FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The 2023-2024 Arkansas basketball roster features nine new faces, seven from the transfer portal. When fans take their seats at Bud Walton Arena on opening night, they might not recognize everyone, but they will recognize Devo Davis.
“It’s kind of wild saying that it’s gone by fast, but it’s been a good fast, you know what I mean," Arkansas senior guard Devo Davis said. “4th year coming in, I feel really confident."
In three years with the Razorbacks, Davis has eclipsed 900 points and played in three Sweet 16s and two Elite 8s. He is just 59 points away from a thousand for his Arkansas career.
“I haven’t realized or seen or thought about everything that I’ve done," Davis said. Going into what could be his final ride, there is zero doubt about who is the leader of this year's team.
In his freshman in 2021, Davis hit the game-winning shot over Oral Roberts in the Sweet 16. In March 2023, Davis helped the Razorbacks take down one-seeded Kansas by pouring in a team-high 25 points. Along with the home win over number-one Auburn, Davis has been at the forefront of a handful of this program's biggest moments.
Over the summer Davis tested the waters of the NBA Draft but decided to return to Arkansas and finish what he started.
“Being a leader for the Arkansas Razorbacks men’s basketball team [and] making it to March Madness every year I’ve been in college. [I] wouldn’t have thought of it,” Devo said.
Since his debut three years ago, Davis is the only scholarship player left from a 2021 roster that went to the program’s first Elite 8 in nearly three decades.
The Jacksonville, Arkansas native is now gearing up to lead a whole new group of faces in Fayetteville.
"I think that’s my part and what I need to do within the aspect of being a leader for this team,” Davis said.
For as seamless as Davis makes it look on the court, the journey from a three-star recruit to the leader of an SEC program has been far from easy. In November 2022, Davis took some time away from the game to regroup and focus on himself.
“I think about others first before myself," Davis said. "[I'm] just trying to make sure I can also lead myself in the way of being able to achieve some of my goals as well as me being able to reach my basketball peak.”
Davis took a step back in December 2022, taking a few weeks away from the game to do exactly that.
“I think about a lot of other people and try to get other people in positions where they are better than how I am," Davis said. "Then I try and put myself in a position to achieve some things within myself. I just want to continue to push myself and have that strive for greatness.”
“The pressure is always going to be there, especially with this team, but if you work hard when you get into a position [and] when you have pressure on your back, you are not going to be phased,” Davis said.
With year four on deck, Davis is just the ninth Razorback to reach 900+ points, 400+ rebounds, 200+ assists, and 100+ steals, but he has never wanted it to be about him.
"I want to have a better season than I’ve ever had," Davis said. "That could be scoring more points, assists, or more rebounds, or talking more on the court to help the other guys succeed.”
The goals that Davis has for himself and his team go way beyond the basketball court. He plans to graduate this year and have as much success off the court as he has on it.
“I think just making everyone around me happy, and that’s why I try and do each and every day," Davis said. "That’s one thing I can control is trying to help others around me and make others happy.”
For the rest, Davis says if he does that, it will take care of itself.
“This right here is the year," Davis said. "I really think we can get some good achievements done within the aspects of us making it past the Elite 8 and that’s what our goal is, to make it to the final four.”
Davis and the Razorbacks will begin the season on Monday, Nov. 6, at home against Alcorn State.