perspectives, they love it, too. Mullick sees a lesson in Davis' on- and off-court schooling. "If you're good," he says, "they'll find you."
The former guard blossomed as a post player after growing 8 inches in four years at little-known Chicago charter school Perspectives.