Armando Bacot led North Carolina in scoring three years ago with an average of 12.3 points. RJ Davis was fifth in scoring on that team. Just a role player. But if you fast-forward to the present, to this 2023-24 season, Davis is now a clear star and leading UNC in scoring by averaging an ACC-best 21.0 points.
And Bacot is still in the program.
So this is one of those rare deals where a bit player later emerges as the program's best player even while the program's previous best player remains in the program. It's been fascinating to watch unfold, never more so than Monday night when Davis took 23 shots, made 14 of them and finished with a career-high 36 points in an 85-64 victory over Wake Forest.
"I feel like I'm in my backyard — just out there hooping," Davis said following the win that allowed the Tar Heels to remain No. 3 in Tuesday morning's updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings.
"I think RJ opened the game up for sure," added UNC freshman Elliot Cadeau, who is absolutely right considering 23 of Davis' 36 points came in a second half in which the Tar Heels outscored Wake Forest 52-30 to erase a deficit and cruise to their ninth consecutive victory.
There's still a ways to go, obviously, but Davis leading the ACC in scoring while also averaging 3.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists for a team that's 16-3 and projected to win its league by multiple games has the fourth-year guard on track to join Purdue's Zach Edey and three others as First Team All-Americans. Davis has scored at least 13 points in all but one game so far this season. He's also shooting a career-best 41.7% from 3-point range on 7.3 attempts per contest.
Top 25 And 1 rankings
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Zach Edey finished with 30 points and 18 rebounds in Saturday's 84-70 win at Iowa. The Boilermakers' next game is Tuesday against Michigan. | -- | 9-4 |
| 2 |  | Tristen Newton finished with 25 points and six rebounds in Saturday's 66-65 win at Villanova. The Huskies' next game is Jan. 28 against Xavier. | -- | 10-3 |
| 3 |  | RJ Davis finished with 36 points and four rebounds in Monday's 85-64 win over Wake Forest. The Tar Heels' next game is Saturday at Florida State. | -- | 8-5 |
| 4 |  | Dalton Knecht finished with 25 points and four rebounds in Saturday's 91-71 win over Alabama. The Vols' next game is Saturday at Vanderbilt. | -- | 12-0 |
| 5 |  | L.J. Cryer finished with 16 points and four steals in Saturday's 57-42 win over UCF. The Cougars' next game is Tuesday at BYU. | -- | 8-3 |
| 6 |  | Pelle Larsson finished with 22 points and four assists in Saturday's 77-71 win over UCLA. The Wildcats' next game is Thursday at Oregon State. | -- | 6-5 |
| 7 |  | Johni Broome finished with 13 points and three steals in Saturday's 82-59 win over Ole Miss. The Tigers' next game is Wednesday at Alabama. | -- | 11-1 |
| 8 |  | Max Klesmit finished with 26 points and two steals in Friday's 91-79 win over Indiana. The Badgers' next game is Tuesday at Minnesota. | -- | 10-3 |
| 9 |  | Johnny Furphy finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds in Monday's 74-69 win over Cincinnati. The Jayhawks' next game is Saturday at Iowa State. | -- | 9-2 |
| 10 |  | D.J. Wagner finished with 18 points and 10 assists in Saturday's 105-96 win over Georgia. The Wildcats' next game is Tuesday at South Carolina. | -- | 10-2 |
| 11 |  | Javian McCollum finished with 16 points and six rebounds in Saturday's 69-65 win at Cincinnati. The Sooners' next game is Tuesday against Texas. | -- | 13-0 |
| 12 |  | DaRon Holmes II finished with 21 points and six rebounds in Saturday's 96-62 win over Rhode Island. The Flyers' next game is Tuesday at Ls Salle. | -- | 10-3 |
| 13 |  | Baylor let the Longhorns shoot 51.9% from the field in Saturday's 75-73 loss at Texas. The Bears' next game is Saturday against TCU. | -- | 8-3 |
| 14 |  | Keshon Gilbert finished with 20 points and four assists in Saturday's 73-72 win at TCU. The Cyclones' next game is Wednesday against Kansas State. | -- | 10-1 |
| 15 |  | Great Osobor finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds in Saturday's 83-62 win over Fresno State. The Aggies' next game is Saturday at Boise State. | -- | 12-1 |
| 16 |  | Duke allowed Pitt to shoot 50.8% from the field in Saturday's 80-76 loss to the Panthers. The Blue Devils' next game is Tuesday at Louisville. | -- | 10-2 |
| 17 |  | Tyler Kolek finished with 15 points and 11 assists in Saturday's 73-72 win at St. John's. The Golden Eagles' next game is Wednesday at DePaul. | -- | 11-2 |
| 18 |  | Nique Clifford finished with 21 points and seven rebounds in Friday's 78-75 win over UNLV. The Rams' next game is Wednesday at Nevada. | -- | 7-6 |
| 19 |  | Ryan Kalkbrenner finished with 29 points and seven blocks in Saturday's 97-94 win at Seton Hall. The Bluejays' next game is Tuesday against Xavier. | -- | 8-5 |
| 20 |  | Pop Isaacs finished with 32 points and eight rebounds in Saturday's 85-78 win over BYU. The Red Raiders' next game is Saturday at Oklahoma. | -- | 9-2 |
| 21 |  | Quincy Guerrier finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds in Sunday's 86-63 win over Rutgers. The Illini's next game is Wednesday at Northwestern. | -- | 9-3 |
| 22 |  | Jaxson Robinson was 3 of 12 from the field in Saturday's 85-78 loss at Texas Tech. The Cougars' next game is Tuesday against Houston. | -- | 9-2 |
| 23 |  | JT Toppin finished with 25 points and 13 rebounds in Saturday's 85-66 win at Air Force. The Lobos' next game is Wednesday at San Jose State. | -- | 10-3 |
| 24 |  | Deivon Smith finished with 24 points and nine assists in Sunday's 80-77 win over Oregon. The Utes' next game is Wednesday at Washington State. | -- | 8-3 |
| 25 |  | Kadary Richmond needed 32 shots to score 21 points in Saturday's 97-94 loss to Creighton. The Pirates' next game is Wednesday against Providence. | -- | 5-8 |
| 26 |  | Jaedon LeDee committed four turnovers in Saturday's 67-66 loss at Boise State. The Aztecs' next game is Tuesday against Wyoming. | -- | 8-3 |
