FAYETTEVILLE — No player on Arkansas’ roster embodies fifth-year head coach Eric Musselman’s program pillars — energy, effort, enthusiasm — like Jeremiah Davenport.
Throughout an adversity-filled, up-and-down season, the 6-6 Cincinnati transfer hasn’t changed a bit. His joy and love for the game is ever-present.
Those qualities were on full display before, during and after the Razorbacks’ 94-83 win over LSU on Wednesday.
More than an hour before tipoff, he brought a smile and laughs to team warmups. In his season-high 28 minutes, he was impactful, and his passion resonated with every fan in Bud Walton Arena.
And after the final buzzer, he held the framed jersey presented to him for Senior Night high above his head with great pride.
Davenport’s lone season at Arkansas (15-15, 6-11 SEC) likely has not transpired how he imagined it would when he committed last spring. But he left a lasting impression in his 16th and final game played in Fayetteville.
The guard’s stat line: 5 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 block. The Razorbacks outscored the Tigers 71-63 with him on the floor.
“Shoutout to the guys,” Davenport said. “They made some big plays, not only for me but for the team. Like I said, I’m just an energetic guy. I love the game of basketball. This is my life, basically. I’ll do anything to respect the game, to give the game my all, feed my family, if that makes sense.
“It’s only right for me to go hard and give my all for my guys, my coaches, the fans, my family and God.”
Davenport’s four assists are a season high, his most in a game since February 2023 against South Florida while with the Bearcats. They generated eight points and led to three dunks, including two by Trevon Brazile in a 39-second span.
In true Davenport fashion, he celebrated each score as if he was credited with the points.
“I thought JD, his ball distribution, especially when they went zone and we stuck him in the middle of the zone, he did a good job of finding people,” Musselman said.
Davenport added one field goal in each half. His top-of-the-key three with 9:04 left before halftime gave Arkansas a 25-16 lead, and his offensive rebound and layup gifted the Razorbacks a 10-point edge with 4:55 to play.
“Rebounding-wise, he’s had some really, really big offensive rebounds,” Musselman said. “We talk about trying to rebound through the elbows. [It’s] kind of an NBA term, because there’s a lot of rebounds that happen through there. He’s been the one guy that’s bought in to rebounding through the elbows.
“I think it’s really helped us. He plays super hard, you know?”
Davenport was a positive on the defensive end as well. Unofficially, he allowed just two field goals on nine shots defended.
He had a hand in Arkansas reaching 10 rejections in a game for the first time in three months. Nine seconds after his block, Tramon Mark added a layup.
“When he committed here, I was the first person to text him,” said Khalif Battle, who scored a game-high 29 points and is averaging 29 points in the last 6 games. “I was excited to have him here. We’ve been brothers since Day 1. We’ve hung out since Day 1. His energy never changes.
“Man, we’ve come a long way, and this is my brother for life. I love sharing the floor with him, and, who knows, maybe we’ll share the floor again out of a Razorback jersey.”