CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina senior guard RJ Davis met with the media Monday afternoon at the Smith Center to discuss his game, the team, Tuesday’s game versus Connecticut, and head coach Hubert Davis.

The No. 9 Tar Heels face defending national champion UConn on Tuesday night as part of the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden. The game is slated to start at around 9:15 PM.

Davis leads UNC in scoring at 20.4 points per game. He also averages just under three assists per contest, a steal, 3.1 rebounds, is shooting 43.5 percent from the floor, including 34.5 percent from 3-point range.

Carolina’s game versus the Huskies will air on ESPN.

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

*Davis is from the NYC area, having grown up in White Plains, NY. He was asked Monday if he will serve as the team’s tour guide this week, but he noted that he is more into shopping, so he’ll spend his time doing that instead. Plus, teammate Cormac Ryan is actually from inside the city, unlike White Plains, so if anyone is qualified to show the guys around, it’s him.

*The Tar Heels are in the midst of a challenging part of their schedule, perhaps the most difficult stretch. Their last four games have been against Villanova and Arkansas in The Bahamas, plus Tennessee and the ACC opener versus Florida State at home.

Davis said the styles of play they have faced and edginess of some teams (notably Villanova and Tennessee), have prepared them for what’s coming against the Huskies. Davis did note, however, the Heels themselves are also quite edgy.

“They play with an edge, but we do as well,” he said. “I think we made that statement with Tennessee, and just kind of build off of that. We know what type of energy they’re going to bring; we’re going to have to guard, and we know what type of coaches and players they’re going to come with…

“But, the same way they come with an edge, we do as well.”

*The Tar Heels’ adjusted offensive efficiency rating is No. 5 in the nation, and their adjusted tempo is No. 46, much faster than a year ago, in which they finished the season at No. 99. Davis discussed the team’s sped up play.

“It feels great,” Davis said, when asked what it’s like when they are pushing the tempo and having efficiency. “But I think it’s also something we’ve prepared in practice for. It comes naturally. We do it in practice, we push the ball in practice, we find the open man, and I think it’s been beneficial for us so far.”

*Among the things about UConn he also discussed were Huskies guard Tristen Newton, who scored 31 points in the loss at Kansas last Friday. He also tallied 23 in a 20-point win over Indiana last month. In addition, he discussed UConn’s length, noting that FSU was at least 6-foot-7 across the board in its starting lineup, so they have played length as well and are prepared.

*Davis spoke a lot about how his game has evolved, from the shots he gets, his leadership, how playing for the New York Gauchos AAU team growing up shaped his approach to basketball, and more.

*UNC Coach Hubert Davis spent his first four years in the NBA with the New York Knicks, and said Monday he was nervous going to play for them because they were branded as a physical “bad boy” team. But it helped him, he said, and 30 years later, RJ Davis said he can see some of that in his coach at times.

Though, he’s usually mild mannered, but when he gets intense, the senior guard jokes that his coach is “spazzing.”