Wisconsin men’s basketball: Johnny Davis wins Lute Olson National Player of the Year award

One day after announcing he was leaving Wisconsin early to enter the NBA Draft, Badgers superstar Johnny Davis was named the 2022 Lute Olson National Player of the Year on Friday afternoon. Davis averaged 19.7 points per game, 8.2 rebounds per game and 2.1 assists per game this season in leading the Badgers to a 25-8 record and Big Ten regular season championship.

Davis had three 30-point games, including a career-high 37 in a 74-69 win at Purdue on Jan. 3rd. Davis made 47 percent of 2-pointers, 31 percent of 3-pointers and 79 percent of free throws, reaching double figure scoring in 30 of 31 games played. The Badgers won one game in the NCAA Tournament before bowing out in the second round to Iowa State.

The Lute Olson National Player of the Year award, which is presented annually to the top player in Division I college basketball, is named in honor of Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson, who won 776 games in 34 seasons, 24 of which were spent at the University of Arizona.

There is also a Lute Olson All-America Team which, obviously, Davis was a part of, and he was joined by several other Big Ten players: Kofi Cockburn (Illinois), Zach Edey (Purdue), Jaden Ivey (Purdue), Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana), E.J. Liddell (Ohio State) and Keegan Murray (Iowa).

The Naismith Award, also given annually to the best player in college basketball, will be awarded on Sunday. Davis is a finalist for that one too and Greg Gard is a finalist for the Naismith Coach of the Year.