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R.J. Davis is on his way out with distinction.
Davis is hoping to have a great finish to his pretty incredible college career by beating Duke in his last home game Saturday. It is a long shot against the top-rated Blue Devils, but R.J. has a few things to celebrate.
At the top of that list is that he (and Armando Bacot) may be the best college stars to play five full seasons at one school after returning for their fifth COVID years. Many college athletes took that extra season, but few of them stayed at the same place all the while excelling with honors.
Davis made first-team All-ACC and All-America and ACC Player of the Year in 2023-24, which will put his jersey name and number forever in the rafters of the Smith Center, wherever it may be. Bacot became UNC’s all-time rebounder and among the best-ever in the ACC. Who tops that?
Davis has made the ultimate team sacrifice this season forsaking more individual awards to help the Tar Heels congeal into a team capable of defeating Duke, when a month ago that seemed impossible. But playing their best basketball with six straight victories, they seem to have a shot.
“That’s one of the biggest challenges I’ve had this year, asking myself what am I willing to sacrifice for this team?” he said this week. “I came to the conclusion to do whatever it takes. If we win, I’m more than happy. It’s more about us winning rather than individual stats of how I’m playing.”
Hubert Davis and his coaching staff have a 4-4 record against Duke, including last year’s sweep on the way to the ACC regular season championship. Counting R.J.’s true freshman year under Roy Williams, when they also swept the Devils in front of COVID-reduced crowds, he takes a personal 6-4 record into Saturday night’s game.
The 2021-22 season, after Williams retired, Carolina lost its first game to Duke at home in a blowout. The current Tar Heels lost at Cameron by 17 points but once trailed by 30. R.J. refuses to conjure up a similar story which would include a massive upset like ruining Coach K’s last home game with a stunning victory, followed by another win over the Blue Devils in the Final Four – two games neither fan base will ever forget.
A victory Saturday would assure Carolina of a bid to the NCAA tournament, similar stakes that were on the line in Durham three years ago. The Tar Heels went into that game with a 14-5 ACC record compared to this season’s 13-6. But, for Davis, it’s his last time running out of that tunnel.
R.J.’s family will be down from New York to see him stand at center court and cheer him on to what would be the first Senior Night win over Duke (with a jam-packed arena) since 2019, when Davis was still dreaming about where his college journey would take him.
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Featured image via Todd Melet
Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
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