No Contest lf Choice Was Investing in Holland or Davis

There may never be a more marketable Razorback to step on court at Bud Walton ever again

Author:
Kent Smith
Updated:
Jun 1, 2023 2:29 AM EDT
Original:
May 31, 2023

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Wednesday began with the announcement that Ron Holland is headed to the G League instead of Arkansas, which was followed by a lot of people complaining that the wealthy people of Northwest Arkansas were worthless because they didn't cough up enough money to coax the former Texas signee to Fayetteville. It ended with the announcement that guard Davonte Davis has decided to forego the NBA to return to the Razorbacks for one last run.

There are so many things wrong with with the first part of that day, and so many things right with how it ended. Let's begin with the idea that it is the responsibility of wealthy people in and around Fayetteville to purchase athletes for everyone else to enjoy. Even though it's more difficult each year for those in the southern half of the state to feel it, the Razorbacks belong to the entire state. Therefore, it isn't just the responsibility of those in Northwest Arkansas to deliver in the world of NIL. If the rest of the state is going to complain, then the rest of the state needs to chip in.

Of course, more often than not, those throwing anger toward the wealthy in this case are people who couldn't contribute financially if they wanted. They're simply trying to spend someone else's money. However, the difference between the wealthy and those who live check to check is that one group invests while the other purchases. That's why it's easy to not be upset at those who feel let down because no one stepped up to go down to the transfer portal store and pick up a Holland off the shelf. In their mind, it's like going down to the produce section and picking up a tomato.

However, for the people who have the money, this wasn't a purchase. The world of NIL is an investment, which means someone needs to convince them there's a potential return on investment. They're buying a pack of tomato seeds for the same price of one tomato because it pays off more in the long run.

By all accounts, Holland's a one-and-done unproven commodity whose primary focus is getting to the NBA, not the state of Arkansas. Once he's gone, he's probably not coming back to give back to the state and its schools and businesses. For the record, there's nothing wrong with that. After making a high profile investment last season that didn't pan out well from a business perspective, they are in a place where they need to invest in something more solid that can potentially return a profit.

That's where Davis comes in. If he's coming back, why would any Arkansas company invest in Holland? Davis is a walking gold mine. He's the baby brother with the immaculate smile to everyone in Arkansas. He's the heart of the team who left everything on the floor to drag this proud program and the entire Arkansas fan base across the finish line in spite of overwhelming odds against Kansas. There may never be another Razorback basketball player as beloved as Davis ever again.

Adding to his value is that he might be the last Hog fans will be able to follow from freshman to senior year for a very long time. His return already makes him the first to do it this decade. No one gets to build the kind of relationship Davis has with the fan base.

Making him even more marketable is how he reflects a story to which so many Arkansans relate. He wasn't the golden child who was anointed upon arrival like so many others lately. He had to scrape and claw to prove himself and then do it all over again year after year as the newest shiny toy showed up to try to send him back to the bench. That's true Razorback spirit.

On top of that, he's not from another state or a player who grew up in the Northwest corner of the state wondering what strange world might lie beyond the Bobby Hopper Tunnel. He grew up in Jacksonville playing ball in central, southeast, southwest and east Arkansas. Then he moved on to Fayetteville. He can relate to anyone anywhere in the state. Even if Davis doesn't score a single point next year, Holland could never compete with him in regard to return on investment.

So, if it came down to businesses deciding whether to throw extra money to bring in Holland for a year or to invest in Davis to make it worth his while to return for a final season, it was a no brainer and there should be no doubt the right call was made. If Arkansas fans were going to wake up in June with only one or the other, it's the correct decision 1,000 out of 100 times, and, yes, that's not how math works, but it is how right it is to have Davis back at Arkansas.

He's earned the right to be shown the love in every way possible, whether that be through displays of gratitude or in his pocketbook. Davis is the walking embodiment of what the state of Arkansas is about on its best day.

Razorback fans have 313 days with Davis as a Razorback. Soak in every minute of it because when it comes to Arkansas basketball, there is no better investment.