Tag: R.J. Davis

Tar Heels shut down P.J. Hall, shoot hot late to down tough Clemson team on the road

The UNC basketball program got a big road win at Clemson against a tough Tigers team to improve to 11-3 overall and 3-0 in the ACC.

Clemson, South Carolina was the place to be on Saturday afternoon if you’re a college basketball fan.

UNC and Clemson, two ranked teams atop the ACC, faced off in a matchup that was going to unofficially decide the conference’s top team. The high-flying, offensive-minded Tar Heels were going to battle against a defensive-minded, P.J. Hall-led Tigers squad.

The game was everything as advertised – physical, loud and a little chippy.

Thanks to some clutch perimeter shooting and strong defense, Carolina distanced itself and picked up a huge, 65-55 victory that keeps it undefeated in ACC play.

UNC (11-3, 3-0 ACC) never led by much when it was ahead, but it started to distance itself late. Besides the final result, Carolina obtained its largest lead (62-55) with 2:23 remaining, when junior Harrison Ingram converted a tough layup for two of his nine points.

The Tar Heels then iced the game on free throws from R.J. Davis and Armando Bacot, who tied for the team lead with 14 points.

Hall entered the game as a ACC Player of the Year candidate, averaging over 20 points per content. UNC’s defense, which allowed the third-most points to ACC opponents coming in, frustrated Hall throughout and limited him to 10 points. Hall fouled out in the second half, giving Carolina one less Tiger to worry about.

UNC limited Clemson to just one 3-pointer throughout and out-rebounded the Tigers, 44-33. The Tar Heels now sit alone atop the ACC with their latest victory.

Player of the Game

UNC played a very balanced game, but Player of the Game has to go to Bacot today.

He out-dueled Clemson big man P.J. Hall down low, recording a 16-point, 14-rebound double-double for Carolina and forcing Hall to foul out late.

Bacot also shot 6-of-11 from the field, his third-straight game shooting over 50 percent.

What’s next?

UNC travels to one of its biggest rivals on Wednesday, Jan. 10, as it faces N.C. State in PNC Arena at 8 p.m. ET. The Wolfpack (10-3, 2-0 ACC) have won three in a row.

UNC basketball on edge of Top 10 in latest NET rankings

The UNC men’s basketball team sits at 10-3, with a couple impressive wins under its belt. Those victories are paying off in the rankings.

The UNC men’s basketball team’s victory over then-undefeated Oklahoma proved what Tar Heel Nation already knew – UNC is a great team this year.

There were some questions in the offseason, most notably whether the Armando Bacot-R.J. Davis duo could lead Carolina back to the NCAA Tournament. How much would UNC head coach Hubert Davis utilize his bench? Will the transfers fit in?

The answers – it’s looking good right now, a lot more and without a doubt.

Carolina sits at 10-3 right now with an ACC win already under its belt – Tuesday night’s convincing, 70-57 road victory over Pitt. The Tar Heels have a tough game next, as they travel to a ranked Clemson squad on Saturday, Jan. 6 for a 12 p.m. ET tip-off.

Because of what it’s done already, UNC jumped up to 12th  in the latest NET rankings. Following the win over Pitt, UNC moved up seven spots. They then moved up one more spot on Thursday with the update.

The Tar Heels are 3-3 in Quad 1 games, which are major factors for bubble teams come NCAA Tournament time. This mark means UNC has a few impressive wins under its belt (Oklahoma, Tennessee, Arkansas), but has also lost games that aren’t surprising (Kentucky, UConn, Villanova).

Clemson (10) and N.C. State (71), Carolina’s next two opponents, prove two golden opportunities to boost its resumé for the Big Dance.

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R.J. Davis joins this fellow Tar Heel legend in elite scoring company

Tyler Hansbrough holds the UNC men’s basketball career points record. R.J. Davis recently matched another points mark, last set by Psycho T.

