reporter

Brian Murphy, WRAL reporter

RJ Davis had the sensation of playing basketball in his own backyard.

The loud chorus of supporters calling out his name indicated that the guard from North Carolina was performing on a significantly grander platform.

On Monday evening in Chapel Hill, Davis achieved a personal best of 36 points, strengthening his argument for being named ACC player of the year. The No. 3 ranked North Carolina team dominated the latter half of the game and secured an 85-64 win over Wake Forest.

Davis described the feeling as being in his own backyard, just playing basketball. It’s a state of mind that all basketball players are familiar with and once you’re in that zone, it’s difficult to break out of it. You become completely focused on the ball and the basket, oblivious to any external distractions. That’s the zone I was in.

Davis, a potential candidate for recognition as the national player of the year and the top scorer in the ACC, successfully made 14 out of 23 attempts without committing any turnovers in a span of 37 minutes.

“According to Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes, RJ Davis is the top player in our league. This was evident in his performance tonight.”

In his fourth year playing, Davis was given a standing ovation from the audience at the Smith Center when he exited the game with only 44 seconds left. Just before leaving, the crowd cheered his name “RJ, RJ” as he successfully made his fourth and last 3-pointer of the match.

Hubert Davis, the coach of UNC, who was a former player and assistant coach, stated that he cannot recall a time when the Smith Center crowd chanted a player’s name.

Hubert Davis stated that he has had a remarkable career, but he believes that he is finally receiving recognition this year.

UNC has a current record of 16-3, with a perfect 8-0 record in the ACC. This is the first time since the 2015-16 season that the Tar Heels have started conference play with an 8-0 record.

Wake Forest’s overall record is now 13-6, with a 5-3 standing in the ACC.

At the end of the first half, Wake was leading 34-33. During halftime, Hubert Davis strongly criticized his team.

RJ Davis remarked that there was a significant amount of shouting.

The game was successful. With 16:47 left on the clock, Efton Reid’s dunk tied the score at 41. However, the Tar Heels then gained momentum and pulled ahead.

RJ Davis hit back-to-back 3-pointers, which were UNC’s first two of the game. This came after missing their first eight attempts from beyond the arc. This ignited an 18-4 run in the following five minutes.

In the second half, the Tar Heels extended their advantage to a maximum of 24 points. This was their ninth consecutive victory with a margin of at least ten points.

Davis’ highest score before this was 30 points, which he achieved against Baylor during the 2022 NCAA Tournament. He also matched this earlier in the season against Arkansas.

He and his fellow players were aware that Davis had equaled his personal best in the latter part of the game.

“Elliot Cadeau, a freshman guard, advised him to prepare a bucket. Cadeau suggested getting another bucket as well. Later, when the player reached 36 points, Cadeau even called for a play to help him score another 3 points and potentially reach 40. However, he was substituted out before he could do so.”

His 36 points were the most for a UNC player at the Smith Center since Tyler Hansbrough scored 39 against Clemson in 2008. The 36 points were the most for a UNC player in any games since Brice Johnson scored 39 against Florida State in 2016.

UNC had three players score in double digits: Cadeau with 14 points, guard Cormac Ryan with 11, and forward Harrison Ingram with 10. Ingram also had an impressive 14 rebounds.

UNC scored 48 points in the paint as part of their strategy to focus on driving to the basket against the Deacons.

Hunter Salis led Wake Forest with a total of 18 points.

Source: wralsportsfan.com