Arkansas has 11 shiny new toys to rightfully be excited about, but Thursday's scrap in Spain against Catalan Elite served as a reminder that the holdovers who have been instrumental in reigniting Razorback basketball are not to be forgotten.
Davonte Davis and Kamani Johnson are the only two returning scholarship players for the Hogs from last year's roster, and in an old, hot gym in Barcelona with torn nets, officials in plain white t-shirts and enough lines on the floor to cause headaches and dizziness, the duo stepped up to help propel Arkansas to a 99-86 win.
Davis tied for the team-high with 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting, dished out three assists and swiped a pair of steals. As Catalan Elite splashed home several wild threes in the fourth quarter, Davis found his way to the rack time and time again to keep Arkansas comfortably ahead. Johnson continued his dominance of the glass with a 10-point, 12-rebound double-double that featured an absurd nine boards. It was a sloppy outing overall for Arkansas, but the leadership and production of Davis and Johnson stood out.
The OGs* stepped up for win no. 2 *Old Guys ?? pic.twitter.com/cSKHPjG9xj
"First of all, without Devo and Kamani, we don’t win the game, I promise you — probably not even close if those two don’t play," said head coach Eric Musselman. "I mean, the game tilts the other way. We need Brazile to rebound more. He had one rebound in a game against a team whose tallest player was 6-7. Kamani dominated the offensive glass.
"Kamani and Devo are in the right spots. They know our offense. We’ve got some guys that are still struggling to understand our second and third options and how to read a defense. But a lot of this comes with having a young team, but I thought Kamani and Devo played phenomenal."
The contributions from Davis are expected as the junior guard has been a key cog in consecutive Elite Eight runs for the Razorbacks, but Johnson has made noticeable strides during the offseason after averaging just eight minutes per game in 2021-22.
Chances are, Johnson saw the writing on the wall when Arkansas added four transfer forward out of the portal in the offseason. He could have left, but instead chose to dedicate the summer to improving his body, honing in on his craft and finding a way to use his experience in the system to his advantage.
So far, so good as he has shown noticeable improvement as a passer and at the charity stripe, while gobbling up rebounds as per usual. Through two games, Johnson is averaging 11 points per game on 7-of-9 shooting from the field and 8-of-9 from the free throw line. He's snagged 20 rebounds, including 14 offensive, and dished out eight assists to just one turnover. His performance has drawn rave reviews from the head Hog.
"Kamani has come in, especially in these two games, he understands his game. He understands his role," Musselman said. "I trust him. He understands what I want. And he’s done a really good job. He’s got great toughness. He doesn’t back down from anybody. Sometimes our biggest challenge is more in practice with Kamani than it is in a game. In a game he does exactly what you want. He’s a guy that’s really, really unselfish. You can’t teach unselfishness sometimes. He’s all about the team.
"He’s a great rebounder. He’s got a nose for the ball. And you can’t teach toughness, either. Kamani never backs down from anybody, whether it’s an SEC game, whether it’s an NCAA Tournament game. He’s a really, really tough-minded player both mentally and physically. And then he just makes stuff happen. He’s a high-volume free throw attempt player and he’s a great, great offensive rebounder."
Johnson and Davis have embraced the idea of being grizzled veterans tasked with helping lead and bring along the incredible young talent Arkansas has at its disposal. As Johnson sees it, facing a little adversity Thursday serves as a good test for the mental toughness of the group, and so far he has been impressed with their response.
"Me and Devo are the O.G's," Johnson said. "I know they are freshmen and five-stars. I mean they are super talented, but they kind of need guidance and stuff like that. It's college, you know what I mean? Me and Devo are just helping them out as much as we can. Like today, we played a professional team. They're still pros at the end of the day. They played super hard and super aggressive. They tried to win that game to the last second.
"Me and Devo just have to lock in and help them out as much as we can. I know the freshmen aren't too happy with themselves and how they performed today, but I kind of like how hard they are on themselves. Nick and AB and Barry and Jordan, they hold themselves to an unbelievable standard that I haven't seen in a freshman class in a minute. It's our second game. We're going to be fine. They're going to be fine. They're great players.”
Arkansas returns to action Saturday, August 13, when it faces Orange 1 Basket Bassano for a 12:30 p.m. (CT) tip in Como, Italy. It will be the third of four exhibition games on the trip for the Razorbacks.
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