If you’ve been paying even the slightest bit of attention to UNC basketball this year, you’ve probably seen how well star guard R.J. Davis is playing.

Davis leads Carolina and is eighth in the nation with 21.7 points per game. He’s a dagger from deep, near-automatic from the free throw line – tying assistant coach Jeff Lebo’s record for consecutive free throws against Kentucky – while continuously showing an ability to knock down clutch shots.

Davis is a major reason UNC is 8-3, as of Friday, Dec. 23. Three of those Tar Heel victories have come against ranked opponents, with the most recent one being a convincing, 81-69 victory over previously-unbeaten Oklahoma on Wednesday night.

Davis’s point totals in his past seven games go, starting with Oklahoma – 23, 27, 26, 27, 27, 30, 23. If you hadn’t guessed it already, he’s been UNC’s scoring leader in each of these games.

The senior from White Plains, N.Y. is now part of UNC basketball royalty with his 7-game scoring tear, becoming the first player since Tyler Hansbrough to lead Carolina in scoring for seven straight outings.

Psycho T is the greatest big man in Tar Heel history, as he holds the all-time record with 2,872 points. He was the 2008 National Player of the Year, plus he played an integral role in helping UNC capture the 2009 National Championship.

When Davis’s collegiate career ends, he hopes to be part of a championship-winning team like Hansbrough. The Tar Heels came close in the 2022 title game, but blew a 15-point halftime lead to Kansas.

If Davis keeps shooting like he is now and UNC keeps beating strong teams, there’s no reason for a seventh championship to be anywhere else but Chapel Hill.

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Tar Heels had Sooners first loss of year with big defensive effort

The UNC men’s basketball team played one of its most complete games on Wednesday, dominating previously-undefeated Oklahoma in Charlotte.

There’s no question that entering Wednesday’s non-conference matchup with Oklahoma in the Charlotte, N.C.-based Jumpman Invitational, the UNC men’s basketball team had suffered a couple of tough losses.

The Tar Heels played close with UConn before the Huskies pulled away, while they came all the way back from 12 points down against Kentucky – only for the Wildcats to end things on a hot spurt.

UNC started hot Wednesday night, never eased up and looked like the better team throughout, knocking off previously-undefeated, 7-ranked Oklahoma squad by an 81-69 mark in front of a Tar Heel-heavy crowd.

When the Sooners (10-1) started inching back late in the second half, the Tar Heels (8-3) had an answer. Carolina would either force a couple misses with its strong post presence, including a fired up Harrison Ingram and a much-improved Armando Bacot, or hit clutch shots like a moving three from leading scorer R.J. Davis.

This was worlds different from the Kentucky game, when UNC would choke under pressure with turnovers or rushed shots.

Carolina made a real impact in its statement win over Oklahoma, in large part due to its defense. The Tar Heels stole the ball 10 times – led by four from Ingram, plus blocked four shots – with three coming from Bacot.

UNC struggled with turnovers in the Kentucky loss, giving the basketball away 17 times. UNC took care of the ball much better against Oklahoma, turning it over just nine times to Oklahoma’s 18.

I said Bacot needed to step up tonight – he did big-time, netting 14 points and grabbing eight rebounds. Bacot was one of four Tar Heels to reach double-figures – Davis led the way with 23, Cormac Ryan dropped 13 and Ingram added 11.

UNC’s bench also played respectable, with head coach Hubert Davis electing to play 10 different Tar Heels. Seth Trimble, Jalen Washington and birthday boy Jae’Lyn Withers, a Charlotte native, combined for 13 points. Zayden High and Brown transfer Paxson Wojcik also saw playing time.

This game was a must-win for Carolina. Not only did UNC win, they beat a good, strong Oklahoma team in dominant fashion.

The Tar Heels have a week off, giving players and coaches alike a chance to spend Christmas with their loved ones, before returning to the Dean Dome on Friday, Dec. 29 to host Charleston Southern.

