CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina guard RJ Davis met with the media Thursday afternoon at the Smith Center in advance of the Tar Heels’ home game Saturday against Duke, which will also be the final home game of Davis’ sensational career.
Davis is the second all-time leading scorer in UNC history, was ACC Player of the Year last season, and his jersey will hang in the rafters. He doesn’t think much about that or his legacy, as he discussed Thursday. He does, however, thoughtfully articulate the meaning of his five years in Chapel Hill and how unique he is for staying at the same school this whole time.
The Tar Heels are 20-11 overall and 13-6 in the ACC. They are 1-10 in Quad 1 games, something Davis discussed but mainly said winning the next game is the main focus. The Blue Devils, by the way, are 27-3 and 18-1.
Above is video of Davis’ Q&A session and below are some notes from what he had to say:
*Davis was asked several questions at the outset about his UNC career, he thoughts and feelings going into his final home game as a Tar Heel, how he’s adjusted to being the old guy and leader on the team, and about being a rare player to stay at one school his entire career.
In addition, he spoke about his legacy and was asked what his favorite moment was.
“I would say when we beat Duke at Duke in Coach K’s last (home) game. That one is so special to me because obviously at the beginning of the year, we played them early on in the year and we got smacked. And then going into that week, everyone thought the same outcome would happen. And the only guys that really believed… that we could do it was us.
“We went into that game with so much confidence. The world was lifted off our shoulders and we went out there and hooped. That’s the type of team and the type of mindset you want to have going into battle. That was for me by far the most memorable moment.”
*Covid marked Davis’ first season at UNC, so the first Duke game was on the road with no fans in the building and only 3,263 fans were allowed in the 21,750-seat Dean Dome. Since. Attendances returned to norm, to which Davis spoke about.
*Being the older player sacrificing certain things for the greater good of the team is something that Davis had to embrace, He always played hard and to win, but this role required a different level of focus, a broader perspective and vision of the team.
*The impact of Jae’Lyn Withers’ reinsertion into the starting lineup seven games ago has changed the Tar Heels, UNC Coach Hubert Davis said, and RJ agreed. He spoke in-depth about what Withers does to make them better.
*It has been five weeks since the first UNC-Duke game, so what is the biggest difference in the Tar Heels since then? RJ provided a thoughtful response.
“Our mindset and maturity. I think those two key factors have really taken a big step forward. I think our mindset, in terms of understanding who we are as a team and our identity. I said to you guys before I don’t think in the beginning of the year, just going throughout the first week of ACC play, we didn’t know our identity as a team.
“And I think we’ve found our recipe these past couple of games, the past couple of weeks leading up to it, I just think our motto right now is whatever it takes. Whatever it takes to win.
“I think we’re diving into doing the little details and those little things allowing us to make these stretches and these runs.”
*He was asked in Blacksburg a question comparing these Heels to the 2022 team that caught fire late, beat Duke in Coach K’s last home game and in his last ever game, which took place in the Final Four, and advanced to the national title game. Davis said yes and no about similarities before really swatting them away.
He was asked today for deeper clarification on that. Among other things, he simply chooses to look at each team as vastly difference because they “each have their own path.”
