If you look up in the rafters of the Murray High School gymnasium, you’ll see some banners that highlight some standout achievements from the past. A few of the banners have special meaning for current Murray boys basketball player Ethan Davies. 

Davies, a senior center for the Spartans, is the third-leading scorer on the team, averaging 9.2 points per game. He’s also second on the squad with a rebounding average of 6.2 a contest. Davies is working hard in this his final year on the team to continue a legacy established many years ago by his family. 

Murray basketball has won two state championships. The first was way back in 1932, with second coming in 1996. Davies’ great-grandfather Joseph Johnsen was part of that first championship squad. Davies’ uncles Jeff and Britton Johnsen were star players on the 1996 team. Jeff was named Utah Mr. Basketball (given to the best player in the state, regardless of classification) in both 1995 and 1996, while Britton won the award in 1997. 

Knowing he comes from a strong pedigree motivates Davies. 

“In the Murray gym, my uncles Britton and Jeff, and my aunt Melinda, all have athlete award banners hung up in the rafters,” Davies said. “Seeing this every game, practice and event motivates me to play harder and show who I am and who I represent. I’m constantly hearing about how fun my uncles were to watch play, and this fuels my desire to play at a level like they did.”

Both Jeff and Britton Johnsen went on to play for the University of Utah. Jeff was reserve on a Utah team than finished the 1996-97 season with a 29-4 record, a Western Athletic Conference championship and a run to the NCAA Tournament Elite 8. A year later, with Jeff serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Britton played a key role in Utah’s 30-4 season and its run to the NCAA Tournament championship game where the Utes fell to Kentucky 78-69. Britton scored seven points and had four rebounds in the heartbreaking loss (Utah was leading 41-31 at halftime). 

Britton left on a church mission, and the two brothers were reunited for the 2000-01 season and played together for the first time since the 1995-96 state title run at Murray. Jeff’s Utah career ended in 2002, while Britton graduated in 2003. Britton spent time in the NBA with the Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers and then played overseas for several years. In an NBA summer league game with the Magic in 2003, Britton had an unforgettable highlight moment when he dunked the ball over a young rookie named LeBron James. 

Some people might feel a lot of pressure having such a family history at Murray, but Davies relishes it. 

“I love playing for Murray High School because I have a long family history of Spartan legacy,” he said. 

Davies started playing basketball at a young age. Born into a sports-oriented family, Davies said, “Basketball was all I knew growing up.”

His family tradition is not the only reason why Davies plays. He loves the competitive nature of the game. He also enjoys playing alongside good teammates and friends. Davies also credits his coaches for helping him to foster a love for the sport. 

“Being on a team with players and coaches that I love creates a strong passion for the game, and for me personally it creates a stronger competitiveness and desire to win,” he said. “I love my teammates because I grew up playing bantam and AAU with a lot of them, and we created a close bond through that. We always talked about the day we would play on the high school team together.”

At 6-feet-7 inches, Davies’ height is an advantage. He’s good at playing with his back to the basket and battling in the paint with other big bodies. Competed at home with his brother and dad has helped. 

“I grew up with a brother who played big and a dad who played big,” Davies said. “So naturally I learned how to play big as well, but I had to learn and adapt skills to score on my brother and gained strong jumping and quickness from this.”

During his final season in high school, Davies is doing his best to improve his ball handling and outside shooting. 

His career at Murray has had some ups and downs. 

Davies said in the past, some coaches and teammates have undervalued his abilities or not fully appreciated what he could contribute to the team. Though this has been difficult, he said it has motivated him to put forth even more effort and prove that he can contribute to the team’s success. 

“I’ve had to stick with it and keep working hard to show them what I'm capable of doing,” he said. 

The Spartans were 3-3 in the first six games this season, with early wins over Taylorsville, Woods Cross and Cyprus. Region 10 action begins Jan. 7 at Stansbury, and the regular season ends Feb. 7 at home against Park City. 

Davies is yearning for the chance to help to put a championship banner alongside the one his great-grandfather won and the one his uncles earned. 

“I want nothing more than to bring home a state championship to Murray and to do it alongside my lifelong teammate Treyce Wilson,” he said. 

After high school, Davies plans to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He hopes his basketball career can continue too. 

“I would love to play somewhere in college if I am blessed with the opportunity to,” he said. λ