Jordan Davis Expecting a Bigger Role in 2022-23
Jordan Davis seems like the most logical option to step into his brother's vacated role in the starting lineup:
With Badgers' sophomore guard Johnny Davis leaving early for the NBA draft, coach Gard will need to replace a significant amount of production out on the wing. One potential in-house option for UW is his twin brother Jordan, who is entering his third year with the program.
Per the 247sports Composite, Davis was the No. 476 overall prospect in the 2020 recruiting class, the No. 91 SF in the country, and the No. 7 player in Wisconsin.
Last season, the 6-foot-4 sophomore appeared in 27 games and averaged 1.3 points and 0.9 rebounds in just over six minutes a contest. Davis played more than 10 minutes six times in 2021-22, including four of the last five games.
His shooting splits of 32.5%/28.6%/33.3% certainly left something to be desired. However, it's not worth reading too far into the numbers, given the absence of a consistent role as a sophomore.
Despite injuries and illnesses among rotation players, he never seemed to get a fair shake at an expanded role.
Davis, a La Crosse, Wisconsin native, was put in a difficult position last year. Essentially, his role was to come off the bench at a moment's notice and produce in limited action. It's challenging to earn more leash playing in 2-3 minute increments, especially when there's no way to get into any rhythm.
In high school, the former three-star recruit was advertised as a tenacious on-ball defender that could shoot the ball from beyond the arc – a 3&D prospect, if you will.
Thus far, Badger fans have seen glimpses of the latter but little evidence of the former. Davis has the size and strength to defend both wing spots but will need to take a big step forward on defense in 2022 to justify a more prominent role.
As it relates to Davis' three-point shooting, it may sound cliché, but I'd bet the farm he shoots better than his 28.6% from beyond the arc this past season. Albeit with a quick trigger - Davis passed the eye test regarding shot selection, repeatable shooting stroke, and confidence in taking what the defense gave him.
Secondary playmaking isn't a strength of Jordan's at the moment; however, it's something he's working on this summer to expand his offensive arsenal and prepare for a more significant workload in 2022-23.
More importantly, if he's unable to create for himself, Davis will need to move well without the ball and capitalize on defensive miscues.