March Madness: Wisconsin's Johnny Davis rises to stardom

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Wisconsin guard Johnny Davis drives to the basket with the same ferocity he used to show while running over defenders as a high school quarterback.

Davis' emergence as the Big Ten player of the year and a likely NBA lottery pick has been one of college basketball's biggest surprises this season. The 6-foot-5 sophomore believes his football experience made him a better basketball player.

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"Playing football and taking shots, as a quarterback especially, it just prepares you for that physicality and allows you to get knocked down and get back up real quick," Davis said.

Davis has averaged 19.7 points and 8.2 rebounds to earn Associated Press All-America first-team honors and help Wisconsin win a share of the Big Ten title. Davis’ Badgers (24-7) are seeded third in the NCAA Midwest Region and play Friday against Colgate (23-11) in Milwaukee.

"I think people give him a lot of credit for being an incredible scorer, but he’s an incredible basketball player," teammate Brad Davison said. "He does everything. Defensively. Rebounding. He’s not out there (just) trying to score. He’s trying to win."

Johnny Davis and his twin brother – reserve guard Jordan Davis – are Wisconsin basketball teammates who played football together at La Crosse (Wisconsin) Central High School. Johnny was the quarterback while Jordan played receiver.

Wisconsin's Johnny Davis (1) shoots against Rutgers' Caleb McConnell (22) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022, in Madison, Wis. Davis is The Associated Press player of the year in the Big Ten Conference, announced Tuesday, March 8,