The "sky’s the limit" for Wisconsin freshman wing Jonathan Davis
Sometimes all it takes is seeing one shot go down for the lid to come off the rim.
Jonathan Davis, the lone freshman in this year's rotation, has been a consistent option for Wisconsin off the bench. Davis has provided a jolt of energy with his defense, transition scoring and tough buckets at the basket. But up until Tuesday, he had yet to find his touch from beyond the arc.
"I've been dealing with a little bit of confidence issues the past couple of games," Davis told reporters after the win over Penn State on Tuesday. "I haven't really been attempting a lot of threes, but to see that first one go down was a really good feeing."
Heading into the rematch with the Nittany Lions, Davis had been 4-of-17 from three on the year. Seeing that first one fall opened up his confidence, as Davis went on to nail three more in the second half for a team-high 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting, including 4-of-4 from deep. He also provided his usual defensive boost with three steals.
“I think the one thing with any young player, and really anybody, is he’s continuing to work on his game. Shooting is something he spends time on and gets a lot of reps in," head coach Greg Gard said Tuesday. "I think, maybe he didn’t shoot 4-for-4 or shoot that prolific because, maybe he wasn’t ready to shoot 4-for-4?
"He’s put time in, he’s gotten better from where he was when came in, early August, late July, when we started some of the actual workouts with just the freshmen. The improvement he’s made and his ability to shoot the ball is evident and, obviously, it showed tonight."
The mild-mannered Davis may not display much emotion on the court. But as he continues to build his confidence, Davis' senior teammates know he can be a dangerous player for the program, this year and beyond.
"He doesn’t talk a lot and he never changes that facial expression - that kind of blank look on his face. He never gets too high or too low and I think that is really good to have as a freshman," point guard D'Mitrik Trice said Thursday afternoon. "He’s been a key guy for us coming off the bench and he continues to impress us, day in and day out. He’s taken huge steps from summer workouts to fall workouts to fall practice to how he’s playing now.
"He’s playing more confident and every once in a while we’ll see a little smile from him. I think that’s a little stepping stone that he’s getting a little more comfortable in his role.”
Davis' final three (above) came on a perfect swing of the ball. Brad Davison found Davis in the corner off of a trap of Micah Potter, which left him with enough time to square himself and set his feet.
"The thing I thought I could take advantage of was how much Penn State was gambling on defense. That led to a lot of open shots for me and my teammates," Davis said.
"Hopefully it helps grow his confidence, but I think he’s just scratching the surface in terms of the type of player he can be," Gard added. "We’ve already talked about the six turnovers, so I know he’ll be looking forward to fixing that as well."
The hot-shooting night marked just the third time all year that Davis has finished in double figures. Highlighting the balance of this year's team, Davis is the seventh player to lead the Badgers in scoring this season.
But as encouraging as Davis' improved shooting was against Penn State, his six turnovers was a reminder of the growing pains freshmen go through.
"Make sure somebody asks Johnny about his six turnovers, too," said senior Trevor Anderson, throwing a playful jab at Davis during his interview session.
"Definitely the turnovers," Davis said when asked whether the threes or turnovers would stick with him more. "I have to work on being stronger with the ball."
The six turnovers were a blemish against the Nittany Lions, but it's no secret just how good Davis' teammates think he can be.
“The sky’s the limit. He’s athletically gifted," Davison said. "It’s extremely obvious, whether you're watching in practice, a workout or in a game. His first step, his second jump, he has all those intangible things you can’t really teach. I just saw so much potential right from the get-go from when he got here. Whether it was in summer workouts when we got to play open gym. He has such a bright future in this program. We all trust him. The best part of the last game was seeing all those threes go down for him in that right corner, because once you see the ball go in that just builds confidence.
"The thing with him is the more confident Johnny is, the more of a threat he’s going to be for us. He’s tough to stop. His ability to get to the rim, mid-range, three-point shot, he’s got the whole package. We’re going to continue to encourage and tell him to remain aggressive and make plays on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball.
"He’s been great for us this year, especially as a freshman. This program, there’s not many freshmen that get to play the amount of minutes that he’s doing, especially in crunch time. The opportunities that he’s had he’s taken advantage of them, and I have a great feeling he’s going to take advantage of more here down the stretch.”