What Arkansas is getting in FAU transfer Johnell Davis
Arkansas head coach John Calipari has done a stellar job in building a roster from scratch in Fayetteville so far.
While fans have gotten antsy at times with the slower, more methodical roster-building process that they are accustomed to, patience has proven worthwhile.
So far, the Razorbacks have landed seven players for the upcoming season, leaving six open scholarships remaining to fill. Those seven additions are all high-quality players, either ranked highly on any number of outlets or highly sought-after by high major programs.
We begin our series scouting each player for the upcoming roster to give fans an idea of what to expect from each this upcoming season. It is only fitting for HawgBeat to start this series with arguably the biggest fish the new Razorback coaching staff has landed so far: Johnell Davis.
Bio and Stats:
Hometown: Gary, Indiana
High School: Twenty-First Century High School
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 185
Years of Eligibility: 1
2023-2024 stats: 18.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.4 steals on 48.3 fg%, 41.4 3fg%, and 85.7 FT%.
Highlights:
Offense:
Perhaps what makes Davis so dangerous and such a coveted transfer is his offensive prowess. His role can best be described as a combo guard, with the ability to play with the ball in his hands or away from the ball. Davis' role at Arkansas will most likely be off the ball in a primary scorer role, which he should flourish in.
There are endless ways that Davis can score. First, looking at how he plays with the ball in his hands, he is a three-level threat with the ability to break down defenders off the bounce and get to the cup, as well as being able to stretch the floor by shooting from the perimeter. He has great finishing ability at the rim, and although he doesn't shoot from the midrange often, he does have the ability to knock down those shots if taken.
In addition to getting to the rim and finishing, Davis handles the ball well in ball-screen actions as the ballhandler.
Oftentimes at Florida Atlantic he would try to use the screen and either get to the rim or dump it off to the roll man, but with the way this roster is shaping up, it would be a bonus to have another guard be able to utilize the pick and pop action with versatile pieces in the frontcourt like Zvonimir Ivisic and Adou Thiero.
While Davis projects as an off-ball guard next season, he has shown the ability to facilitate when needed, posting a 17.6% assist rate last season, which would have been first on the Razorback roster last season.
Where Davis will really shine offensively in this offense will be off ball, though. Bringing in five-star freshman Boogie Fland and prioritizing Kentucky transfer DJ Wagner for the point guard position, there will be ample opportunity for the former Owl to play alongside two talented point guards who can facilitate.
With a knack for shooting from the perimeter as a trail man in transition and in spot-up situations, Davis should be able to maintain his shooting efficiency even with the uptick in competition the SEC will bring just by not being the sole focus of the defense.
Last season, Davis shot a career-high 41.4% from beyond the arc on his highest volume of his career with 4.1 three-point attempts per game. The spacing that will create is crucial and should be a welcome change from what Arkansas fans have been accustomed to in recent years.
His ability to make an impact off the ball isn't limited to merely just shooting from the perimeter, rather he also boasts elite instincts in filling space and cutting or slashing to receive entry passes and finish at the rim, where, as mentioned above, he thrives.
According to the College Basketball Scouting YouTube channel, Davis also managed to knock down nine threes from beyond 25 feet. For reference, the NBA three-point line sits at 23 feet, nine inches, whereas the college arc is at 22 feet, 1.75 inches. In other words, Davis has limitless range.
Defense:
With great size and physicality, Davis has proven to be a strong on-ball defender, though he might lack the speed and lateral quickness to keep up with some of the faster guards in the SEC and country. That shouldn't be an issue, though, since he will primarily be in the two or three spot guarding the opposing team's off-ball guards and wings.
Last season, he posted his lowest steal percentage of his career at just 2.6%. Despite that being Davis' career low, it would've been good enough for second among qualifying players for the Razorbacks last season, only behind Layden Blocker (3.2%). However, over four years, Davis' steal percentage is 3.1%, with a career high of 3.4% as a junior.
The only qualifying Razorbacks from the past five years to match or exceed that 3.4% mark in a single season are Anthony Black and JD Notae (twice).
Davis has also proven to be an elite guard rebounder on the defensive side of the ball. Again, this past season he posted a career low defensive rebound percentage at 16.6%, but his career high is 19.6% and his career average is 17.8%. The 16.6% mark was better than any guard on the Razorback roster last season, with Khalif Battle being the closest with a 13.4% defensive rebounding rate.
The last Arkansas guard to post a 16% or better defensive rebounding rate was Mason Jones in 2019-2020 with a 16.2% defensive rebound rate. No Arkansas guard matched Davis' career low in defensive rebounding percentage for the duration that SportsReference has tracked the statistic, dating back to 2009-2010.
So what does all that mean? Arkansas is getting a physical defender in the backcourt that forces turnovers, has great instincts for jumping passing lanes and rebounds at an elite level on the defensive side of the ball.
Intangibles:
Davis checks a ton of boxes for the Razorbacks as a talent with his skillset, but he also checks a lot of boxes in other key areas.
He brings a wealth of experience to the team, for one. Davis has appeared in 128 games, started 53 and has been a part of two NCAA Tournament teams at Florida Atlantic, one of which made a run to the Final Four.
Being a four-year player, Davis has played multiple roles and positions on winning teams. He's been a Sixth Man of the Year in Conference USA and a Player of the Year in the American Conference. He's been labeled as one of the top transfers on the market this season by multiple outlets, and even so, can be brought in around other extremely talented players and buy-in to a role.
Most likely it seems like Davis projects as a starter off the ball and the go-to scoring option for the Razorbacks this upcoming season, but he can play multiple other spots as needed.