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As a true freshman, Arkansas guard Davonte Davis burst onto the scene in the latter half of the season en route to the Razorbacks’ first Elite Eight run in 26 years.
Davis started the final 14 games of his freshman season, averaging 10.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists over that span.
He became a fan favorite and earned national attention for his athleticism and highlight plays in the NCAA Tournament, including a backwards, between-the-legs pass against Texas Tech and a midrange jumper with less than five seconds left to give Arkansas the lead over Oral Roberts in the Sweet 16.
The Jacksonville, Ark., native was a crucial part of that tournament run, and his high level of play had fans rowdy with expectations for the hometown hero’s development into his sophomore year.
Davis entered last season as a certain starter, but that wouldn’t last the entire year. The 6-foot-4 guard had a slightly different role as a sophomore than he did his first year on campus. He was tasked with handling the ball more and initiating the offense, something he would be asked to do if he were to play in the NBA after his second year in college.