UNC’s RJ Davis is one of four finalists for the Naismith Player of the Year.
North Carolina guard RJ Davis is one of four finalists for the Naismith Trophy, given annually to the most outstanding player in college basketball. Davis shares the honor with Purdue’s Zach Edey, Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht and Houston’s Jamal Shead and would be the fourth Tar Heel to win the award, joining Michael Jordan (1984), Antawn Jamison (1998) and Tyler Hansbrough (2008).
Davis has received consensus first-team All-America and ACC Player of the Year honors, assuring that his name will be inscribed in the Smith Center rafters after his playing career in Chapel Hill. Winning the Naismith Trophy would result in his No. 4 jersey being permanently retired by the program. The 2024 Naismith Trophy Men’s Player of the Year will be announced on Sunday, April 7, at the Naismith Awards Brunch at the Final Four in Phoenix.
“When you want to coach somebody, he’s the example of what you want,” head coach Hubert Davis stated in February. “It’s simply not on the court. He gets things done in the classroom. He gets things done in the community. He’s an excellent teammate. He is the toughest worker. He’s the last man in the gym getting up shots. He comes to work every day and gives it his all.
Davis enters the NCAA West Regional averaging 21.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. He is shooting 43.6 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from behind the arc, both career highs. He is fourth on UNC’s all-time single-season scoring list with 768 points, trailing only Lennie Rosenbluth (895, 1956-57), Hansbrough (882, 2007-08), and Jamison (822, 1997-98).
Davis’ three-point shooting this season has cemented his place among UNC’s all-time greats. His 113 three-point field goals this season are the most in program history, surpassing Justin Jackson’s 105 from the 2016-17 season. His 41.1 percent clip from deep this season ranks fifth in the Tar Heels’ record books, trailing only Cameron Johnson (45.7 percent, 2018-19), Reggie Bullock (43.6 percent, 2012-13), Hubert Davis (42.9 percent, 1991-92), and Shammond Williams (41.8 percent, 1996-97). He is the only Tar Heel who averages more than three 3-pointers each game.
