All-American Davis staying at UNC for fifth year

RJ Davis, an All-American and Wooden Award finalist last season, is returning to North Carolina for a fifth season.

Davis announced his decision in an Instagram post early Wednesday morning with the simple caption: “I’m back.”

The runaway winner for ACC Player of the Year, Davis averaged 21.2 points and 3.5 assists per game last season while shooting 39.8% from 3. He was North Carolina’s first Associated Press All-American since 2017.

Davis’ freshman year came during the 2020-21 season played amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with players competing that year getting an additional year of eligibility. He has 2,088 career points to rank fifth on the school’s career record list. If he matches last season’s output (784 points), he would tie Tyler Hansbrough for the ACC career scoring record (2,872).

His anticipated return had the Tar Heels at No. 8 in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25. North Carolina won the ACC regular-season title in 2023-24 and received a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, reaching the Sweet 16 before falling to No. 4 Alabama.

Information from ESPN’s Jeff Borzello and The Associated Press was used in this report.