UNC Basketball: R.J. Davis leads the way as the Tar Heel of the Game

The UNC basketball program picked up a hard fought victory on Friday night, and sophomore guard RJ Davis played a big role in the victory.

Although the game was much closer than many anticipated, the UNC basketball program defeated Brown on Friday night to pick up their second victory of the 2021-2022 season.

It was certainly an early-season test for the Tar Heels, as their Ivy League opponent was very efficient and effective offensively. Overall, the Bears shot 50.7% from the floor, and made some runs during the game that definitely put the pressure on North Carolina throughout the game.

After Caleb Love took home our first “Tar Heel of the Game” honors for this season, North Carolina’s other two captains made their case to earn the award for the win over Brown. However, we could only choose one, so we chose the guy whose tremendous shooting down the stretch played a major role in the Tar Heels pulling out the victory.

Sophomore guard RJ Davis is our “Tar Heel of the Game,” as he overall had a career night. The White Plains, NY native set new career-highs in points (26) and three-pointers made (6), shot an effective 52.9% overall. He also became the first UNC basketball player to make at least three-point field goal attempts in a single game since Cole Anthony drained seven against the Syracuse Orange back in 2020.

With the possibility of suffering a huge early season upset, Davis stepped up when the Tar Heels needed him to the most. The sophomore had a stretch in which he scored 14 of North Carolina’s 16 points, and made some huge three pointers to help give the Tar Heels a bit of a cushion to work with.

Not only was he on fire shooting the ball, he also did a tremendous job in passing the basketball. Davis recorded six assists against Brown, bringing his season total up to 11 assists so far this season. His 11 assists are the most by a Tar Heel through two games since Theo Pinson recorded the same amount during the 2017-2018 season.

On Friday night, Davis showcased just how good he could be. After the game, Davis told reporters that he wanted to “redeem himself” from last game, and it’s safe to say that he accomplished that goal.

At the Dean Dome on Friday night, you see the confidence in RJ Davis’ game. It’s evident that the player we saw against Brown is one that we could see for the foreseeable future in Chapel Hill, as the Tar Heels hope that he continues to thrives in all aspects of the game.

As Davis and his fellow backcourt mate Love continue to develop, they will be a nightmare for opposing defenses to slow down. It’s still very, very early in the season, but you have to like the flashes of potential that we’ve seen from both,

The UNC basketball program’s backcourt has been well-represented in our “Tar Heel of the Game” awards so far this season. Who will earn the honor when the Tar Heels take on the College of Charleston on Tuesday in their first road contest of the season?

You’ll have to check back with the Keeping It Heel team to find out!

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