Johnell Davis of Florida Atlantic decided to withdraw from the 2023 NBA draft to focus on improving his abilities and getting some exposure before entering the professional ranks. Though it has been a long and challenging journey, Davis is now formally a March Madness celebrity.

Basketball players from obscure schools garner global attention every year for their March Madness exploits. Johnell Davis is the finest among them this year. He was excellent in FAU’s second-round victory over Fairleigh Dickinson, ranked 16th. He became the first player in the history of the NCAA Tournament to record 25 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 steals in a single game. With a team-high 15 points in the Elite Eight, he then guided the Owls to an upset victory against Tennessee. The 9-seeded Owls made their first-ever Elite Eight berth thanks in part to Davis’ performance.

Where does Johnell Davis hail from?

Approximately 70,000 people live in Gary, Indiana, a city on Lake Michigan’s shoreline southeast of Chicago, where Davis was born and reared. It was formerly a significant center for steel production, but currently is among the most impoverished communities in the nation. But Johnell Davis found his way out of such a difficult upbringing because of his abilities.

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Davis excelled at 21st Century Charter High School in Gary. His squad won four straight regional championships with his support. Eugene German’s career and single-game (53) scoring marks at the school were surpassed by Davis.

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Davis turned down scholarships from Kent State, Miami (Ohio), and Northern Illinois to pledge to play collegiate basketball at FAU after averaging 31.4 points and 9.8 rebounds per game as a senior.

Proximity to Florida

During his first year at Florida Atlantic, Davis had an average of 2.9 rebounds and 3.3 points per game. In the following year, his sophomore season, he improved significantly, averaging 6.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Despite starting on the bench due to injury, Davis eventually worked his way up to a starting position in his junior year.

His contributions were fundamental to Florida Atlantic’s most successful season in the program’s history, which resulted in a regular season and tournament championship in the USA. Davis was recognized for his outstanding performance receiving the first-team All-C-USA and C-USA Sixth Player of the Year awards.

In a 78-70 victory against Fairleigh Dickinson in the second round of the 2023 NCAA tournament, Davis recorded 29 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, and five steals. He became the first player in NCAA Tournament history to achieve 25 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and five steals in FAU’s win over FDU.

The March Madness Stardom

In the 2022–23 regular season, junior Davis led the Owls in scoring with 13.9 points per contest. He had a quiet beginning to the season until against UAB in January, when he scored a career-high 36 points. In 13 of his team’s last 17 regular-season games, he scored ten or more goals. With their victory in the Conference USA Tournament, FAU advanced to the big dance.

The team defeated eighth-seeded Memphis 66-65 in the opening round despite being placed ninth in the East division. In the game, Davis ended up with 12 points. The upset of #1-seeded Purdue by 16-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson in the opening round likely startled the Owls as much as it did everyone else. Rather than playing the Boilermakers, FAU advanced to take on FDU in the second round.

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After his March Madness stardom, Davis’ decision to withdraw from the NBA league strikes more sense. The 22-year-old star has a promising career in further NCAA seasons before rubbing shoulders with the big boys of the big basketball league.