Johnell Davis
Pronounced: john-ELL
6-4, 205, G
Gary, Ind. || 21st Century Charter HS / Florida Atlantic
X – @KOBNelly • Instagram – @kobnelly
Known as “Nelly” … Graduated from FAU in the summer of 2024 with a degree in Business … Finished career with 1,838 points (11.3 ppg) with 273 assists and 204 steals … Played in 162 collegiate games (82 starts) and shot 35.3% from 3-point range and 84.9% from the line … He had 82 games scoring in double figures and made a 3-pointer in 103 games while grabbing at least five rebounds 80 times in his career with six career double-doubles.
• 2025 NCAA West Regional All-Tournament Team
• 2024 NABC All-District 24 first team
• 2024 AAC co-Player of the Year
• 2024 All-AAC first team (unanimous)
• 2023 NABC All-District 17 first team
• 2023 Conference USA Sixth Player of the Year
• 2022-23 All-C-USA first team
• 2023 C-USA All-Tournament Team
2024-25 (GR Sr. at ARK):
• 2025 NCAA West Regional All-Tournament Team … led the team by averaging 20.3 points, going 17-of-17 at the line, in three NCAA Tournament games … Scored a season-high 30 points in the Sweet 16 game versus Texas Tech, added 18 versus Kansas and 13 versus St. John’s.
• Game Highlights include:
UMES: Was 4-of-7 from deep for 16 points … Added five rebounds, four assists and two steals … • vs ILLINOIS: Dished out a season-high six assists (6 of the team’s 12 for the game) … • at MIAMI: Tied for the team lead with five rebounds and tw0 steals … Sank 3-of-6 from deep and scored 11 of his 12 points in the second half in the come-from-behind win … • vs UTSA: Once again had a strong second half to help the Hogs in the come-from-behind win … Scored 13 points, 10 in the second half … Was 4-of-5 from the field (2-of-3 3PT) in the period … • vs MICHIGAN: Only scored six points (2-of-8 FG; 1-of-4 3PT) with four rebounds but made a big defensive play inside the final three seconds to help preserve the win as he tipped away a pass to a player at the basket to force a last-second shot, turn-around jumper at the free throw line … • OLE MISS: Had 15 points, making three 3-pointers and going 4-of-4 from the line … • GEORGIA: Had a then season-high three steals, including one with the game tied and 53 seconds left …. Added nine points and two assists … • OKLAHOMA: For the first time this season, led the team in scoring (18 points) as had then season-highs in free throws made and attempted (5-of-6) … Had a season-high four steals … • at KENTUCKY: Scored 18 points (7-of-14 FG / 3-of-6 3PT) … Started the game draining a 3-point from the top of the key to set the tone … Scored 12 of his 18 in the first half … Tied his season-high with six assists, adding five rebounds and two steals … • at TEXAS: Led the team with a season-high 24 points (his first 20-point game of the season) … Tied season highs with field goals made (7), 3-pointers made (4) and steals while making six free throws and playing a season-high 39:25 (played all 20 minutes of the 2nd half) … Made some key plays in the win … FIRST to start the seocnd half, made two 3-pointers, made two free throws and had an assist as Arkansas opened with a 10-0 and 21-point lead … SECOND with 4 minutes left and Arkansas leading by eight, Davis drained a 3-pointer … THIRD with 50 seconds left and Arkansas clinging to a 5-point lead, Davis made two free throws … FOURTH with 3 seconds left and Arkansas leading by five, Davis got his fourth steal and Arkansas went back up seven after two D.J. Wagner free throws … • LSU: Played a game-high 36:03 and was a team-best +16 in the 12-point win … Scored 11 points and tied his SEC-best with three steals … • MISSOURI: Scored 18 points and led the team in both steals (4) and assists (4) … His four steals tied his season and SEC highs … Played all 20 minutes of the second half … • TEXAS: Had 14 points thanks to season highs in free throws (7) and free throw attempts (8), specifically, he was 4-of-4 at the line in overtime … • at VANDERBILT: Led the team with 21 points, including 15 in the first half … • MISS STATE: Had 15 points, four rebounds, four assist and the team’s only two steals … • vs SOUTH CAROLINA: Scored six points inside the final 32 seconds, including a jumper in the lane to put the Hogs up four, two free throws with 17 seconds left to put the Hogs up six and two free throws with two seconds left to seal the win … Had three steals, two in the second half and one with 14 ticks left. … • vs OLE MISS: For the fifth time, tied his season-high with four steals …. • vs KANSAS: Scored 18 points, making 4-of-9 3PT, with two steals … His a key 3-pointer with 1:59 left to put the Hogs up four … Was 4-of-4 at the free throw line inside the final 44 seconds to held secure the win … Led Arkansas with 10 second-half points and was a team-best +13 for the game … • vs TEXAS TECH: Scored a season-high 30 points and tied a season-high with six rebounds … Also had season highs in field goals made (8) and attempts (22) … Made a career-high 11 free throws and tied a career-high by taking 11 free throws … Led Arkansas to a 7-point, first half led with 14 points (4-of-8 FG, 2-4 3PT, 4-4 FT).
• Preseason honors included: John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 List … 1 of 20 on NABC Division I Player of the Year List … 1 of 50 on Naismith Trophy Player of the Year List … 1 of 50 on Lute Olson Player of the Year Watch List … 1 of 20 on Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year List … All-America (3rd Team) – CBS / SI / Fox … All-SEC (2nd Team) – SEC Media & Coaches … #1 overall transfer – On3 … #1 “Impact Transfer” by Field of 68.
