What to know about R.J. Davis, North Carolina's senior star and ACC player of the year

R.J. Davis and the North Carolina Tar Heels came up short in the ACC championship game, but they will have a chance to run it back during the NCAA Tournament.

Davis led all scorers with 30 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals in Saturday's matchup against the North Carolina State Wolfpack, but it was not enough. The Tar Heels, who trailed by as many as 12 points in the second half, lost 84-76.

Despite the loss, Davis still managed to rewrite the record books. He went 4-of-13 from the 3-point line to pass Justin Jackson (105) for most three-pointers made in North Carolina single-season history with 106. Davis has piled up accolades during his stellar senior season and is a player to watch in March Madness.

Here is what you need to know about North Carolina star R.J. Davis:

Who is R.J. Davis?

Davis, 22, is a senior guard at North Carolina.

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R.J. Davis high school

Davis is a New York native that played basketball at Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, New York. He averaged 26.5 points, eight rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game during his senior year and was named a 2020 McDonald's All-American, in addition to Mr. New York Basketball.

Davis was a four-star recruit coming out of high school and he was ranked No. 43 in ESPN's Class of 2020. He committed to the Tar Heels over offers from Georgetown, Marquette and Pittsburgh.

R.J. Davis stats

During his senior year, Davis averaged a career-high 21.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game, while shooting 43.3% from the field and 41.1% on 3-pointers. Davis' 21.1 points per game leads the ACC this year.

R.J. Davis awards

Davis was named the 2024 ACC Men’s Player of the Year in overwhelming fashion. Davis was also named to the 2024 First-team All-ACC team. 

North Carolina coach Hubert Davis won ACC Coach of the Year, marking the first time the Tar Heels won both the conference's player and coach of the year award in the same season since former star forward Antawn Jamison and former coach Bill Guthridge in 1998.

Will R.J. Davis declare for NBA Draft?

Davis has not declared for the NFL Draft and has an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic impacting his freshman year of 2020-21 season.

North Carolina's next game in NCAA Tournament

Davis and the Tar Heels earned the West Region's No. 1 seed, and they will play the winner of the Howard-Wagner First Four game on Thursday, March 21 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. The winner of that game will take on the winner of No. 8 Mississippi State and No. 9 Michigan State.