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Wisconsin's Johnny Davis to Enter 2022 NBA Draft, Will Forgo Eligibility, Hire Agent
Mar 31, 2022
Wisconsin's Johnny Davis (1) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Penn State Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, in Madison, Wis. Wisconsin won 51-49. (AP Photo/Andy Manis)
Wisconsin guard Johnny Davis declared for the 2022 NBA draft Thursday after the Badgers' second-round exit from the NCAA tournament.
"After taking some time off and discussing everything with my family and coaches, I have decided to pursue a lifelong dream by declaring for the NBA draft with the intent of hiring an agent," Davis told ESPN's Jonathan Givony.
Davis averaged 19.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists in a breakout sophomore season, winning Big Ten Player of the Year and earning consensus All-American status.
Breaking the mold of a typical Wisconsin guard, Davis was given freedom to regularly attack with pace and create for himself off the dribble outside of the team's offensive ecosystem.
"He was incredible," fifth-year senior guard Brad Davison told reporters. "Time and time again, he goes out on the floor and not only shows the league but shows the country how dynamic he is. I have no problem saying he's the best scorer in the country and one of the best players in the country. I get to see it every day in practice and every time in games. When he's rolling like that, I try to give him space. I'll make a couple of shots and give him more space."
Davis is arguably the best NBA prospect Wisconsin has produced since Devin Harris in 2004. Givony has him ranked as the No. 9 overall prospect in the 2022 class and the third-ranked guard behind Purdue's Jaden Ivey and Kentucky's Shaedon Sharpe.
Teams targeting Davis will be attracted to his rebounding from the guard spot and defensive versatility. He has the length and athleticism to defend both guard spots and can be fine against most 3s.
"I think NBA teams can learn that the path to the NBA is not the same for all players," Davis said. "I wasn't highly ranked in high school and I went to Wisconsin to change the narrative surrounding our program. My dad always told me that production will always trump potential and to keep my focus on playing hard and winning and that has stayed with me."
Davis could slot in the middle of the lottery as teams attempt to find a combo guard who can create for himself and others. There's some possibility Davis will become a better player with NBA-level spacing.
No Wisconsin player has been selected in the NBA draft since 2015. Frank Kaminsky is the only Badger currently in the NBA.
No. 11 Iowa State Upsets Johnny Davis, No. 3 Wisconsin to Advance to Sweet 16
Mar 21, 2022
Iowa State's Gabe Kalscheur drives past Wisconsin's Johnny Davis during the first half of a second-round NCAA college basketball tournament game Sunday, March 20, 2022, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Iowa State is moving on to the Sweet 16 of the 2022 NCAA men's basketball tournament following a 54-49 victory over Wisconsin on Sunday at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.
This is the sixth time the Cyclones have advanced to the regional semifinals and their first trip since 2016.
Wisconsin and Iowa State ranked 218th and 245th, respectively, in adjusted tempo on KenPom.com, and both teams were content to play with a deliberate pace. They combined for just 25 points midway through the first half, and Iowa State clung to a 27-26 halftime lead after Caleb Grill scored at the buzzer.
The tempo picked up a bit in the second half, but neither team could string multiple productive possessions together. Iowa State shot 34.5 percent from the floor, which was at least better than Wisconsin (29.5 percent) fared.
With the Badgers down five points inside the final minute, Steven Crowl missed a three-pointer and Jordan Davis was unable to score after collecting the offensive rebound. Those misses represented Wisconsin's last real opportunity to come back.
Notable Performers
Gabe Kalscheur, G, Iowa State: 22 points, four rebounds, one assist, two steals
Tyrese Hunter, G, Iowa State: four points, six rebounds, five assists, three steals
Johnny Davis, G, Wisconsin: 17 points, nine rebounds, one assist, two steals, four blocks
Brad Davison, G, Wisconsin: 12 points, four rebounds, four assists, three steals
Kalscheur Steps Up for Cyclones
Izaiah Brockington and Tyrese Hunter have been Iowa State's top two leading scorers throughout this season. Their contributions Sunday night fell below expectations, as they collectively finished with 14 points.
Luckily for the Cyclones, Gabe Kalscheur rose to the occasion. The senior guard was a steady source of offense.
In the second half, Kalscheur accounted for seven straight points as his team went on a 9-0 run to take an eight-point lead with 12:40 left. That gap felt much larger because of how little Wisconsin was getting from its offense.
Kalscheur went to the bench shortly thereafter, at which point Iowa State couldn't buy a bucket. His return sparked another positive spell.
Huge momentum killer there.
Crowl commits a goltend.
Kalscheur quiets the crowd.
Davison called for a charge.#Badgers trail Iowa State 40-34 with 7:29 left.
Kalscheur's one-man show was enough to get it done against Wisconsin. Iowa State will likely need more from Hunter and Brockington in order to continue on to the Elite Eight, though.
Hepburn Injury Hamstrings Badgers
Chucky Hepburn was Wisconsin's assist leader entering Sunday, averaging 2.4 dimes per game. For the majority of this game, the Badgers had to forge ahead without the freshman guard after he appeared to suffer a left ankle injury in the first half.
