All Tar Heels

Hubert Davis Heaps Praise on UNC Basketball Senior for Historic Effort

RJ Davis' 42-point home outing against Miami is now part of UNC basketball lore.

Matt Giles

Photo credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
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UNC basketball guard RJ Davis set a new Dean E. Smith Center record by scoring 42 points for the No. 9 Tar Heels (22-6, 14-3 ACC) in their 75-71 victory over unranked Miami (15-14, 6-12 ACC) on Monday night. The fourth-year Tar Heel shot 14-for-22 from the field, 7-for-11 from deep, and 7-for-9 at the charity stripe.

Davis, quickly approaching entry into the 2,000-point club with 1,912 following his career-high effort, added six rebounds, one assist, four steals, and only two turnovers across his 35 minutes on the floor. In doing so, he became the first in program history to reach 1,900 points, 200 made threes, 500 rebounds, and 300 assists.

It's fitting that Monday night's masterpiece from the frontrunner for ACC Player of the Year completed the above batch of career milestones. As third-year UNC head coach Hubert Davis explained in reflecting on the RJ Davis show, the Tar Heels needed his full arsenal to help stave off comeback attempts by the hot-shooting Hurricanes:

"It was great for him to play the way that he did on a national scene. But what he did tonight — I know he hadn't scored 42 points — but the type of performance that he had tonight he's been having all season. And he put the team on his back.

"It wasn't just his points. I thought he was great defensively, took care of the basketball, distributed, rebound, boxed out, and you know...

"We needed every bit of his 42 tonight. I told him after the game that I've seen a number of performances here at Carolina and also the NBA; very few have I've seen the type of performance that he had tonight.

"And I was really proud of him."

NEXT UNC BASKETBALL GAME: at home versus unranked NC State (17-10, 9-7 ACC), 4 p.m. ET Saturday (ESPN)

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Matt Giles
MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, Duke Blue Devils on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining UNC on SI in 2023, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.

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