Razorbacks Get Johnell Davis
FAYETTEVILLE – Johnell Davis, considered among the top three transfers in the nation, signed with the Arkansas men’s basketball program, head coach John Calipari announced.
Davis, whose first name is pronounced john-ELL, played a key role in Florida Atlantic’s 2023 Final Four run and was named the 2024 AAC co-Player of the Year. He led the Owls in scoring each of the last two years, was a two-time first team all-conference pick (C-USA in 2023 and AAC in 2024), two-time NABC first team All-District selection and was named 2023 C-USA Sixth-Man of the Year.
In 128 games, Davis scored 1,431 points (1,127 of which came over the last two seasons) with 219 assists (161 over the last two seasons) and 155 steals (105 over the last two seasons).
Johnell Davis
6-4, 205, G, 5th-yr Sr.
Gary, Ind. || 21st Century Charter HS / Florida Atlantic
X – @KOBNelly • Instagram – @kobnelly
• 2024 NABC All-District 24 first team
• 2024 AAC co-Player of the Year
• 2024 All-AAC first team (unanimous)
• 2023 NABC All-District 17 first team
• 2023 Conference USA Sixth Player of the Year
• 2022-23 All-C-USA first team
• 2023 C-USA All-Tournament Team
2023-24 (Sr. at FAU):
• 2024 NABC All-District 24 first team
• 2024 AAC co-Player of the Year
• 2024 All-AAC first team (unanimous)
Top 10 finalist for the Jerry West Award as well as a top 20 finalist for the Wooden Award and was on the Naismith Midseason Player of the Year and the Oscar Robertson Trophy All-America watch lists … In the AAC, ranked among the top 15 in free throw percentage (2nd, 85.7%); scoring (4th, 18.2 avg.); field goal percentage (4th, 48.3%); defensive rebounds (9th, 4.88 avg.); rebounding (11th, 6.3 avg.); steals (12th, 1.44); assists (13th, 100 total) and double-doubles (13th, 3) … Started all 34 games and scored in double figures 31 times … Scored 30-plus points three times, including the 35 versus Arizona, 30 against UAB (Jan. 14), 34 against UTSA (Jan. 21) … Led the team in scoring (18.2) and assists (100) while ranking second in rebounding (6.3) … Shot 48.3% from the field (214-443), 41.4% from 3-point (58-140) and 85.7% from the line (132-154) … Double-doubles came versus Bryant (17 points and 12 rebounds), versus College of Charleston (24 points and 10 rebounds) and at UAB (17 points and 11 rebounds) … Two-time AAC Player of the Week … First (Dec. 26) for his play versus Arizona, where he added AP and Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week honors … Against No. 4 Arizona, dropped 35 points, tied for the fifth-most points by an Owl in one game … During the game, he reached 1,000 career points, becoming the 16th Owl to do so … Second (Jan. 29) after he scored 14 at Rive and a game-high 28 versus North Texas … Against UNT, hit a three-pointer with just 0.4 seconds on the clock to give the Owls the win, in a game which he sank a career high-tying six triples … Against ECU, grabbed his 500th career rebound to become the fifth Owl to have both 1,000 career points and 500 rebounds … Had a career high eight assists against Tulane … … MVP of Hall of Fame Classic game against St. Bonaventure, posting 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists … Pumped in 29 points on 10-for-15 shooting from the field versus UNT in the AAC Tournament … Then closed the season with 18 against Temple in the AAC Tourney and 18 versus Northwestern in the NCAA Tournament.
2022-23 (Jr. at FAU):
• 2023 NABC All-District 17 first team
• 2023 Conference USA Sixth Player of the Year
• 2022-23 All-C-USA first team
• 2023 C-USA All-Tournament Team
Was a key component of Florida Atlantic’s Final Four run, 35-4 record and best season in school history … Played in 37 games with 16 starts … Led FAU in scoring with an average of 13.8 points per game, which ranked seventh in C-USA … Ranked second on the team in rebounding with an average of 5.4 boards per game, which ranked 14th in C-USA … Ranked second in C-USA in free throw percentage (85.5%) … Tallied double figures in 26 games with 20-plus points in four times including a career-high 36 points in a home win over UAB … His 36 against the Blazers are the fourth-most in a single game in FAU history and only three shy of the Owl record … Had a historic game in the NCAA Second Round win over FDU, becoming the first player to score 25+ points, grab 10+rebounds, dish out 5+ assists and tally 5+ steals in an NCAA Tournament game since steals became an official stat in 1986 … Averaged 16.6 points on 53.3% shooting in the Owls’ three-game run to the C-USA Tournament championship and was named to the C-USA All-Tournament Team … His 509 points were 10th-most in a single season in Owl history and his 56 steals were the eighth-most in a single season in Owl history … Recorded three double-doubles on the season including 18 points and 10 rebounds at Florida, 13 and 10 versus FIU and 29 and 12 versus Fairleigh-Dickinson in the NCAA … Opened the NCAA Tourney run with a 12-point, five-rebound performance in a win over Memphis … In the Sweet 16 win over Tennessee, had 15 points and six rebounds … Added 13 points and seven rebounds in the Elite 8 win over Kansas State … Finished with eight points and three boards in a 72-71 loss to San Diego State in the Final Four.
2021-22 (So. at FAU):
One of four Owls to play in all 34 games, while starting in three … Averaged 6.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game across 19.0 minutes per game … Logged 37 steals, the third most on the team … Put up nine points and three rebounds in the win versus North Dakota … Tallied six points, eight boards and four steals versus Palm Beach Atlantic … Delivered nine points, five boards and three steals at Marshall … Registered 10 points and five rebounds in the Owls’ home contest against Marshall … Had a breakout performance at UTSA after scoring 15 points, adding six rebounds and two steals … Scored 11 points against Middle Tennessee at home … Recorded nine points, five rebounds and four steals at FIU … Pulled down seven boards and added eight points in the C-USA Championship second round game versus Southern Miss … Contributed 12 points against UAB in the C-USA Semifinals … Ended the season on a positive note at the Roman CBI, earning a then career-high 18 points (7-of-13 from the field) with five boards against Northern Colorado.
2020-21 (Fr. at FAU):
Saw action in each of the Owls’ 22 games averaging nearly 10 minutes of play per game … Averaged 3.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per game … Scored a season-high 10 points at Southern Miss on Feb. 26 and had his season high of four rebounds the same night … Pulled down a season-high nine boards and dished six assists versus Florida College … Was 9-for-11 from the charity stripe for a team-best .818 percentage.
High School:
Averaged 25 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.4 steals and 3.2 assists per game as a senior, helping the Cougars to a fourth straight sectional championship …Made the Indiana State All-Star team.
For more information on Arkansas Men’s Basketball, follow @RazorbackMBB on X.