RJ Davis Named to the Naismith Preseason Player of the Year Watch List

The preseason honors won't stop for graduate guard RJ Davis.

He is on the preseason watch list for college basketball's most prestigious award. Davis would become just the fourth Tar Heel to win the honor, joining the likes of UNC basketball greats Michael Jordan, Antawn Jamison, and Tyler Hansbrough.

The award adds to the growing list of accolades for the 2023-2024 ACC Player of the Year. Davis has already been selected for the Jerry West Award Watchlist and named a Preseason AP First-Team All-American and Preseason ACC Player of the Year.

As the number of preseason awards grow, the hype for Davis' final year in Chapel Hill only increases. The guard led the Tar Heels to the highest-scoring offense in the ACC last season with 21.2 points per game. With a reloaded roster around him, the sky is the limit for Davis in 2024-2025.

He will be the unquestioned leader of this year's team that ranks ninth in the preseason AP poll. With star-studded freshmen Ian Jackson and Drake Powell joining the unit, his role as the elder statesman becomes all the more important.

But preseason recognition won't mean anything once the Tar Heels step on the court against Elon on Monday.

Davis would know better than anyone, having been a member of the 2022-2023 UNC basketball team.

Nonetheless, expectations will be sky-high for both Davis and the Tar Heels this season. And if Davis can play to the level he showed last year, he may be hoisting the Naismith Player of the Year trophy in April.