For now, Carolina can enjoy this win.

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R.J. Davis ties program record against Kentucky

UNC shooting guard R.J. Davis is a free throw machine, tying a program record with assistant coach Jeff Lebo on Saturday night.

When it comes to free throws in college basketball, few players are as automatic as UNC shooting guard R.J. Davis.

On Saturday night, Davis’ eight made free throws were a major reason the Tar Heels hung around in an 87-83 loss to Kentucky. He also made eight field goals, including a 3-of-9 mark from deep.

Not only was Davis’ night from the charity stripe impressive, it also tied a program record.

One of Davis’ assistant coaches, Jeff Lebo, made 41 consecutive free throws during his UNC playing days (1985-1989).

Davis tied that mark on Saturday night, just barely missing on surpassing it when his final free throw attempt went off the rim.

On a night where not a lot of scoring worked, outside of Davis and Cormac Ryan, free throws played a major factor. Carolina enjoyed a slight edge in makes, converting 21-of-27 attempts to Kentucky’s 19-of-26.

If Davis keeps aggressively driving to the win on Wednesday night against Oklahoma, he’ll have a chance to start a new streak. Even the best basketball players miss an occasional free throw – see Steph Curry for reference.

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UNC-Kentucky tabbed a Top 10 game to watch this week

Tar Heel Nation, your early-season Game of the Year candidate is Saturday evening. UNC will take on Kentucky in Atlanta at 5:30 p.m. ET

The best college basketball games, if you ask me, are when two historic programs face off.

We’ve witnessed lots of great battles over the years – Kansas-Memphis, Duke-Wisconsin and Florida-UCLA National Championship games, to name a few.

One of those historic battles is coming to Atlanta, Ga. on Saturday, Dec. 16 at 5:30 p.m. ET, as the UNC men’s basketball team faces off against Kentucky in the CBS Sports Classic.

If Purdue-Arizona, Kansas-Indiana and UConn-Gonzaga weren’t facing each other this weekend, there’s no doubt Carolina-Kentucky would be the game to watch. Both the Tar Heels and Wildcats are off to 7-2 starts, though the Tar Heels have yet to suffer an embarrassing loss at home.

UNC-Kentucky is so highly-anticipated, it was ranked college basketball correspondent Andy Katz’ fourth-ranked Game of the Week.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C0uBKOFORfz/

Carolina enters the clash off an 87-76 loss to the reigning champion UConn Huskies, who pulled away in the second half. Kentucky rebounded from its Dec. 2 home loss to UNCW, beating Penn comfortably by 15 points last Saturday.

The Tar Heels have shown significantly more of an ability to compete with tougher teams this year – beating two of the SEC’s better programs in Tennessee and Arkansas, while taking Villanova to overtime and being competitive for most of the UConn game.

Kentucky, despite being 7-2, is already remembered this year for losing to UNC-Wilmington inside Rupp Arena. The Wildcats were still competitive in that game and their other loss, to another staple college basketball program in Kansas.

Carolina will be tasked with slowing down Kentucky’s six players in double-figures, while the Wildcats will have to pick either R.J. Davis, Armando Bacot, Harrison Ingram or Cormac Ryan to slow down.

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Huskies catch fire while Heels go cold in Jimmy V Classic

UConn was a great test to see how good UNC basketball was. The Tar Heels kept it close, but shooting woes doomed them in the second half.

Tuesday night in Madison Square Garden was the center of college basketball.

Florida Atlantic, Illinois, UConn and UNC took the hardwood for the annual Jimmy V Classic. FAU and Illinois faced off first, followed by a matchup between Carolina and the reigning NCAA Champions.

While UNC kept closing its second half deficit, its shooting woes ultimately doomed it in an 87-76 loss.

At this stage of the year, UConn was going to be a good gauge of how legit the Tar Heels were. Playing a good team like the Huskies is tough for anyone, but even the best teams are able to keep things close at times.

