2/1/2024 basketball Edit

THI TV: RJ Davis Pre-Duke Interview & Notes

Andrew Jones • TarHeelIllustrated

Publisher

Andrew Jones has covered sports for 26 years, including all major college & professional sports for daily newspapers & national sites. He's done radio and TV & is entering his seventh year at THI.

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CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina senior guard RJ Davis met with the media Thursday at the Smith Center to discuss coming off the loss at Georgia Tech and look ahead to Saturday’s home game against No. 7 Duke.

The third-ranked Tar Heels fell by a point in Atlanta, and among the things Davis spoke about was the final play in which he missed a shot and appeared to have been fouled, though it wasn’t called.

Above is video of Davis’ Q&A session, and below are some notes from what he had to say:

*Davis said he wouldn’t share with everyone all that his father told him after the Georgia Tech game, in particular the final play, but did note his dad said he could have settled for an open 3-pointer or taking a dribble to his right to get the defender even more off balance. Davis also said the team ran the play that was called exactly as it was supposed to go.

*He spoke about the meeting the players had in the locker room after they got back from GT, and said much of the message was to not overreact and get focused on Duke.

*Elliot Cadeau is a freshman and will experience this game for the first time, and was planning on talking with him today.

“Just go out there and be Elliot. He’s a supreme talent, he’s been playing really well for us this year. So, just go out there and just play your game. Don’t get too caught up in the rivalry game, just go be Elliot. That’s what we need from him.”

*Davis’ fondest memories so far of playing Duke are from his sophomore year beating the Devils in Coach K’s final home game and in the Final Four in his last game.

*Though he’s a senior, Davis can use his Covid year and return to Carolina for another season. Has he given any thought to using it and coming back?

“I haven’t. It actually hasn’t hit me yet. I think I’ve been doing a good job of just staying in the moment and worrying about this year, rather than what the future may look like. That really hasn’t hit me yet, so I’m just enjoying my senior year.”

*He also spoke about what he didn’t like coming out of the loss at Georgia Tech, about Hubert Davis not showing the team old clips of past UNC-Duke games, on what was learned during an 8-1 January, about playing against Duke’s Jeremy Roach since middle school, and about the Blue Devils.