1.. Set up the engraving machine for the Player of the Year trophy, please. With 42 points from RJ Davis, Carolina defeated Miami 75–71. Seven two-point, seven three-point, and seven free throw baskets were made by Davis.
Were all those points really necessary for the Heels? Indeed. Tomorrow, we’ll worry about it.
2. Miami employed what seemed to be a solid defensive approach against Davis, using Matthew Cleveland to put size on the ball.
Davis, though, was simply too hot. With constant luck, he managed to end with 42 points on 14 of 22 shots, 7 of 11 from three, and 7 of 9 from the free throw line.
It was one of the most impressive attacking displays in, well, forever. Now that he has eclipsed Tyler Hansbrough to possess the Smith Center record, he is the first Tar Heel to score over 40 since Shammond Williams did it in a double-overtime victory in 1998.
To be honest, he was incredible to watch. With four minutes remaining, the Smith Center audience was shouting Davis’ name while he was just playing.
3. Higher RJ stats: When did a Tar Heel score more than him last? To get there, you had to travel back 54 years to 1970, when Charlie Scott scored 43 against Wake.
As you can see, Miami went on an 11-0 run at the end of the game, so it wasn’t pretty, either, especially not in Coral Gables.
However, Davis’ performance will stick in your memory for a lot longer than some difficult late possessions.
To what extent was he superior? He grabbed the offensive rebound on the two free shots he missed. Not to mention, with six rebounds, he ranked third on the team in rebounding.
4. Davis scored twenty-one points in the first half on a good combination of three-pointers (three of them), two-pointers (five of them), and two free throws.
It was one of the best displays of his improved game and how difficult he is to guard this season.