If you’re Carolina, the most exciting part of Tuesday night were the second-half runs that brought play within a couple possessions. UNC took advantage of a couple rare UConn misses, cashing in on layups, jump shots and getting to the line.

Yet every time the Tar Heels closed the gap, they couldn’t seem to make that one play needed to tie or take the lead. You can attribute this to the Huskies’ hot shooting, with them ending the night over 50 percent from the field.

Cam Spencer was arguably UConn’s best player, going 8-for-13 on field goals, 4-for-5 on free throws, grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out a team-high six assists. Four of five Husky starters scored in double-digits and shot over 50 percent, with 7’2″ center Donovan Clingen being the lone exception.

Outside of R.J. Davis and Harrison Ingram, Carolina’s offense was anemic. Despite recording a 13-point, 13-rebound double-double, Armando Bacot only made 4-of-12 shots. Notre Dame transfer Cormac Ryan also suffered through his worst game in Tar Heel blue, making just 3-of-10 shots and missing all six attempts from deep.

Player of the Game

It’s got to be Harrison Ingram. The Stanford transfer was one of three Tar Heels to score in double figures (20 points), plus he led his team in 3-point percentage (3-for-4).

Best of all, Ingram was the only Tar Heel to shoot over 50 percent (8-for-13).

When Carolina was down by double-digits early in the second half, it seemed like Ingram was the guy who couldn’t miss. He was aggressive – but smart – when shooting the ball. He was at the glass for cleanups and drove the lane for easier baskets.

What’s next?

UNC has some time off for final exams, then heads down to the ATL for a battle with Kentucky, on Saturday, Dec. 16 at 5:30 p.m. ET in the CBS Sports Classic. The Wildcats, coming off a home loss to UNC-Wilmington, will host Penn before taking on the Heels.

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Tar Heels start fast, hold off late push to beat Tennessee

The UNC basketball program held off a late push from Tennessee to win in the Dean Dome.

The Tennessee Volunteers entered Wednesday’s game in Chapel Hill ranked No. 1 in defense in the KenPom rankings. But that ranking will fall a little bit after North Carolina’s 100-92 win in the first SEC/ACC Challenge game for both teams.

North Carolina opened up a 28-12 lead in the first half at the 11-minute mark, including going 5-of-11 from the three-point line in that stretch.

With the big first-half lead, it was the best the Tar Heels looked in one-half in a very long time.

UNC built the lead out to 23 at 46-23 in the first half and went into the break up 61-39. They became the first team to score more than 35 in the first half against Tennessee, an impressive feat seeing that they have played both Kansas and Purdue so far.

The Tar Heels had four players finish the first half in double-figures scoring, as they had an all-around balanced attack. That was led by Harrison Ingram who had 15 points in the first half.

In the second half, things got a little too close for comfort.

Despite building a 24-point lead at one point, Tennessee came roaring back behind the play of Dalton Knecht. The guard finished with 37 points, shooting 13 of 17 from the field, helping Tennessee cut the lead down to 7 at one point. The Volunteers caught fire from the field, shooting just under 70 percent in the second half. But UNC was able to close it out with free throws despite going into a scoring drought in that second half.

R.J. Davis led the way with 27 points with Armando Bacot adding 22 and Harrison Ingram finishing with 20. Cormac Ryan returned after suffering an ankle injury and had 15 points off the bench.

Player of the Game

With R.J. Davis leading the way scoring-wise, we are going to go with him for our player of the game. Davis made 5 of his 11 three-point attempts including a few big ones in the second half.

What’s next?

North Carolina opens up ACC play on Saturday as they host Florida State for an afternoon showdown. The Seminoles entered Wednesday with a 4-1 record including a win over a ranked Colorado team.