Hepburn was no small loss. Points were at a premium and the Big Ten regular season co-champions didn't have the services of their best playmaker.
The injury also put even more onto the shoulders of Johnny Davis.
At the half here in Milwaukee, Iowa State 27, Wisconsin 26. Johnny Davis has done a good job not forcing tough shots, but with Chucky Hepburn seemingly done for the day, think Badgers are gonna need him to get more aggressive rest of the way. Expect this to stay close.
Without Hepburn, Davis is Wisconsin’s only reliable creator. Iowa State will be throwing a double at him and sagging on every drive. Davis is gonna have to be aggressive, take his chances when they’re there, and make smart passes. Other guys are gonna have to make shots.
The impact of Hepburn's absence was evident in Wisconsin's turnover numbers. The Badgers turned the ball over the second-fewest times (8.4) in Division I and coughed it up 17 times against Iowa State.
Compounding matters, the trio of Davis, Crowl and Tyler Wahl battled foul trouble all game. Coach Greg Gard had to go much deeper into his rotation than he had planned.
Iowa State has opened up a 36-28 lead against Wisconsin. Greg Gard has Isaac Lindsey on the floor. Lindsey has played 11 minutes all season and last appeared in a game on January 27. If the Badgers are to win this thing, Johnny Davis has to take over.
Even though it wasn't all his fault, Davis, the 2022 Big Ten Player of the Year, will likely rue what was a nondescript performance by his usual standards.
I don’t know if Johnny Davis will ever admit it but to put this lightly it’s clear he’s been playing at less than 100 percent since hurting his ankle against Nebraska. Has battled defensively but has lacked pop to create shots in the halfcourt. ISU loading up on his side too.
It's difficult to draw up a more crushing loss than the one the Wisconsin Badgers experienced Sunday. The No...
No. 10 Wisconsin Clinches Big Ten Title with Upset win vs. Jaden Ivey, No. 8 Purdue
Mar 2, 2022
MADISON, WISCONSIN - MARCH 01: Chucky Hepburn #23 of the Wisconsin Badgers reacts after hitting a three-point shot during the first half of the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Kohl Center on March 01, 2022 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
No. 10 Wisconsin clinched at least a share of the Big Ten regular-season title after Tuesday's 70-67win over No. 8 Purdue.
Chucky Hepburn gave the Badgers the victory on a last-second three-pointer off the glass after Jaden Ivey just tied the game for Purdue with a three of his own.
The Badgers entered the day with a one-game lead over Purdue and Illinois in conference play. They are now 15-4 in Big Ten games, 1.5 games ahead of the Illini (13-5).
Illinois still has two games remaining and has a head-to-head victory over Wisconsin on Feb. 2. If the two teams finish with the same record in conference games, the Illini will be the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten tournament.
Wisconsin can clinch the outright regular-season conference title with a win over Nebraska on Sunday or a loss by Illinois in either of its final two games.
Head coach Greg Gard's squad has given Purdue fits this season. They also beat them 74-69 at the Mackey Complex on Jan. 3. Tyler Wahl set the tone in this game with 19points.
Ivey, who scored a game-high 22 points, did everything in his power to keep the Boilermakers' hopes alive. He scored their final seven points, including the game-tying three with 8.9 seconds remaining.
Hepburn's game-winning three gave him 17 points for the game, setting a new career-high for the freshman. Johnny Davis had 16 points, eight rebounds and one assist.
Zach Edey dropped 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the loss. Purdue's bench finished with just six points, all from Trevion Williams.
The Badgers are playing fantastic basketball at the right time. They have won seven of their last eight games, but this was their first victory over a team currently ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 since Jan. 13 (vs. Ohio State).
Per Jerry Palm of CBS Sports, Wisconsin entered the day projected to be a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament in the same region as No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga.
Wisconsin résumé:
• 24-5 • 16-4 Q1+2 record (second only to Kansas’ 17 Q1 wins) • KPI: No. 3 • SOR: No. 4 • 4-1 in Quad 3 • 12-2 road/neutral record • Big Ten champs
Beating Purdue certainly enhances the Badgers' resume. The last time they were a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament was during the 2014-15 season. They lost to Duke in the national title game.
Gard is having his best season in six years as Wisconsin head coach. The team is 24-5 overall with one game remaining in the regular season.
Purdue is limping to the finish after a fantastic start to the season. The Boilermakers are 3-3 in their last six games and have lost back-to-back games, including a 68-65 defeat at Michigan State on Saturday.
They have one more game, at home against Indiana on Saturday, to build some momentum for the Big Ten tournament. The program hasn't won a game in the conference tournament since reaching the championship game in 2018.
