2023-24 Stats (FAU): 34 G, 18.2 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.4 SPG, 48.3% FG, 41.4% 3PT, 85.7% FT
Career Stats (FAU): 128 G, 11.2 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.2 SPG, 48.0% FG, 36.6% 3PT, 84.5% FT
Johnell Davis, or ‘Nelly’ as many call him, is already a bonafide star in college basketball who burst onto the scene as a junior at Florida Atlantic, helping power the Owls to a Final Four appearance during the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Davis led FAU back to the big dance in 2024 after earning AAC Co-Player of the Year honors before becoming the No. 1 overall transfer in the country, according to On3.
[Related: Arkansas Picked 4th in SEC, Pair of Hogs Earn All-League Honors]
During his four years in Boca Raton, Davis showed marked improvement in virtually every statistical category, going from 3.2 points per game as a freshman to one of the top guards in the entire country as a senior. He quite literally doubled his scoring average in each of the next two seasons while improving his efficiency across the board.
Perhaps Davis’ most encouraging area of growth has been as a shooter. The 6-4, 205-pound guard from Gary (Ind.) shot 33.3% from three as a sophomore on 2.0 attempts per game. He upped that to 35.7% on 3.4 attempts per game as a junior before knocking down 41.4% of his 4.1 threes per game last season.
It’s also worth noting that the Owls moved from Conference USA to the AAC between his junior and senior years, and Davis’ effectiveness only increased as the level of competition rose. Of course, he’ll face even better opposition while at Arkansas, but in his four games against SEC competition throughout his career, Davis has averaged 17.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists on 47.9% shooting and a whopping 57.1% from three.
In fact, some of Davis’ best work has come against the stiffest competition. He went for 26 points on 9-of-15 shooting against Texas A&M last season before torching Arizona for 35 points on 15-of-27 shooting, and his team won both games. For his career, Davis has averaged 15.8 points in his six NCAA Tournament games.
Davis’ resume as a scorer speaks for itself, and there should be no question about his ability to handle lead guard duties against any level of competition when healthy. With his move to Arkansas and the SEC, the real question will be how well he can round out his game to further his chances at drawing NBA interest, a route he explored for a moment this offseason.
For his career, Davis has 226 turnovers and 219 assists. He broke even in the assist-turnover department for the first time in his career last year, finishing with 100 and 97, respectively, averaging just under three per game in each category. While it’s unlikely anyone ever views Davis as a defensive anchor on the wing, becoming a more consistent playmaker to go with his ability to score at all three levels could be the next step in his evolution as a player.
We’ll see if Davis winds up carrying the same kind of scoring load he handled last year at FAU and how the transition will look next to talented guards like DJ Wagner and Boogie Fland. But there’s no doubt the Hogs have one of the most well-rounded offensive threats in the country in Nelly Davis and one of the best scorers to come through Fayetteville in recent memory.