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UNC Men’s Basketball vs. Tennessee: Game preview, info, prediction and more

The UNC men’s basketball teamm which just beat Arkansas for Third Place in the Battle 4 Atlantis, now turns around to host another SEC team.

If you thought the Battle 4 Atlantis was difficult, wait till you see who UNC plays next.

Carolina’s men’s basketball team, coming off an 87-72 victory over Arkansas on Friday, Nov. 24., now turns its attention to another SEC program in Tennessee.

UNC (5-1), ranked 17th in the latest AP Poll, is hosting the Volunteers on Wednesday, Nov. 29 at 7:15 p.m. This game will be part of the ACC-SEC Challenge, a fun tournament won by the conference with most matchup victories, that replaces the ACC-Big 10 and Big 12-SEC Challenges.

Carolina returns home for the first time since Friday, Nov. 17, when it dominated UC-Riverside in a 77-52 result. The Heels went 2-1 in the Battle 4 Atlantis, but were just an overtime period away from the championship game.

Tennessee, which made a Trip to the Sweet 16 last year, is sitting 4-2 after a 1-2 showing in the Maui Invitational. The Volunteers made headlines by beating Michigan State, ranked fourth at the time, in East Lansing during both teams’ season-opener.

This will be the Tar Heels’ last game before opening ACC play, which begins on Saturday, Nov. 2 in the Dean Dome against Florida State. Tennessee is off the rest of the week, then returns home to host George Mason on Tuesday, Dec. 5.

UNC holds the all-time series record at 10-2, but the Volunteers won the most recent matchup, an 89-72 result on Nov. 21, 2021.

R.J. Davis anchors second-half comeback, helps UNC capture third in Battle 4 Atlantas

UNC dropped an overtime contest to Villanova on Thursday, but responded to dominate Arkansas in the second half of Friday’s 87-72 victory.

After struggling to hang with Villanova in yesterday’s Battle 4 Atlantis semifinal matchup, UNC needed to prove it could play with a good Arkansas team on Friday afternoon.

That was going to be significantly tougher to do, with starter Cormac Ryan being ruled out from Thursday’s ankle injury. Carolina trailed by three at halftime – a deficit easy to climb, but nonetheless concerning it was trailing.

Star guard R.J. Davis wasn’t about to let his Tar Heels lose a second straight game.

A day after shooting just 8-of-22 from the field, Davis led UNC to an 87-72, second-half comeback victory over Arkansas. He shot exactly 50 percent (9-of-18) from the field and earned a perfect, 10-of-10 mark from the free throw line.

The Tar Heels outscored the Razorbacks by a whopping, 52-34 margin in the second half, after being outscored 38-35 in the opening half.

Carolina’s defense had to endure yet another prolific scorer on Friday, this time in the form of Tramon Mark. The Houston transfer exploded for 34 points on 13-of-17 shooting, before being carted off on a stretcher late in the second half.

On Thanksgiving day, Villanova’s Eric Dixon enjoyed a 34-point outing on 11-of-19 shooting.

UNC big man Armando Bacot struggled shooting the ball again, scoring just nine points for his second-consecutive game in single digits, but his teammates picked him up today. Every Tar Heel scored at least five points – Stanford transfer Harrison Ingram (13 points) and sophomore guard Seth Trimble (12) both reached double-digits.

Player of the Game 

I know we highlighted how productive he was above, but I have to give this honor to senior guard R.J. Davis.

He scored 22 points yesterday in the loss against Villanova, but he only shot 8-of-22 from the field. Davis rebounded today against Arkansas, tallying a season-high 30 points on 9-of-18 shooting from the field, plus a perfect 10-of-10 mark on free throws.

With no Cormac Ryan available, Davis was needed extra in the win. He delivered.

What’s next?

Carolina doesn’t have another game during Thanksgiving weekend, but it’ll turn around and host an SEC Power in Tennessee on Wednesday, Nov. 29 at 7:15 p.m. This’ll be part of the ACC-SEC Challenge.

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