RUSSELLVILLE — Not only has Arkansas basketball signee Davonte “Devo” Davis of Jacksonville messed around like rapper Ice Cube and got a triple-double on the basketball court this season. He has eight.
Davis (6-4, 175), averaging 20 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 steals per game this season, is two wins away from having his team play for the Class 5A state title in Hot Springs next weekend.
He’ll lead the 5A-Central champion Titans (18-5) into a quarterfinal matchup with either Greene County Tech or Little Rock Christian Friday at 8:30 in Russellville.
“We want it really, really bad,” Davis said. “Jacksonville hasn’t been in this position for many years. I think if we keep pushing, keep executing down the stretch that we can get through all these games, and taking it one game at a time, we should be able to make it to Hot Springs and have a chance to win it all.”
Davis is part of a 2020 Razorbacks recruiting class that is ranked sixth nationally and also includes former North Little Rock star and current Montverde, Fla., Academy standout Moses Moody (6-6, 190), former Bryant and current Oak Hill Academy star Khalen “KK” Robinson and Fort Smith Northside’s Jaylin Williams (6-10, 230).
That quartet of future Razorbacks landed by Arkansas coach Eric Musselman are all 4-star prospects ranked in the top 100 nationally in a loaded in-state 2020 class that also includes Auburn signee Chris Moore of West Memphis.
“We have a group chat that we call the Fantastic Four,” Davis said. “Those guys are all going to sign and we will all get up there and hopefully make an impact right away.”
Davis hopes next year’s Arkansas team includes current Razorbacks Mason Jones and Isaiah Joe, who may test the NBA waters after this season.
“I am an all-around guard and playing with those guys will help me develop my game,” Davis said. “I would love to be kicking the ball out to those guys, who are great shooters, and the other guys coming in with me as well.
“We all want to play with those guys and have a chance to do something really special.”
He has admiration for how Arkansas (19-11, 7-10 SEC) has fared this season through lack of depth and injuries.
“They have fought really hard even though they have been able to play only seven guys or so and have had to fight through a lot of adversity,” Davis said. “Hopefully they can win a couple of games here in the next week and make a push and then the four of us can come and help do something special next season.”
Jacksonville assistant Monty Patel has challenged Davis lately.
“Devo is incredible when he is locked in,” Patel said. “He is easy to coach. He knows right now that he has a chip on his shoulder because I have listed off all the guys that have been to the state finals. I told him, ‘Moses has been there, Chris has been there, KK has been there, Jaylin has been there. You are the only one that hasn’t. You have got to get there.
“He controls the tempo, he controls the game so well for us and he is just so strong.”
Davis had 14 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists Wednesday in his team’s 57-35 win over Little Rock Fair in what was Fair’s last basketball game since the school is consolidating with McCellan at the end of the year to form Little Rock Southwest High School.
His teammates had their head on a swivel throughout the game as Davis delivered several pinpoint no-look passes.
“Today he didn’t have any bobbles, but sometimes he will hit them right in the head and they know they have to be ready the next time,” Patel said. "He is so great with his vision and I think that is what Arkansas fans are going to be so excited about.
“You have a guy like Moses, who can score, you have a guy like Devo, who can see so much and get them the ball. Sometimes you don’t know how he gets it there.”
Patel believes shooting is the last part of Davis’ game to be refined.
“His shooting will get more consistent as he gets more time to get up shots and have Coach Musselman and his staff to help him more than we can,” Patel said. “If that goes to where we think it can, he can go where we think he can - the next level (NBA).
“His defense is incredible. He knows where to be at all times. He will gamble every now and then, but who at a high level doesn’t do that?”
If you didn’t know that Davis was natually left-handed, it might be hard to tell from watching him play.
“Everyone talks about him being a lefty, but every time I ask him which way he wants to have a play drawn up for him, he’ll say, ‘Coach, get me going right.’
“He is ambidextrous and can write with both hands so it makes it easy to see both sides of the court. He doesn’t just pass with his left. He can hit them with his right so easily.”
Davis said that was something he developed at his grandma’s insistence.
“It has been like that for a long, long time,” Davis said. “My grandma actually taught me that. She knew I was left-handed, but made me brush my teeth, clean things and write with my right hand, just doing a lot of small things with my right hand so I wouldn’t be too dominant with either hand. It has helped me a lot.”
Davis was originally committed to Oklahoma State, but was intrigued when Arkansas hired Musselman, a former NBA head coach.
“I have been in love with Arkansas for a long, long time,” Davis said. “Even though I was once committed to Oklahoma State, which is a school I really liked, I had wanted to always go to Arkansas and it worked out for me to do that.
“Coach Musselman and his staff really came after me and it made the choice very easy for me. I am going to push hard each day and try to put myself to where I can be coached the way they want me to be.”