Basketball players from small colleges often become household names thanks to their March Madness performances. This year, Johnell Davis particularly stood out in the Charleston game. Davis eventually decided to skip the NBA draft in 2023 and instead focus on improving his skills and gaining experience before turning pro.

In the Field of 68 Tipoff, No. 13 Florida Atlantic easily defeated Charleston 90-74. Davis led the victory with 24 points, and Vladislav Goldin had 17 points and 12 rebounds. After being scoreless in the Tipoff opener against Liberty, Davis took over the Owls’ offense in the final 12 minutes of the Charleston game.

But did Johnell Davis justify his NCAA decision?

His decision to return to college was earlier received with mixed emotions. Davis averaged 13.6 points in 27 minutes this current NCAA season, which is a pretty impressive score. And his historic double-double with 24 points in the game against Charleston screamed that his decision to make a run in the NCAA was justified.

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Johnell Davis made his debut in the Owls’ 2017 Final Four run. In addition to being a gifted playmaker and a willing rebounder considering his height, he was a tenacious defender. He had a massive game in FAU’s victory over Fairleigh Dickinson in the second round, recording 29 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, and five steals.

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But going forward, Davis has to improve his three-point shooting consistency since he only made three of his 19 attempts in the NCAA tournament.

Journey from Indiana to FAU

Davis did exceptionally well at Gary’s 21st Century Charter High School. With his help, his team won four straight regional titles. He outscored Eugene German’s career and single-game (53) scoring records while attending the institution.

After averaging 31.4 points and 9.8 rebounds per game as a senior, Davis turned down scholarships from Kent State, Miami (Ohio), and Northern Illinois in order to commit to playing collegiate basketball at FAU.

In his first season at Florida Atlantic, Davis averaged 3.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. His sophomore season the following year saw a notable improvement as he averaged 6.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.

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Due to an injury, Davis began the season on the bench but finally fought his way up to a starting spot in his junior year, and he stands where he is today.