Devo Davis embracing leadership role in third year

The 2020 recruiting class was the first Eric Musselman signed at Arkansas, and before the four in-state prospects even made it to campus, fans could feel the tides of the program turning. Fast forward three years, and the Razorbacks have been to two Elite Eights, signed another top recruiting class, and are hoping to sign a third in the 2023 class.

Out of the four members of the pivotal 2020 class, only one player remains a Razorback: Davonte Davis. The rising junior from Jacksonville, Arkansas has play a huge role in turning the program around, from becoming a household name in the NCAA Tournament as a freshman, to adjusting and learning new, greater roles on the team.

While his classmates have taken different paths - Jaylin Williams was a second round draft pick this year to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Moses Moody was the first one-and-done in program history the year prior, and KK Robinson transfer to Texas A&M - Davis has remained steady in his commitment to the program. As a result, he’s become a mentor to a group of talented freshmen and a team leader on a team with very high expectations.

“Well, Devo has been here for three years, so I'm pretty sure that he knows everything that's going on,” Razorback freshman guard Nick Smith said. “I know that he knows what coach needs, so he's gonna do what Coach needs and he's gonna do everything that Coach wants. He's gonna try and lead us, you know, he's been leading us ever since we got here and it's been helping us ever since because if we didn't have Devo, I can honestly say some of us would be lost still to this day. It's a good thing to have Devo here.”

Smith, a McDonald’s All-American and second-ranked player nationally on Rivals coming out of high school, was not the only one in the Razorback locker room to echo those sentiments. Other teammates and even Head Coach Eric Musselman gave similar comments about Davis.

“Devo is a great leader,” Razorback freshman Anthony Black said. “I don't know who had leadership roles the last couple of years, but this year he's really been a good leader. Making sure we're tight, just telling us the right things to do, preaching hard work, stuff like that. Just kind of telling us how hard it is to get to the Elite Eight and Final Four. Just having a dude who's been there is good.”

Coach Musselman was more candid in his response talking about Davis’s leadership and winning experience.

“We were doing a defensive drill and Devo was on the side… kind of coaching everybody from the side,” Musselman said. “And it was just a shell defense. I kind of stopped everything and said, ‘Do you guys understand why Devo is on the sideline barking out instructions?’ Everybody had their own thoughts and reasons. I said, ‘No, it’s because he knows what it’s like to get to an Elite Eight. That’s why he’s doing that. And he knows that this is a necessary piece to be a successful team. Some of you other guys don’t know that, that haven’t won at a high level.’”

Davis has actually been to two Elite Eights under Musselman, and is hoping for a third and maybe even a deeper run in the NCAA Tournament.