La Crosse native, Wisconsin men’s basketball star Johnny Davis drafted by NBA’s Washington Wizards

Abby Schnable and Todd Sommerfeldt Lee Sports Wisconsin

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — La Crosse Central High School graduate Johnny Davis, who spent two seasons playing basketball at the University of Wisconsin, was drafted 10th by the Washington Wizards during Thursday’s NBA Draft at the Barclays Center.

Davis, the Big Ten Player of the Year and consensus All-American, became the first Badger drafted since Frank Kaminsky was picked ninth by the Charlotte Hornets and Sam Dekker 18th by the Houston Rockets in 2015.

“We are so proud of Johnny for fulfilling his dream of making the NBA,” UW coach Greg Gard said in a news release. “The Washington Wizards are getting a proven winner, and the most competitive player in this draft class. I’ve always said that Johnny’s best trait is his competitive drive, which will help him stand out at the next level. Playing for the University of Wisconsin meant something special to Johnny, and tonight meant something special to his state and our program.”

Davis, who had pre-draft workouts with Detroit, Indiana, San Antonio and Washington, followed Duke’s Paolo Banchero (Orlando), Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren (Oklahoma City), Auburn’s Jabari Smith (Houston), Iowa’s Keegan Murray (Sacramento), Purdue’s Jaden Ivey (Detroit), Arizona’s Bennedict Mathurin (Indiana), Kentucky’s Shaedon Sharpe (Portland), G League Ignite’s Dyson Daniels (New Orleans) and Baylor’s Jeremy Sochan (San Antonio) in the draft order.

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The 6-foot-5 guard was the first player from a La Crosse high school to be drafted since Glen Selbo went second overall to the Toronto Huskies of the Basketball Association of America in 1947.

Davis is the second NBA player in his family. His dad, Mark, played 31 games for the Milwaukee Bucks and two for the Phoenix Suns in 1988-89 before spending most of the next 10 seasons overseas and winning a Spanish Cup with CB Zaragoza in 1990.

Johnny Davis helped Central to a 94-13 record during four high school seasons. Central won the WIAA Division 2 state championship his freshman season and qualified for the tournament the next two seasons. It knocked off top-ranked Onalaska in a sectional semifinal before his senior season ended prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He scored 2,158 points in high school before accepting a scholarship offer from coach Greg Gard and the Badgers.

Davis earned his college accolades after making a jump in performance from his freshman season to his sophomore season.

He came off the bench to average 7.0 points and 4.1 rebounds over his 24.4 minutes per game as a freshman.

Davis spent part of the summer between his two seasons as a Badger playing in the U19 World Cup for Team USA. He played alongside other NBA draft picks such as Chet Holmgren and Jaden Ivey and together they took home the gold.

That experience in Latvia is one Davis credits as a huge reason for his increased performance as a sophomore.

Davis quickly showed he was a key contributor for UW last season with his breakout performance coming five games into the season. He had his first 30-or-more-point performance against then-No. 12 Houston.

He walked away from the Maui Invitational the MVP of the tournament and in talks for National Player of the Year.

Davis’ momentum didn’t stop as he continued to power past Big Ten powerhouses. He had a career-high 37-point performance to upset Purdue at Mackey Arena. He played so hard against Michigan State that his jersey tore and he had to finish the game in No. 51, but still walked away with a win. The only Big Ten team Davis and the Badgers didn’t defeat this season was Illinois.

He proved his penchant for closing games multiple times throughout the season, but especially in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Colgate. He scored UW’s last 14 points in the 67-60 victory to advance to the second round of the tournament.

He finished the season as the leading scorer for the Badgers, averaging 19.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 steals over 34.2 minutes per game.

Check back later for reaction from Davis, his family and Wisconsin men’s basketball coach Greg Gard.

A look at every Wisconsin men’s basketball player selected in the first round of the NBA draft GLEN SELBO

Team: Toronto Huskies (BAA)

NBA career averages: 3.2 points, 1.8 assists

Notes: Selbo was selected second overall in 1947 in a joint draft between the Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball League, which merged in 1949 to form the NBA.

