Bringing Devo Davis Back Wasn't Terribly Complicated for Musselman

Meeting this week led to letting him come back to finish whatever season's left

Author:
Andy Hodges
Updated:
Feb 9, 2024 3:10 PM EST
Original:
Feb 9, 2024

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — It doesn't sound like Davonte "Devo" Davis' return to Arkansas' team was more complicated than walking into the weight room. Coach Eric Musselman was already there. Apparently they talked and here we go into the final nine games of the regular season.

"I don’t know if there’s a story to tell," Musselman said Friday morning. "Somebody will figure something out and make something up. There will be some rumor about something as there always is, but I was just in the weight room and he walked up. Who knows where that goes. It is what it is."

It could be a boost to a struggling team that needs any sort of help it can get. The Razorbacks host Georgia at 5 p.m. Saturday at Bud Walton Arena on the SEC Network and fuboTV. With just nine games left and sitting at 11-11 overall (2-7 in SEC play), anything after the SEC Tournament in March looks like a lost cause right now. They need wins.

"Devo has done some incredible things as part of this program," Musselman said. "You look at this success over the last three years and he’s been a big part of it. We’re finding out that it’s not easy, one, to make an NCAA Tournament. It’s not easy to make a Sweet 16 — three of them. It’s not easy to make back-to-back Elite Eights. He’s been a part of that, so hopefully everybody recognizes what he has done for the program.

"Sometimes when you have success it gets taken (for) granted. It’s hard, in this league, to win games. It’s hard to make the NCAA Tournament. He’s been part of a lot of winning and a lot of incredible moments for this basketball program."

That summation near the end of Musselman's press conference is probably the whole reason he let him come back. There's only nine games left and nobody's speculating beyond that at this point. This team needs wins and Musselman is trying every way he can dream of to make that happen.