.png&width=36&height=36&type=webp)
University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Maggie Hobson
Lucas: Davis Ready To Compete
October 2, 2020 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
An exclusive chat with freshman RJ Davis
By Adam Lucas
Before RJ Davis had even committed to Carolina, his family had already posted a big win in the Smith Center—allegedly.
During Davis' visit, his father, Rob, played a game of ping-pong against Carolina director of player development Eric Hoots. Understand that Hoots takes his ping-pong proficiency very seriously. There have been some legendary games between Hoots and Tyler Hansbrough, many of which have ended with at least one competitor storming off angrily.
"It was tight," RJ says of the game between his father and Hoots. "They were going back and forth and talking trash at the same time. I think my dad won." Not everyone agrees…but we'll get to that.
Now perhaps you have a slightly better understanding of where RJ (his preference is RJ, no periods, instead of R.J.) gets his competitiveness.
"It's come from a young age because I was always the smallest guy," he says. "For me to be on the floor, I had to have a dog mentality. I had to go out and show people what I'm about."
What he's about is scoring—and winning. Davis is the all-time Westchester County (N.Y.) career scoring leader, as his 2,446 points eclipsed a familiar name to longtime Carolina fans, Danya Abrams. His senior season ended early due to COVID-19, but just before it ended, he powered Archbishop Stepinac High to the CHSAA Archdiocesan title with a win over top-seeded and traditionally powerful St. Raymond's, with Davis contributing 18 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in the victory.
It's not necessarily true to say that he's overlooked. After all, he was selected to play (pre-virus cancellation) in the McDonald's All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic.
But in the same way that Joel Berry could use perceived slights to his advantage on the court, Davis also seems to be cataloging any examples of disrespect. Watching him play this week in the Smith Center, even when matched against a defender several inches taller than him, Davis is completely incapable of shying away. Every move is designed to get closer to the rim, preferably at a very high velocity.
Here's how Davis describes his game for Tar Heel fans who will get their first glimpse of him when the season opens on November 25: "A player who will give his all. Plays at a fast pace. Leaves it all on the floor. I bring a lot of energy. They're going to see a player who has that dog mentality and will go out there every day and give 110 percent."
Davis knows there's a good chance he could spend some time this season paired with fellow freshman Caleb Love in Carolina's backcourt. To get familiar with the idea, before he moved to Chapel Hill he watched film of Berry playing alongside Marcus Paige at Carolina. His takeaways:
"You could see how well they complement each other," he says. "With two guards playing alongside each other, you could see how well the ball moves and how they get each other shots. You could see how fast-paced the game is because when you play with two guards they control the pace of the game and the tempo. Especially as a small guard, I would consider myself similar to them, so I've been paying close attention to how they create their own shots, how they get their teammates the ball and how they set the tempo for the game."
It's difficult to imagine Davis conceding anything in any competitive contest. And there is one competition about which the outcome remains murky.
For the sake of historical accuracy, we should note that Hoots disputes the winner of his ping-pong battle with the elder Davis (the phrase "I beat him real bad" may have been used). But one thing is for certain:
"The next time we came down, Hoots was looking for my dad," RJ says with a grin.
Before RJ Davis had even committed to Carolina, his family had already posted a big win in the Smith Center—allegedly.
During Davis' visit, his father, Rob, played a game of ping-pong against Carolina director of player development Eric Hoots. Understand that Hoots takes his ping-pong proficiency very seriously. There have been some legendary games between Hoots and Tyler Hansbrough, many of which have ended with at least one competitor storming off angrily.
"It was tight," RJ says of the game between his father and Hoots. "They were going back and forth and talking trash at the same time. I think my dad won." Not everyone agrees…but we'll get to that.
Now perhaps you have a slightly better understanding of where RJ (his preference is RJ, no periods, instead of R.J.) gets his competitiveness.
THE INTRO: 𝙍𝙅 𝘿𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙨
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) October 2, 2020
Get to know the shifty freshman from White Plains, NY 🗣#CarolinaFamily | @ariidavis_ pic.twitter.com/VLuSvmtqil
"It's come from a young age because I was always the smallest guy," he says. "For me to be on the floor, I had to have a dog mentality. I had to go out and show people what I'm about."
What he's about is scoring—and winning. Davis is the all-time Westchester County (N.Y.) career scoring leader, as his 2,446 points eclipsed a familiar name to longtime Carolina fans, Danya Abrams. His senior season ended early due to COVID-19, but just before it ended, he powered Archbishop Stepinac High to the CHSAA Archdiocesan title with a win over top-seeded and traditionally powerful St. Raymond's, with Davis contributing 18 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in the victory.
It's not necessarily true to say that he's overlooked. After all, he was selected to play (pre-virus cancellation) in the McDonald's All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic.
But in the same way that Joel Berry could use perceived slights to his advantage on the court, Davis also seems to be cataloging any examples of disrespect. Watching him play this week in the Smith Center, even when matched against a defender several inches taller than him, Davis is completely incapable of shying away. Every move is designed to get closer to the rim, preferably at a very high velocity.
Here's how Davis describes his game for Tar Heel fans who will get their first glimpse of him when the season opens on November 25: "A player who will give his all. Plays at a fast pace. Leaves it all on the floor. I bring a lot of energy. They're going to see a player who has that dog mentality and will go out there every day and give 110 percent."
Davis knows there's a good chance he could spend some time this season paired with fellow freshman Caleb Love in Carolina's backcourt. To get familiar with the idea, before he moved to Chapel Hill he watched film of Berry playing alongside Marcus Paige at Carolina. His takeaways:
"You could see how well they complement each other," he says. "With two guards playing alongside each other, you could see how well the ball moves and how they get each other shots. You could see how fast-paced the game is because when you play with two guards they control the pace of the game and the tempo. Especially as a small guard, I would consider myself similar to them, so I've been paying close attention to how they create their own shots, how they get their teammates the ball and how they set the tempo for the game."
It's difficult to imagine Davis conceding anything in any competitive contest. And there is one competition about which the outcome remains murky.
For the sake of historical accuracy, we should note that Hoots disputes the winner of his ping-pong battle with the elder Davis (the phrase "I beat him real bad" may have been used). But one thing is for certain:
"The next time we came down, Hoots was looking for my dad," RJ says with a grin.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballUNC Field Hockey: Carolina Wins Ninth Straight ACC Championship
Saturday, November 08
Carolina Insider - Football vs. Stanford Preview (Full Segment) - November 7, 2025
Friday, November 07
Carolina Insider - Men's Basketball vs. Kansas Preview (Full Segment) - November 7, 2025
Friday, November 07
WBB: Post-Elon Press Conference - Nov. 6, 2025
Friday, November 07