Analyzing Johnny Davis, Keegan Murray, and Brad Davison

January 6^th, 2022

By Alan Lu

Today, I decided to take the time to watch Johnny Davis and Wisconsin play against Keegan Murray and Iowa in a Big Ten conference basketball game.  Davis is a very talented player that came off his strongest performance of the year, as he had previously scored 37 points and had 14 rebounds in his team’s upset road win over Purdue.  Meanwhile, Keegan Murray is also a very talented prospect, and both Davis and Murray could be lottery picks in the 2022 draft.  It was not a very close game for most of the match, but both players played well in Wisconsin’s win over Iowa.  Here are my thoughts on how they and other various prospects fared in this game.

Wisconsin’s sophomore guard, Johnny Davis had a strong all-around performance in his team’s win over Iowa.  He has continued to play very well recently, as he is a sharpshooter that can really score the basketball, but he also thrived as a facilitator and rebounder when he was on the court. Davis did a good job of knocking down jumpers to provide floor spacing for his team on offense.  He showed a knack for scoring on smooth, pull-up mid-range jumpers, and he also was able to make threes both off the catch and dribble.  He also dribbled to his left to make a quick, step-back three in this match. 

Plus, he is an energetic, agile guard that thrived at scoring on hustle plays.  Davis showed that he can score off put backs, in transition, and off cuts.  He also ran the floor and caught a lob pass to score on an emphatic alley-oop dunk to showcase his solid athletic gifts.  He also did a good job of scoring off the dribble.  He is a crafty scorer that can evade around defenders to score on graceful layups, and he also is a solid pull-up shooter that plays with poise.

Also, Davis showed off good playmaking skills in this game.  He is a good passer that sees the floor well, and he showed off some impressive court vision with the passes he made throughout the night.  He did a very good job of finding his teammates on the move, as he would consistently get the ball to the cutters.  He also drove quickly to the hoop and threw a crafty bounce pass to set up a score for a teammate around the basket.  He threw pinpoint passes, and he tended to make good decisions with the ball in his hands.  Sometimes though, he would over-dribble when handling the ball and driving to the basket, and he had the ball poked away a couple of times that led him to commit turnovers.

Plus, he also rebounded the ball very well.  Davis has a keen nose for the basketball, and he would often chase down balls to get boards for his team.  He was able to get multiple boards on both ends of the floor, and sometimes he would quickly bring the ball up afterwards.  He also played decent defense in this game.  Davis was active in contesting shots off the dribble, and he was able to force some misses.  On the downside, he had some trouble defending and fighting through screens, and on one play, he ended up fouling an opposing ball handler as a result.

In general, Johnny Davis is an agile, skilled combo guard that has a good set of all-around skills, and he has been one of the best players in college basketball right now.  He is a smooth scorer that can make shots from anywhere on the floor, and he also is an aggressive, rangy defender that can get plenty of stops for his team.  He’s playing really good basketball right now, and Davis would be a good pick for an NBA team in the lottery of the 2022 draft.

Iowa’s sophomore forward, Keegan Murray also played well in his team’s loss to Wisconsin.  He is an athletic, high-motor player that thrived as a shooter, scorer, and shot blocker in this game, and he was able to both shoot well and make energetic plays when he was on the court. Murray showed a knack for scoring on hustle plays.  He particularly thrived at scoring off of cuts, put backs, and on fast breaks.  He has good hands that can enable him to catch tough passes, and he can throw down powerful dunks off of cuts and put backs.  He also excelled at scoring on strong drives on the break.

He also showed a solid ability to score in the post.  He run quickly down court to get to his spots, and he is a deceptively powerful player that can get deep position down low.  He would score on strong drop step moves after establishing getting the inside position on the block.  He also managed to score on a turnaround jump hook while drawing an extra free throw.  Murray has good strength, shooting touch, and quickness to consistently score in the paint, and he also can use swift ball fakes and dribble moves to draw fouls upon his defenders to frequently get to the free throw line.

Also, he did a good job of knocking down three-pointers from beyond the arc.  Murray showed that he can calmly score on open, spot-up threes off the catch, and he can move off the ball to get open shots out on the perimeter.  On the downside, he struggled to consistently make mid-range jumpers, and he especially had trouble scoring on pull-up jumpers from medium distances.

On the downside, Murray is not really a passer nor much of a facilitator on offense.  He didn’t really seem to make any meaningful passes, so he wasn’t really able to leverage his individual shooting and scoring success to help his teammates get good or better shots on offense.  He also had some trouble handling or protecting the ball when pressured, as he had a couple of balls poked away by defenders that led to turnovers. He also stepped out of bounds shortly after catching the ball in the corner, and he would have missed a corner three had the referee not made that call and let the play continue.

He also was able to leap up to get his fair share of boards on both ends of the floor, and Murray was able to push the ball up the court after getting a defensive rebound once.  Murray didn’t grab nearly as many rebounds as expected, but he did help out a little bit on the glass, even though he didn’t get nearly as many rebounds as he should have. 

