The early season was rough for Arkansas guard Johnell Davis, but he's playing his best basketball at the right time, and it was one of the main reasons the Razorbacks (14-8, 3-6 SEC) took home a 78-70 victory over the Texas Longhorns (15-8, 4-6 SEC) on Wednesday night at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas.
Davis exploded for a season-high 24 points on 7-of-15 shooting that included four threes in the game. He had eight in the first half and came on strong in the second, when he scored 16 points.
Since Boogie Fland went down with a thumb injury that will likely keep him out for the remainder of the season, Davis has filled in well as another scoring option. He's scored at least 18 points in each of his last three outings, and his three-point percentage has jumped to a blistering 43.7% in that timeframe.
One key part of Davis making that stride is his mindset. Arkansas head coach John Calipari said after Wednesday's win that Davis' mental fortitude has helped him become the player he is right now.
"What I’m telling him and all these guys, the fight you have is if you miss two shots, don’t act like you’re going to come out every time you make a mistake," Calipari said. "The battle is within you. That I’m shooting another one and I’m shooting another one. If you make a bad play, you have to have the mental strength to go on to the next play. If you don’t, there are no alibis. Now, what he’s done, he’s busted through all of that."
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All 24 of Davis' points were instrumental for Arkansas, including a three-pointer late in the second half. The Hogs had seen what was once a 23-point lead slip to just eight, 62-54, and the Longhorns were threatening to make that lead even smaller.
Davis took the ball on the wing, dribbled to the top of the key and drilled the deep shot to give Arkansas a 65-54 lead.
It wasn't just in the scoring column that Davis made an impact on Wednesday's game. He logged four steals, including one with 37 seconds left in the game to seal the win. He was also a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line — with two of those late in the game as well — and hauled in five rebounds.
Wednesday's game was the second in a row where the Hogs dominated for most of the night, and it appears they're turning a corner. If Arkansas wants to play its way back into the NCAA Tournament, it will need this kind of performance from Davis night in and night out.
The next opportunity for the Razorbacks to bolster their resume will be on Saturday, when No. 3 Alabama comes to Bud Walton Arena. Tipoff for that game is at 7:30 p.m. CT — a thirty-minute change from when it was originally scheduled — and will air on ESPN.
