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Recruit Update: Johnell Davis
Gary 21st Century guard Johnell Davis has a few scholarship offers and one official visit under his belt. Here’s an update with the 2020 prospect.
Davis took an official visit to Florida Atlantic late in March. FAU is coached by Dusty May – a former student manager for Indiana University. He also worked for IU after a stint at USC.
“I like the experience – they treat you right, good teammates to play with and they like to play fast like how I like to play,” Johnell Davis said of his official visit.
It sounds like playing in an uptempo system is important for Davis. A lot of players say they want to get up and down the floor, but Davis has thrived in transition throughout high school. That’s also how Gary 21st Century plays.
Davis also has offers from Kent State and Northern Illinois, while Ball State has shown consistent interest in Davis for the last year. Of the schools currently recruiting him, Ball State plays at the fastest pace per kenpom.com.
As a junior, Davis posted ridiculous numbers – 25 points, 10 rebounds, 3.4 steals, 3.2 assists per game.
“It was good,” Davis said of his junior year. “I just wanted to be the best player I could for my team. We wanted to win state, but we fell short in regionals.”
Davis and 21st Century challenged eventual Class A champion Blackhawk Christian before falling short. No other team kept it close against Blackhawk in the postseason. Davis and Blackhawk star Caleb Furst are now teammates with Indy Heat.
With the Indy Heat, Davis will not be relied on to score like he did with 21st Century.
“In AAU, I know they don’t need me to score. I just want to be the best defensive player on the team.”
Last weekend, Davis was focused on the defensive end. He did a good job of pressure the ball and jumping passing lanes. He was still aggressive on the offensive end. After missing his first three-point attempt, Davis knocked down a couple to end Indy Heat’s second game. That is something that should improve with time as his mechanics are solid.
While playing with Jaden Ivey, D’Andre Davis, Nijel Pack, Caleb Furst, and others, it will be tough for Johnell Davis to compile a bunch of points. But if he scores in transition and defends at a high level, Davis will turn heads this travel season.