North Carolina guard RJ Davis — a first-team All-American this past season — is returning to UNC for his fifth and final college season, he announced on social media early Wednesday morning.
The 6-foot Davis, who won the Jerry West Award and was named the ACC Player of the Year, was not expected to be selected had he declared for the NBA Draft. Instead with his return, Davis is in line for a seven-figure payday, due to various NIL opportunities. Davis averaged 21.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game this past season while shooting 39.8 percent from 3-point range and 87.3 percent from the free-throw line.
Advertisement
Davis — the last active player left to be coached by Hall of Famer Roy Williams — already has cemented his legacy at North Carolina. His jersey will hang in the Smith Center rafters when his college career ends, the first such player to be honored at UNC since Justin Jackson in 2017. Davis has bridged the Williams and Hubert Davis eras, played in a national championship game and led the Tar Heels to their first ACC regular-season title since 2019.
But there are still a few things he hasn’t accomplished at the college level. For starters? Winning a national title, which UNC hasn’t since 2017. RJ Davis was key to the Tar Heels’ magical Final Four run in 2022 — which included beating Duke in Mike Krzyzewski’s last home game and then again in the Final Four in the rivals’ first-ever NCAA Tournament meeting — but capturing the program’s seventh NCAA title would make Davis a program legend. He’s also now within striking distance of North Carolina’s all-time scoring record, held by Tyler Hansbrough. Davis is currently fifth in career scoring, and trails Hansbrough by 784 points — exactly how many he scored this past season.
RJ’s back 🗣️ @ariidavis_ pic.twitter.com/gtcq3pk02x
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) May 1, 2024
With his official announcement, Davis should be a preseason All-American and one of the frontrunners to win the Wooden Award, given annually to the nation’s best player. Davis was a finalist this past season, but Purdue center Zach Edey became the first two-time winner since Ralph Sampson in the 1980s.
As for UNC, Davis’ return means the Tar Heels once again will be major players in the ACC. Hubert Davis’ team has lost five players so far: super seniors Armando Bacot, Cormac Ryan and Paxson Wojcik, who are out of eligibility; forward James Okonkwo, who transferred to Akron; and forward Harrison Ingram, who declared for the NBA Draft. But with RJ Davis back and a pair of top-10 recruits incoming in Ian Jackson and Drake Powell, UNC should be a preseason top-10 team.
Advertisement
The Tar Heels also are set to return guards Elliot Cadeau and Seth Trimble and forwards Jalen Washington, Jae’Lyn Withers and Zayden High. Belmont transfer Cade Tyson — a sharpshooting wing, and the younger brother of former Clemson star Hunter Tyson — committed to the program during the weekend.
What’s next for North Carolina?
Davis’ return had been expected for several weeks, although it’s interesting he opted not to even go through the NBA Draft process; that signifies that the feedback he received from the NBA’s Undergraduate Advisory Committee was to return to school outright, rather than likely going undrafted and pursuing a two-way spot out of Summer League.
Either way, Davis gives North Carolina a star to center around next season — and for the first time under Hubert Davis, true depth in the backcourt. UNC started RJ Davis and freshman Cadeau this past season, with super senior Ryan on the wing at the three. The Tar Heels just brought in Tyson to fill Ryan’s role, but in addition to Cadeau and Davis, there’s rising junior Trimble — who briefly entered the portal before returning — and top-10 incoming guard Jackson, who figures to have a key role early. Cadeau’s passing and set-up skills allowed Davis to move off the ball this past season, but his lack of floor-spacing hurt UNC’s offense at times, and especially in its season-ending loss to Alabama in the Sweet 16; the Crimson Tide “dorked” (intentionally sagged off) Cadeau and Trimble, which cratered UNC’s spacing. How the coaching staff manages those minutes will be fascinating.
Davis’ return also means UNC only has three open scholarships left, with the chief priority nabbing a big man alongside Washington.
Washington, a former top-75 recruit, has been a role player his first two seasons in Chapel Hill, and it’s hard to envision the big man — with his history of injuries, including two torn ACLs — locking down UNC’s center spot all season. The Tar Heels have recruited Aaron Bradshaw and Jonas Aidoo so far this offseason, but they committed to Ohio State and Arkansas, respectively. North Carolina is still pursuing former Rutgers big Cliff Omoruyi, the best available center in The Athletic’s transfer portal rankings and No. 24 overall player.
(Photo: Chris Seward / AP)