RJ Davis has been a force to be reckoned with for four seasons so far with the UNC basketball program.
While the rest of country dreads his return, Tar Heel faithful is sure glad to have No. 4 back for one more season.
Davis returns for his fifth season in hopes of not only adding to his individual legacy but to also lead the UNC basketball program to another deep NCAA Tournament run. Coming off a historic senior season, it will be interesting to see how Davis follows it up in what will be his final season on campus.
2023-2024 Season in Review
You can write a novel about RJ Davis' 2023-2024 season, a year in which he became a consensus First-Team All-American along with being named the ACC Player of the Year. While we're sure you know all about it, we're going to try and sum it up for you:
Davis was named the UNC Basketball program's Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive season. He was a finalist for the Naismith Trophy and Wooden Award and was the recipient of the Jerry West Award, given by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame to the top shooting guard in the country (becoming only the second ACC player ever to win the award).
Davis became the 19th Tar Heel ever to be named a consensus first-team All-America. His four ACC Player of the Week honors were the most by a UNC basketball player since Joel Berry II's four during the 2016-2017 season.
His 784 points are the fourth most in a season by a Tar Heel and the most since Tyler Hansbrough's 882 during the 2007-2008 season. The White Plains, New York native connected on 41 straight free throw attempts, tying a UNC basketball program record. Davis also became the fourth Tar Heel to average 20 points while recording 100 assists in a single season while setting a new UNC basketball program single-season record with 113 three-pointers made.
Needless to say: we can go on for days... You get the point of how elite RJ Davis was last season.
What to Expect in 2024-2025
I think it's safe to say we can expect RJ Davis to do RJ Davis things this season.
Davis will once again be the leader of the UNC basketball program and will serve as the "go to" guy offensively. While the Tar Heels have a much different look this season, Davis is one of the main consistent pieces, as he'll be called upon to lead this group throughout the 2024-2025 season.
He might not have to score the ball as much (given the Tar Heels have quite a few scoring threats), Davis will have some big-time performances and should rank among the country's top scorers once again.
Bold Prediction
After this season, no UNC basketball player will ever wear No. 4 again.
Davis' No. 4 is already set to make it's way to the rafters after this season as an honored jersey, but by the time this season comes to a close, Davis will secure the requirements for his number to be retired for good, joining some very elite UNC basketball company.
Why Not 4 is back for one more season, and Tar Heel fans should cherish every single minute of it.