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Will the Real Johnell Davis Please Stand Up for Razorbacks?

Arkansas needs more from top transfer to reach potential this season after first four games

Curtis Wilkerson

Arkansas Razorbacks guard Johnell Davis on the court against the Pacific Tigers at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark.
Arkansas Razorbacks guard Johnell Davis on the court against the Pacific Tigers at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. / Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas basketball has plenty on the to-do list after four games, and getting top transfer guard Johnell Davis going is at the top of the priority list.

Davis — the top-ranked player in the portal last offseason, according to On3 — has fallen short of lofty expectations early on after returning from a preseason wrist injury.

He is averaging just 9.5 points on 42.8% shooting from the field and a 25% clip from three, a far cry from his 18.2 points and .483/.414/.857 shooting splits on an NCAA Tournament team at Florida Atlantic a season ago.

Arkansas guard Johnell Davis (1) talks to coach John Calipari during the second half against the Pacific Tigers.
Arkansas Razorbacks guard Johnell Davis (1) talks to coach John Calipari during the second half against the Pacific Tigers at Bud Walton Arena. / Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Coach John Calipari was asked about Davis' slow start following an 8-point, 6-rebound, 3-turnover outing in 32 minutes in Monday's 91-72 win over Pacific. It was the third consecutive game he failed to reach double-figures in the scoring column.

"He's got to be our sniper, okay. He's got to be that," he said. "He's physically tough. He got six rebounds.

"I don't mess with guys' shots, not in season. I may say, 'Shoot it straight. I don't care. Just shoot it straight. Make sure the ball go straight.'

"With Nelly, as I watched, I didn't like his arc. So when you were trying to make it a lot of times you'll shoot it right at that rim because you're just trying to make a shot. You got to have arc."

While Davis continues to fine-tune his shooting stoke on the Noah shot-tracking machine in the practice facility, the greater concern lies with his early fit and comfortability within the system at Arkansas.

Assuming health is not a concern, it is hard to rationalize how a player of Davis' caliber could ever end a game in which he played 32 minutes by putting up the sixth-most shots (5) in a seven-man rotation. He shot the ball one time in the first half.

The last time Davis attempted five or fewer shots in a game was more than a year ago in an 0 of 3 night in just 19 minutes against Eastern Michigan on Nov. 14, 2023.

Last season with FAU, Davis ranked in the top-10 percentile nationally in percentage of possessions used (27.5) and percentage of shots taken (27.1).

A downtick was expected transferring to an Arkansas team loaded with talent, but his possession usage has dropped 10 percent and his shot percentage is down nearly seven percent.

Davis ranks fourth on the team in both categories, which, according to KenPom, places him in the "Role Players" category.

Small sample size noted, Johnell Davis was not brought to Arkansas to be a role player...

Far too often Davis spends multiple offensive possessions standing in the left corner and never moving.

In some cases, it is because point guard Boogie Fland tends to initiate the offense to the opposite side. In others, it is evident that when Davis does get a touch, he defers and gets rid of the ball no sooner than it touches his fingertips.

One way to potentially kickstart Davis' offensive game is to have him initiate things in the halfcourt, something he did frequently and successfully during his decorated tenure at FAU.

Monday night, however, when Fland hit the bench with two fouls and four minutes remaining in the half, it was DJ Wagner who assumed the lead guard duties while Davis remained exclusively off-ball and assumed his reserved space in the corner.

It will require a group effort from Davis, Calipari and his teammates on the floor to get him comfortable, featured and firing on all cylinders, which is a must before the competition level increases in a hurry, starting with a Thanksgiving Day matchup with Illinois.

Up next for Davis and the Razorbacks is a Friday night matchup with Little Rock at 8 p.m. from Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network.

HOGS FEED:

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• Razorbacks find mojo late, stymies Pacific

• Arkansas game verified Texas fraud, SEC hypocrisy

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Curtis Wilkerson
CURTIS WILKERSON

Curtis is in his fifth year on the beat covering Arkansas basketball, football, baseball and recruiting. Prior to his time in Fayetteville, he spent eight years coaching basketball at the small-college level in Illinois and spent two years contributing as a scout and recruiting analyst with Prep Hoops. He holds a bachelor's degree in Athletic Training and a master's in Administration.

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