After a sensational sophomore year, Wisconsin guard Johnny Davis is declaring for the NBA Draft. The decision doesn’t come too much of a surprise because Davis is projected as a top ten pick in the NBA Draft this summer. Davis announced his decision on ESPN’S NBA Today.
The Journey To Wisconsin
Davis came to Wisconsin as a three star recruit from La Crosse, Wisconsin. Badger fans knew about him early and he was on Greg Gard’s radar early. Davis committed to Wisconisn on June 15, 2019. He also held offers from Iowa, Marquette, Minnesota, West Virginia, and other non-power schools. As a result, he decided to stay in his home state.
In his freshman year last season, Davis was the sixth man and averaged 24.3 minutes a game. He wasn’t asked to score the ball much as the Badgers were flooded with upper classmen. Davis averaged seven points a game on 44% shooting and 39% from three his freshman year.
The Amazing Sophomore Jump
There’s no doubt Johnny Davis was asked to be a leader and scorer this season. Besides him, Brad Davison, and Tyler Wahl, there was a ton of questions about this team. They were not projected to go to the NCAA Tournament.
Congrats to @JohnnyDavis on being named a finalist and All-American with the Wooden Award 🏅👏 pic.twitter.com/17Sz31DCye
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) March 30, 2022
However, Davis stepped up his game in the off-season and turned into a force on both sides of the ball. He was named Big Ten Player of the Year, First Team All-America, and a finalist for the Wooden Award. We knew Johnny would be good, however not this good. Johnny finished the year averaging 19.7 points a game, eight rebounds, and two assists. As a result, he was a huge reason the Badgers won a share on the Big Ten Championship.
Legacy
It’s hard where to rank Johnny Davis among the greats in Wisconsin history. While he was only around for two years, one could argue it was one of the most impressive seasons ever at Wisconsin. We have not seen an individual season like this since Frank Kaminsky in 2015.
I have seen a lot of great players wear the red and white. I don’t know if I have ever seen an individual season like this. Davis was important to this team and he consistently delivered. I will always remember his 30 point performance against Houston in the Maui semis, the 37 point performance at Purdue, and his performance in the second half against Colgate in the NCAA tournament. I’m missing more, however these are a few that stick out to me.
Thank you for everything, Johnny!
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