Trivia: Selbo played one season in the NBA, appearing in 13 games for Sheboygan during the 1949-50 season. 

DON REHFELDT

NBA career averages: 7.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists 

Notes: After being sold by the Bullets during his second year in the league, Rehfeldt played 29 games for the Hawks, with the franchise playing the first of four seasons in Milwaukee. 

DEVIN HARRIS ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES

Team: Washington Wizards

NBA career averages: 10.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists 

Notes: Harris never played for the Wizards, who on draft day in 2004 traded the Wisconsin guard along with Christian Laettner and Jerry Stackhouse to the Dallas Mavericks for Antawn Jamison. Harris went on to play 608 regular-season games and 54 playoff contests over three stints with the Mavs. 

FRANK KAMINSKY KATHY WILLENS, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES

NBA career averages: 10.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists 

Notes: Kaminsky, who was waived by the Suns in April 2022, played the first four seasons of his NBA career with the Hornets before signing with Phoenix as a free agent in July 2019.

AL HENRY

Henry (above left)

ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES

Team: Philadelphia 76ers

NBA career averages: 4.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 0.2 assists 

Notes: After logging just 26 minutes over six games as a rookie during the 1970-71 season, Henry appeared in 43 games for Philadelphia the following season, which would be his last in the NBA. 

WES MATTHEWS SR. MIKE KULLEN, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES

Team: Washington Bullets

NBA career averages: 7.9 points, 1.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists 

Notes: Wes Matthews Sr. lasted less than a season with the Bullets before getting traded to the Atlanta Hawks for Don Collins in January 1981. He played for six teams over nine seasons in the NBA. 

SAM DEKKER KATHY WILLENS, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES

NBA career averages: 5.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 0.8 assists 

Notes: Dekker averaged a career-high 6.5 points over 77 games in his second NBA season before Houston traded him to the Los Angeles Clippers in June 2017. After appearing in 73 games for the Clippers in 2017-18, Dekker struggled to find consistent playing time, splitting the 2018-19 season between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards. Dekker spent a brief stint with the Toronto Raptors during the 2021-22 season, playing just one minute in a single game before returning to play overseas. 

PAUL GRANT CRAIG SCHREINER, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES

Team: Minnesota Timberwolves

NBA career averages: 1.8 points, 1.1 rebounds, 0.2 assists 

Notes: Grant played just four games for Minnesota, which came during the 1998-99 season, before being dealt to Milwaukee in a three-team trade. He played two games for the Bucks that season, scoring two points with Milwaukee. Grant returned to the league in 2004 for a brief stint with the Utah Jazz, averaging 2.5 points over 10 games. 

MICHAEL FINLEY BILL KOSTROUN, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES

NBA career averages: 15.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists 

Notes: Finley, who currently serves as assistant general manager/vice president of basketball operations for the Dallas Mavericks, was a two-time All-Star (2000 and 2001) during his nine seasons with the Mavericks. He went on to win an NBA title in 2007 with the San Antonio Spurs. Finley was a key contributor in the Spurs’ title run, starting 20 games while averaging 11.3 points and 2.9 rebounds in the 2007 playoffs. He finished his lengthy career with a short stint on the Boston Celtics after being cut by San Antonio in March 2010. Finley, who appeared in 129 career playoff games, averaged a meager 0.8 points and 0.6 rebounds in 18 playoff appearances for Boston, while only playing one game in the NBA Finals as the Celtics fell to the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games.

ALANDO TUCKER GREGORY BULL, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES

NBA career averages: 4.1 points, 1.0 rebounds, 0.3 assists 

Notes: Tucker started his career in Phoenix, playing his first 51 games with the Suns before being dealt to Minnesota early in the 2009-10 season. He only appeared in four games for the Timberwolves, averaging 2.0 points and 0.8 rebounds in what would be his final NBA regular-season action. Tucker, who never appeared in a playoff game, signed a training camp contract with the Milwaukee Bucks in October 2012 but was cut later in the month before the start of the season. 

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