University of North Carolina Athletics
RJ Davis
Photo by: Maggie Hobson
Davis Earns Spot On Naismith & NABC Player Of The Year Watchlists
October 30, 2024 | Men's Basketball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C.—North Carolina fifth-year guard RJ Davis is a member of the preseason watchlist for the 2024-25 Naismith Trophy and National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) National Player of the Year awards.
Davis is one of five Atlantic Coast Conference players on the Naismith watchlist, joining Duke's Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, Notre Dame's Markus Burton and Wake Forest's Hunter Sallis.
Davis was a first-team AP and consensus All-America last season after leading the ACC in scoring at 21.4 points per game. He also was named the 2024-25 Preseason ACC Player of the Year and an Associated Press first-team Preseason All-America earlier this month.
The 2025 NABC Division I Player of the Year, selected by a nationwide vote of Division I head coaches, will be announced the week of the 2025 Final Four. Former Purdue standout Zach Edey won the award each of the last two seasons.
The full NABC watchlist is below.
2025 NABC Division I Player of the Year – Preseason Watchlist
Ace Bailey, Rutgers
Oumar Ballo, Indiana
Johni Broome, Auburn
L.J. Cryer, Houston
Johnell Davis, Arkansas
RJ Davis, North Carolina
Hunter Dickinson, Kansas
Cooper Flagg, Duke
Graham Ike, Gonzaga
Kam Jones, Marquette
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton
Alex Karaban, Connecticut
Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State
Caleb Love, Arizona
Norchad Omier, Baylor
Kadary Richmond, St. John's
Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest
Mark Sears, Alabama
Braden Smith, Purdue
Wade Taylor IV, Texas A&M
Davis is one of five Atlantic Coast Conference players on the Naismith watchlist, joining Duke's Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, Notre Dame's Markus Burton and Wake Forest's Hunter Sallis.
Davis was a first-team AP and consensus All-America last season after leading the ACC in scoring at 21.4 points per game. He also was named the 2024-25 Preseason ACC Player of the Year and an Associated Press first-team Preseason All-America earlier this month.
The 2025 NABC Division I Player of the Year, selected by a nationwide vote of Division I head coaches, will be announced the week of the 2025 Final Four. Former Purdue standout Zach Edey won the award each of the last two seasons.
The full NABC watchlist is below.
2025 NABC Division I Player of the Year – Preseason Watchlist
Ace Bailey, Rutgers
Oumar Ballo, Indiana
Johni Broome, Auburn
L.J. Cryer, Houston
Johnell Davis, Arkansas
RJ Davis, North Carolina
Hunter Dickinson, Kansas
Cooper Flagg, Duke
Graham Ike, Gonzaga
Kam Jones, Marquette
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton
Alex Karaban, Connecticut
Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State
Caleb Love, Arizona
Norchad Omier, Baylor
Kadary Richmond, St. John's
Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest
Mark Sears, Alabama
Braden Smith, Purdue
Wade Taylor IV, Texas A&M
Naismith POY Watch List ⭐️ @ariidavis_
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) October 30, 2024
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