Plus, Keegan Murray also played solid defense in this game.  He did a great job of rotating to block shots in the paint, and he is a very energetic roamer that would swoop in to do so with vivid ferocity.  He wasn’t able to swat any of those shots to his teammates though, as one ball went to an opposing center, and two other balls landed out of bounds, but Murray is an athletic, rangy defender that can definitely sneak up to make chase down blocks from behind.  He also did a good job of contesting jumpers and deflecting passes.  On the downside, sometimes he would get beat off the dribble, and he would occasionally shade too far in one direction that would lead him to get beat the other way, as that would cause him to trail his man and wind up out of position.  Other times, he would be caught ball watching and be inattentive, as he can be prone to allowing opponents to get good shots up off of cuts or in transition.

In summary, Keegan Murray is an athletic, energetic combo forward that turned in a strong showing in his team’s loss to Wisconsin.  He consistently provided scoring on offense, and it seemed clear that he needed more help from his teammates in this game.  Murray definitely helped himself by playing well on both ends of the floor, and he is making a solid case for himself to go in the lottery of the 2022 draft.

Wisconsin’s fifth-year senior guard, Brad Davison also played well in his team’s win over Iowa.  Though Davison wasn’t nearly as aggressive in taking threes in this game, he was still impressive as a scorer, as he thrived as a mid-range shooter and scorer in the post. Davison did a very good job of scoring on mid-range jumpers.  He thrived at making shots from the mid-range, and he is a skilled shooter that was able to score on fadeaway and step-back jumpers.  He played with a lot of poise, and he really excelled at making mid-range jumpers in this game.  Plus, he also was able to move off the ball to draw three free throws on a spot-up three to show his ability to draw fouls.  Davison also was able to make a three-pointer, although he was a bit streaky with his three-point shot in this game.  

Plus, he also was able to score on a crafty, one-legged fadeaway jumper from the post.  Davison also managed to score on a quick layup off of a backdoor cut.  He did a decent job of making shots off the dribble, although sometimes he would take tough, contested shots that would lead to some ugly misses.  He didn’t seem to make any noteworthy passes in this game.  On one play though, he brought the ball up court, but he used a hop step when he was doubled, and he was called for a traveling violation that led him to turn the ball over.

Also, Davison did a very good job of rebounding the basketball.  He also played satisfactory defense, and he was able to rotate to poke the ball away to get a steal in this game.  Overall, Davison is a deceptively quick, sharpshooter that has played well in big games, and he is a confident shooter that can make threes and mid-range jumpers in bunches.  He’ll likely need to show NBA teams that he can reliably run the point and defend upper echelon opponents on a consistent basis, but Davison’s jump shot could enable him to compete for a roster spot in the NBA someday.

Iowa’s sixth-year senior point guard, Jordan Bohannon also played well in his team’s loss to Wisconsin.  He had a slow start early on, but he really came on late, as he did a very good job of shooting, scoring, and passing the basketball down the stretch. He is a skilled, agile sharpshooter that excelled at making threes to provide floor spacing for his team.  Bohannon was able to make threes both off the catch and dribble.  He ran quickly off the ball to get open shots up, and he also was able to swiftly make a tough pull-up three.  He has a lot of range on his shot, and Bohannon showed a lot of poise in knocking down long-range jumpers in this game.  He also showed a knack for drawing fouls on aggressive right-handed drives to the hoop to get to the free throw line.

Bohannon also passed the ball well.  He threw timely passes to find his teammates on the move to set up scores for them, and he also did not turn the ball over once on offense.  He showed solid court vision, and he took great care of the basketball.  Overall, Jordan Bohannon is a smart, skilled playmaker that can shoot and pass the basketball.  He may not be an overwhelming athlete, but he is a tough, gritty point guard that consistently competes, and his offensive skills combined with his intangibles could allow him to carve out a lengthy playing career in professional basketball.

Iowa’s twin brother, Kris Murray also played well, especially late in this game in his team’s loss to Wisconsin.  Like his twin brother, Kris Murray is an athletic, 6-8 sophomore forward that can shoot and score the basketball. Murray showed a solid ability to knock down threes, and he was able to make a pair of open, spot-up threes off the catch.  He also showed that he can score on off-ball motion plays, and he was able to run in to score on a powerful dunk.  He struggled more to score off the dribble, especially when he would take contested shots against the teeth of the defense, but he was able to score on a straight-line drive to the hoop once.

Also, Murray passed the ball well.  He was able to make accurate, long passes, and he can find his teammates on the move to set up scores for them.  On one play though, he was called for stepping out of bounds when driving to the hoop, which led him to turn the ball over.

