Nation’s top transfer Johnell Davis commits to Arkansas

Arkansas men’s basketball and head coach John Calipari have landed the commitment of the top available transfer in the country.

Former Florida Atlantic star guard Johnell Davis has put ink to paper and signed with the Razorbacks, sending shockwaves throughout the college basketball landscape.

The 6-4 and 203-pound Gary, Ind., native ranks first out of more than 1,500 transfers who have entered the portal, according to On3.com. Arkansas landed Davis’ services over the likes of Kentucky, Houston and others.

Davis was named the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 2023-24 after a stellar season in which he averaged 18.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game on 48.3% shooting from the field, a 41.4% clip on 58 made three-pointers and an efficient 85.7% mark at the charity stripe. 

He saved some of his best performances for matchups against top competition. Davis went for 26 points in a win over Texas A&M at the ESPN Events Invitational in November, came up just shy of a double-double with 19 points and 9 rebounds at the Jimmy V Classic against Illinois, erupted for a season-high 35 in an upset victory over Arizona in December, and put up 30 against a UAB team that made the NCAA Tournament. 

In 2022-23, Davis earned Conference USA first-team and Sixth Man of the Year honors while averaging 13.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game for an FAU team that made history with a Cinderella run to the Final Four.

Davis averaged 15.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists in five NCAA Tournament games, including a 29-point, 12-rebound double-double in a Round of 32 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson. 

Over the course of his four-year career at Florida Atlantic, Davis scored 1,431 points and hauled in 621 rebounds.

Davis is the latest domino to fall in what is shaping up to be a stellar roster construction for Calipari in his first season at Arkansas. He joins Tennessee forward Jonas Aidoo, Kentucky big man Zvonimir Ivisic and highly-coveted freshman trio Boogie Fland, Karter Knox and Billy Richmond.