Page 32 - All Arkansas Preps 2020

32M Sunday, June 28, 2020 | All-Arkansas Preps | Advertising Supplement to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE FILE PHOTOS
DAVONTE DAVIS SENIOR / JACKSONVILLE NORTH PULASKI HIGH SCHOOL
>> WHY HE WON
Abig smile comes across the face of Davonte Davis when his name is called at a recent conference game against Sylvan Hills. e 6-4 point guard runs through rows of his teammates and the cheerleaders, giving out high-fives along the way. At the end of the rows, his smile grows as he poses for the cameras. Once the game starts, though, Davis is all business.
e 2019-2020 school year was a big one for Davis, a senior at Jacksonville North Pulaski High School. Davis led his team to a 20-5 record and the 5A state title and committed to joining the University of Arkansas Razorbacks next year.
Davis put up stellar stats this season, averaging 21 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 steals each game. Davis also put up double-digit scoring and had 17 double-doubles and seven triple-doubles.
“I just want to be great,” Davis said. “I’ve got goals, and I feel like if I continue to put my work in and pay my dues and just try to make my craft better and better every single day ... no matter if it’s shooting, conditioning, strengthening ... I’ll get better.”
Davis’ dedication to self-improvement and his outstanding performance on the court has earned him the title of 2020 All-Arkansas Preps Male Athlete of the Year. Davis has also been named Outstanding Player of the Year for Boys Basketball.
“I’ve been on the [Preps] First Team for the past two years,” he said. “It feels really good to win something like this, knowing that not many people win this award.”
Victor Joyner, JNPHS boys basketball coach, said Davis is intensely competitive on the court, and he’s never seen an athlete as dedicated as Davis. Joyner also said Davis has developed outstanding court vision, a skill that is very hard to teach.
“[Davonte’s] determined to get better every day,” Joyner said. “[It’s his] work ethic. He works out before school, he practices, and sometimes he works out after practice. It’s just his determination.”
Davis, ranked 85th on the ESPN Top 100 website, started playing sports when he was around 6 years old, including football, baseball and basketball. ESPN also lists Davis as the 19th-best shooting guard. He said his entire family plays sports, and once he transferred to Jacksonville Lighthouse Charter School in the ninth grade, he decided he was going to stick to basketball because the school didn’t offer football or baseball.
His grandmother Yvette Davis said jokingly that she is glad that Davonte, a four- time all-state player, chose basketball because it meant she could attend all