Murray was able to get several defensive boards to chip in on the glass.  He also played solid defense in this game.  Kris Murray was able to poke a ball away and intercept a pass to get steals, and he also would hustle to block shots to force misses.  On the downside, he would sometimes be too aggressive in trying to make plays, which would lead him to commit touch fouls.

Overall, Kris Murray is an athletic combo forward that can shoot, score, and defend, and he may be a significantly underrated player at the collegiate level.  He doesn’t get nearly as much playing time or as many shots as his twin brother Keegan, so Kris Murray doesn’t get nearly as much attention from NBA scouts or teams.  Most likely, Kris Murray will likely need to spend at least one more season at Iowa, and he will need to show that he can play well in extended playing time.  If he can continue to hone his game and progress as an overall player, Kris Murray could end up thriving as a 3 and D type of role player in the NBA.

Iowa’s 6-9 redshirt sophomore, Patrick McCaffery is a tall, fairly athletic forward that had his ups and downs in his team’s loss to Wisconsin.  He showed some promise as a scorer off the dribble and on off-ball motion plays.  McCaffery was able to score on an emphatic dunk off of a backdoor cut.  He also used a spin move to score on a tough, fall away layup off the dribble while drawing an extra free throw another time.  He looked to be at his best when used as an off-ball player in a motion offense.  However, he struggled to consistently score off the dribble, especially when he would hoist up mid-range shots, and he also missed both of his three-pointers.

He also showed some passing skills in this game.  When posting up once, McCaffery was able to throw an accurate interior pass to find an open teammate.  He also did a very good job of rebounding the basketball.  Defensively though, he struggled in this game.  For the positives, he is an active help defender, and he can poke balls and deflect passes to help his team get deflections.  He also managed to contest a shot in the post to force a miss another time.  However, he tended to be too aggressive in contesting shots, which would lead him to be foul prone, and he also fouled a three-point shooter by preventing him from getting to his landing spot.  He also would sometimes take bad angles when defending opponents in the post or on cuts, which would lead him to wind up out of position and give up baskets to the opposition.

Overall, Patrick McCaffery is a tall, agile forward that has shown promise as a scorer at times, but he will need to improve his outside shot and on-ball defense.  He will need to spend more time to hone his overall skills, and he will likely need to stay in school to do so.  McCaffery has the talent to have a breakout season in college basketball.  If he can continue to work hard to improve his overall game, he could end up moving up draft boards to enter the second round conversation in the future.

Wisconsin’s 6-9 junior big man, Tyler Wahl also played well in his team’s win over Iowa.  He excelled as a scorer in the post as well as off of hustle plays.  He particularly had a knack for going to his right to score around the basket, and he also managed to score on a tough, fadeaway jumper from the block.  He also managed to score on a dunk off of a backdoor cut.

He also was effective as a passer in this game, and Wahl showed that he can ably pass out of the post to get the ball to his teammates.  Plus, he also did a good job of rebounding the basketball against Iowa.  Wahl also played satisfactory defense.  He was able to block a shot in the post to help force a shot clock violation.  Overall, Tyler Wahl is a tall, mobile big man that can score and pass out of the post.  He will need to extend his shooting range, but he could be a prospect to keep tabs on sometime down the road.

Wisconsin’s freshman guard, Chucky Hepburn is an athletic, agile combo guard that had his ups and downs in his team’s win over Iowa.  He played good defense the game before in his team’s win over Purdue, and he is an aggressive player that can ably create his own shot and can play tough, feisty defense, as he excels at forcing opponents to commit turnovers.

Hepburn showed a solid ability to score off the dribble.  He is a quick guard that has a solid first step to the hoop, and he can consistently get into the lane to get free throws and scores in this game.  He was able to drive hard to his left, as he then absorbed the contact to score once.  He also showed that he can swiftly split a double team when taking it to the rim due to possessing good speed and ball-handling skills, and Hepburn would draw fouls upon his defenders to get to the free throw line.

He also was able to make an open, spot-up three off the catch, and he also managed to score on a fast break drive another time.  However, Hepburn was inconsistent in knocking down outside shots.  He also would sometimes struggle to score in traffic when he would not get foul calls.  While he didn’t seem to make any noteworthy passes in this game, he is a skilled, agile ball handler that can quickly get to his spots on the floor.

Also, Hepburn was able to get a pair of defensive rebounds to chip in on the glass, and he was able to push the ball up the court after chasing down a defensive board once.  Defensively, he looked to be about average in this game.  For the positives, Hepburn was able to poke balls away to get a pair of steals.  However, he would sometimes play too aggressively, which would lead him to commit reach-in fouls when defending opponents off the dribble.

Overall, Chucky Hepburn is an athletic combo guard that can make shots when he’s in a rhythm, and he is an aggressive defender that will apply good ball pressure, as he can use that to force opponents to commit turnovers.  He will need to improve his outside shot and be a more consistent player in games, but his ability to make plays on both ends of the floor could enable him to compete for a roster spot in the NBA sometime down the road.