UNC vs. Miami: Player of the Game – RJ Davis

It wasn’t all glitz and glamour for the Tar Heels in Coral Gables on Saturday afternoon, but RJ Davis and North Carolina escaped with another ACC road victory.

The Player of the Game goes to someone who is quite familiar with the accolade, RJ Davis. There were a handful of impact Tar Heels that willed them to victory yesterday, but there’s no one who does it all like RJ. The guard totaled 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists in playing 39 of 40 minutes. Davis had led North Carolina in scoring in 16 of their 24 games, along with consistently being one of the better rebounding guards in the country.

What’s so significant about RJ’s scoring ability is how impactful his baskets are. How can you not be comfortable when the ball is in his hands? Time after time on Saturday, Miami would be hinting at a run, but Davis would silence it with a three or drawing a foul. RJ was 8-8 from the free throw line, which held significant weight in a game where the Tar Heels did not shoot the ball well in that facet. After a technical foul early in the second half, RJ hit four straight without leaving the line which was a large boost into growing that lead to double digits.

RJ Davis hit five of North Carolina’s eleven triples, once again being the only consistently dangerous shooter that the Tar Heels can rely on. Some are routine and some are acrobatic, but it doesn’t seem to matter a lot of the time. He can do it all.

Want to also acknowledge Elliot Cadeau’s performance as he shares the backcourt with RJ. The freshman tallied his career high with 19 points along with 8 assists. There were some frustrating turnovers buried in there, but Cadeau is beginning to grow in front of our eyes. If he can continue to shoot the ball at a serviceable percentage, North Carolina could have one of the most dangerous tandem of guards in the entire country.