STARKVILLE , Miss. – Former University of Alabama post player Javian Davis is going home to further his basketball career in the SEC.
The 6-foot-9 redshirt sophomore forward announced Monday he will transfer from Alabama to Mississippi State. Davis had entered the transfer portal after the Crimson Tide signed 6-11 Alex Tchikou, a National Top 35 prospect. The signing of Tchikou and the possible return of All-SEC guard John Petty, who is weighing a possible professional career, would have put Alabama one player over the NCAA scholarship limit of 13 for men’s basketball.
“I’m headed to Starkvegas, I’m going home,” Davis said via his Twitter account on Monday.
Davis played in 31 games and made 14 starts for the Crimson Tide last season. He averaged 6.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. He shot an efficient 59.4% from the floor and reached double-digits in scoring nine times. He redshirted as a freshman in 2018-19 although Alabama is expected to support Davis’ application for an NCAA eligibility waiver that would allow him to play in the upcoming season.
He is the fourth player to transfer from Alabama in the off-season, joining Raymond Hawkins (Long Beach State), Galin Smith (Maryland) and Jalen Forbes (Tulane).
Davis played prep basketball at Canton High School, where he was a Clarion Ledger Dandy Dozen selection heading into a senior season in which he averaged 17 points and 12 rebounds per game. He is the second forward to transfer to Mississippi State this offseason, joining graduate transfer Jalen Johnson, a 6-foot-7 forward who played at Louisiana last season, chose to become a Bulldog in late April. He averaged 6.6 points and 2.2 rebounds per game for the Ragin’ Cajuns.
Johnson and Davis would add immediate depth to a Mississippi State frontcourt that features Western Kentucky transfer Tolu Smith, who sat out last season because of NCAA transfer rules. Rising sophomore Quinten Post should also factor into the four-spot with returning senior Abdul Ado anchoring the center position.
Tyler Houka of Gannett Sports contributed to this report
