Wisconsin’s 2020 class is one of the most exciting in recent history for Badger basketball. The five signees are all likely going to be valuable pieces for UW as Greg Gard continues to move the program forward. In this BadgersWire scouting report series, we are going to take a look at what each 2020 Badger signee will bring to Madison this fall and beyond.
Johnny Davis in one word: Johnny Davis is smooth. Silky smooth. There may not be a better way to describe the 6-4, 185 combo guard. Davis is a certified bucket-getter that can score at all three levels. His La Crosse Central squad finished the year 20-5, and ended on a win in the Wisconsin state tournament before the tourney was cut short due to coronavirus concerns.
Offense: The scoring guard finished the year averaging 27.2 points per contest, good for ninth best in the state of Wisconsin. It wasn’t so much the amount of scoring that impressed me most, but rather how he got his buckets. Whether it was a set three, off the dribble mid-range jumper, or his floater/layup package, Davis found a way to put the ball in the basket. On film, specifically in transition, the 2020 signees change of pace and direction caught defenders off-guard for easy layups. He is certainly comfortable in transition, but never seems to be in a hurry.
As a passer, Davis made multiple difficult touch passes and solid reads out of the high-pick-and roll to find rolling bigs at the rim. Also, do not give him a runway because he will make you pay at the rim.
Defense/Rebounding: While most packages of Davis do not focus on defensive highlights or on-ball defense, his physical makeup should give Badger fans the feeling that he has a chance to be a solid college defender. The La Crosse native’s length and athleticism certainly jump out when he plays against high-school competition, but those factors translate at the next level as well. The length and athleticism also made him a force on the boards in high school.
Overall: Davis is a player with an NBA future. His length and leaping ability creates problems for opponents at both ends of the floor. As a scorer, he has the unique ability to get buckets in a wide variety of ways whether it be from the perimeter or with his floater package at the rim. His improvement will come in the weight room and in the natural learning curve of adjusting to Wisconsin’s system. Nobody in the Wisconsin 2020 class has a higher ceiling than Johnny Davis.