2023-24 (Sr. at FAU):
• 2024 NABC All-District 24 first team
• 2024 AAC co-Player of the Year
• 2024 All-AAC first team (unanimous)
Top 10 finalist for the Jerry West Award as well as a top 20 finalist for the Wooden Award and was on the Naismith Midseason Player of the Year and the Oscar Robertson Trophy All-America watch lists … In the AAC, ranked among the top 15 in free throw percentage (2nd, 85.7%); scoring (4th, 18.2 avg.); field goal percentage (4th, 48.3%); defensive rebounds (9th, 4.88 avg.); rebounding (11th, 6.3 avg.); steals (12th, 1.44); assists (13th, 100 total) and double-doubles (13th, 3) … Started all 34 games and scored in double figures 31 times … Scored 30-plus points three times, including the 35 versus Arizona, 30 against UAB (Jan. 14), 34 against UTSA (Jan. 21) … Led the team in scoring (18.2) and assists (100) while ranking second in rebounding (6.3) … Shot 48.3% from the field (214-443), 41.4% from 3-point (58-140) and 85.7% from the line (132-154) … Double-doubles came versus Bryant (17 points and 12 rebounds), versus College of Charleston (24 points and 10 rebounds) and at UAB (17 points and 11 rebounds) … Two-time AAC Player of the Week … First (Dec. 26) for his play versus Arizona, where he added AP and Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week honors … Against No. 4 Arizona, dropped 35 points, tied for the fifth-most points by an Owl in one game … During the game, he reached 1,000 career points, becoming the 16th Owl to do so … Second (Jan. 29) after he scored 14 at Rive and a game-high 28 versus North Texas … Against UNT, hit a three-pointer with just 0.4 seconds on the clock to give the Owls the win, in a game which he sank a career high-tying six triples … Against ECU, grabbed his 500th career rebound to become the fifth Owl to have both 1,000 career points and 500 rebounds … Had a career high eight assists against Tulane … … MVP of Hall of Fame Classic game against St. Bonaventure, posting 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists … Pumped in 29 points on 10-for-15 shooting from the field versus UNT in the AAC Tournament … Then closed the season with 18 against Temple in the AAC Tourney and 18 versus Northwestern in the NCAA Tournament.
2022-23 (Jr. at FAU):
• 2023 NABC All-District 17 first team
• 2023 Conference USA Sixth Player of the Year
• 2022-23 All-C-USA first team
• 2023 C-USA All-Tournament Team
Was a key component of Florida Atlantic’s Final Four run, 35-4 record and best season in school history … Played in 37 games with 16 starts … Led FAU in scoring with an average of 13.8 points per game, which ranked seventh in C-USA … Ranked second on the team in rebounding with an average of 5.4 boards per game, which ranked 14th in C-USA … Ranked second in C-USA in free throw percentage (85.5%) … Tallied double figures in 26 games with 20-plus points in four times including a career-high 36 points in a home win over UAB … His 36 against the Blazers are the fourth-most in a single game in FAU history and only three shy of the Owl record … Had a historic game in the NCAA Second Round win over FDU, becoming the first player to score 25+ points, grab 10+rebounds, dish out 5+ assists and tally 5+ steals in an NCAA Tournament game since steals became an official stat in 1986 … Averaged 16.6 points on 53.3% shooting in the Owls’ three-game run to the C-USA Tournament championship and was named to the C-USA All-Tournament Team … His 509 points were 10th-most in a single season in Owl history and his 56 steals were the eighth-most in a single season in Owl history … Recorded three double-doubles on the season including 18 points and 10 rebounds at Florida, 13 and 10 versus FIU and 29 and 12 versus Fairleigh-Dickinson in the NCAA … Opened the NCAA Tourney run with a 12-point, five-rebound performance in a win over Memphis … In the Sweet 16 win over Tennessee, had 15 points and six rebounds … Added 13 points and seven rebounds in the Elite 8 win over Kansas State … Finished with eight points and three boards in a 72-71 loss to San Diego State in the Final Four.
2021-22 (So. at FAU):
One of four Owls to play in all 34 games, while starting in three … Averaged 6.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game across 19.0 minutes per game … Logged 37 steals, the third most on the team … Put up nine points and three rebounds in the win versus North Dakota … Tallied six points, eight boards and four steals versus Palm Beach Atlantic … Delivered nine points, five boards and three steals at Marshall … Registered 10 points and five rebounds in the Owls’ home contest against Marshall … Had a breakout performance at UTSA after scoring 15 points, adding six rebounds and two steals … Scored 11 points against Middle Tennessee at home … Recorded nine points, five rebounds and four steals at FIU … Pulled down seven boards and added eight points in the C-USA Championship second round game versus Southern Miss … Contributed 12 points against UAB in the C-USA Semifinals … Ended the season on a positive note at the Roman CBI, earning a then career-high 18 points (7-of-13 from the field) with five boards against Northern Colorado.
2020-21 (Fr. at FAU):
Saw action in each of the Owls’ 22 games averaging nearly 10 minutes of play per game … Averaged 3.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per game … Scored a season-high 10 points at Southern Miss on Feb. 26 and had his season high of four rebounds the same night … Pulled down a season-high nine boards and dished six assists versus Florida College … Was 9-for-11 from the charity stripe for a team-best .818 percentage.
High School:
Averaged 25 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.4 steals and 3.2 assists per game as a senior, helping the Cougars to a fourth straight sectional championship …Made the Indiana State All-Star team.
