CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – RJ Davis, the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year for the 2023-24 season, stands as one of four national finalists contending for the 2024 Naismith Trophy, which honors the most outstanding player in college basketball.
Davis could potentially join a prestigious lineage of Tar Heels, including Tyler Hansbrough (2008), Antwan Jamison (1998), and Michael Jordan (1984), as a Naismith Trophy recipient.
The other three finalists include Zach Edey from Purdue, Dalton Knecht from Tennessee, and Jamal Shead from Houston.
Here’s a closer look at the finalists:
RJ Davis, North Carolina:
– Consensus first-team All-America and the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year.
– Leads the ACC in scoring with an average of 21.4 points per game and has amassed 768 points, the fourth-highest single-season total in UNC history.
– Holds the record for the most 3-point field goals made in a season in UNC history, with 113, and is the only Tar Heel to average over three 3-pointers per game.
– Surpassed 2,000 career points and ranks as the fifth-leading scorer in UNC history, second among Tar Heel guards.
– Named National and ACC Player of the Week four times during the season.
The winner of the 2024 Naismith Trophy Men’s Player of the Year will be announced on Sunday, April 7, during the Naismith Awards Brunch at the Final Four in Phoenix.
