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UNC Basketball: Future Tar Heel R.J. Davis is becoming a star

By Blake Cockrum

COLUMBUS, OHIO - MARCH 22: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels looks on as they play against the Iona Gaels during the first half of the game in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Nationwide Arena on March 22, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OHIO - MARCH 22: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels looks on as they play against the Iona Gaels during the first half of the game in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Nationwide Arena on March 22, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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Class of 2020 UNC basketball commit R.J. Davis is scoring at will, and becoming a star in the process

North Carolina basketball fans should familiarize themselves with the name R.J. Davis, if they haven’t already. The 5-foot-11, 164-pound combo guard out of Archbishop Stepinac is scoring at will this season, and becoming a star right in front of our eyes.

The lowest-ranked member of the Tar Heels’ 2020 recruiting class, Davis in No. 58 in the nation according to the 247Sports Composite. But don’t let his ranking fool you, and don’t think that he’s not prepared to score at a high level once he gets to the college ranks.

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Coming into Archbishop Stepinac’s Tuesday night game against Mt. St. Michael Academy, Davis was averaging 26.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.3 steals per game. He’s scored totals of 22, 23, 32, 31 and 29 over his last five games, and shot the ball better than 47 percent during that span. He nearly single-handedly guided the Crusaders to a 67-57 victory over the Mountaineers, recording 33 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

Davis is a good ball handler, and drives the lane with speed and efficiency. He’s good at creating his own shot, and setting up teammates to get theirs. He’s got quickness in the open court, and on the fast break, and can hit shots at all three levels. He’s a really good rebounder for his size. Davis is good at getting to the free throw line, and converts a high percentage of his shots there.

Maybe the most valuable asset he’ll bring to North Carolina, though, is his ability to play the point guard position. The Tar Heels have been thin in the back court this season thanks to injury and inexperience, and an extra guard with a versatile skill set like Davis will be nice to have on the roster.

Far too often, college sports fans get caught up on recruiting rankings, and write off recruits that don’t have five stars next to their name. And while we admit to falling into that same trap at times, R.J. Davis is a perfect example of why not to discount a player based on his ranking. The kid can flat-out play.

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Check back with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on R.J. Davis, and everything UNC basketball.

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