Wisconsin Bans Fan Caught on Video Making Anti-Asian Gesture at Northwestern Fans
Jan 20, 2022
EVANSTON, ILLINOIS - JANUARY 18: Johnny Davis #1 of the Wisconsin Badgers is fouled driving against Pete Nance #22 of the Northwestern Wildcats in the first half at Welsh-Ryan Arena on January 18, 2022 in Evanston, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
The University of Wisconsin announced Thursday that a fan who made a racist anti-Asian gesture toward the Northwestern student section during a men's college basketball game between the teams at Evanston's Welsh-Ryan Arena has been banned from all future events.
The fan was ejected after making the gesture and made it again as he was escorted away from his seat:
We join with @UWBadgers and all #Badgers in condemning the abhorrent anti-Asian actions of an attendee at the Northwestern game this week. We applaud NU for removing him.
He is no longer welcome at UW Athletics events – we are barring him from buying tickets on our platform.
"We are deeply disturbed by this behavior and find it abhorrent and disgusting," the Wisconsin Badgers Twitter account added in a statement. "This is no representation of what it means to be a Badger. We denounce any acts of racism or discrimination. We applaud Northwestern for removing this individual. His actions have no place at our events."
"The actions by an individual at Tuesday's men's basketball game towards the Wildcats student section were unacceptable and a violation of our fan code of conduct," Northwestern said in a statement of its own. "We appreciate those who spoke up and brought this behavior to our attention so event staff could take the appropriate steps to remove him from Welsh-Ryan Arena."
It is unknown if the man who made the racist gesture is a Wisconsin student. The school has reportedly been in contact with Northwestern and is further investigating the incident.
The No. 8 Badgers won the meeting between the teams 82-76 behind Johnny Davis' 27 points.
Johnny Davis, Wisconsin Beat Saint Mary's to Win 2021 Maui Invitational
Nov 24, 2021
Wisconsin guard Johnny Davis drives on St. Mary's guard Logan Johnson (0) in the first half during an NCAA college basketball game at the Maui Invitational in Las Vegas, Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Wisconsin handed Saint Mary's its first loss of the season with a 61-55 victory in the final of the Maui Invitational in Las Vegas. Johnny Davis had 20 points and Tyler Wahl added 18 points to lead the Badgers as they improved to 5-1.
The win concludes a strong run for Wisconsin in the early-season tournament. The Badgers edged No. 12 Houston on Tuesday to reach the final.
The Gaels fell to 6-1 with the loss. Alex Ducas had a team-high 13 points.
Notable Player Stats
G Johnny Davis, Wisconsin: 20 points, 7 rebounds
F Tyler Wahl, Wisconsin: 18 points, 4 blocks
G Alex Ducas, Saint Mary's: 13 points
F Dan Fotu, Saint Mary's: 11 points
Davis, Wahl Take Over in Second Half to Spark Badgers
Wisconsin struggled to gain momentum throughout the game, but the team had an ace up its sleeve in Johnny Davis.
The sophomore combo guard scored 11 of his 20 points in the second half to secure the win. Davis' three-pointer with 4:54 to go gave the Badgers their first lead since early in the first half, and they never looked back.
Heeeeere's Johnny.
A stone cold triple by Johnny Davis gives the #Badgers their first lead since it was 8-6.
But Davis wasn't alone. Tyler Wahl had 12 of his 18 points after halftime. He did a great job on defense as well, providing some much-needed rim protection and making the Gaels think twice about their drives to the basket. Wahl finished the game with four blocks.
Tyler Wahl with the block.
Junior forward has been huge here in Vegas.#Badgers
Davis came into the game averaging 20.3 points. He will need his teammates to produce consistently if the Badgers hope to be successful this season. Wahl came in averaging 7.6 points and proved that he's capable of more with Wednesday's performance.
Wisconsin has a chance to make some noise in the Big Ten this year. Davis will continue to lead the team but he can't do it all, so the contributions from his teammates will be key to its success.
Gaels Pound The Ball Inside Early, Fall Apart Late
Both teams are known for playing physical games, but it was the Gaels who outmuscled the Badgers inside to start the game.
Saint Mary's made it a point to get to the rim early and often. Whether it was post-ups by the big men or strong drives by the perimeter players, the Gaels made their living close to the basket. Saint Mary's motion offense also made for some easy looks after hard cuts to the rim.
The Gaels had 20 of their 31 first-half points in the paint and shot 13-of-25 (52 percent) from the field. It was a sound strategy for Saint Mary's that carried them throughout the tournament.
But Wisconsin's defense picked up in the second half and limited the easy opportunities for the Gaels. The fouls started picking up, and Saint Mary's couldn't hold onto its lead. The team's 16 turnovers didn't help as the Badgers stormed back.
Saint Mary's finished the game with 34 points in the paint, surpassing their total against Notre Dame (28) and matching their performance against Oregon (34).
The Gaels should look to continue to outmuscle and overpower teams inside consistently instead of getting away from that strategy, as they did in the second half on Wednesday.
What's Next?
Wisconsin will have a week off and will return to action on Wednesday, Dec. 1, in a road matchup vs. Georgia Tech. Saint Mary's will look to bounce back on Monday at home against UC Riverside.
