Report: UNC's RJ Davis to Return to Tar Heels for 5th Season, Forego 2024 NBA Draft

The ACC Player of the Year is reportedly coming back to North Carolina.

Tar Heels guard RJ Davis is "on board to return" to school for a fifth season rather than enter the 2024 NBA draft, according to CBS Sports' Matt Norlander.

He is eligible to do so because of the extra season granted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

That report comes after Seth Trimble announced earlier in the day that he would be returning to North Carolina after previously having entered the transfer portal.

While the best player in the conference deciding to go the professional route wouldn't have been a surprise on paper, there was plenty of uncertainty surrounding Davis' eventual decision.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman did not project him as a first- or second-round pick in a March mock draft, and he was rather noncommittal about what he would choose even when North Carolina celebrated him at senior day this past season, per Rodd Baxley of the Fayetteville Observer.

Head coach Hubert Davis was in his corner either way.

"So, if RJ decided not to come back for an extra COVID year, I'm in 100 percent support of that," Davis said in March, per Baxley. "If he would come back, I am in 100 percent support of that. I'm glad that our players have choices. More importantly … I'm so excited for the season that RJ has had. That's the thing that puts a smile on my face."

Ultimately, Davis landed on returning even after he won the conference player of the year in convincing fashion with 68 of the 75 total votes.

His offense immediately jumps out considering he is one of the best pure scorers in the country who averaged 21.2 points per game behind 42.8 percent shooting from the field and 39.8 percent shooting from deep.

That was a career-best mark from beyond the arc and continued a pattern of his scoring totals increasing every year after he posted 8.4 points per game as a freshman, 13.5 as a sophomore and 16.1 as a junior.

Davis, who averaged 3.5 assists per game in 2023-24, can also be a facilitator and ball-handler if needed who can attack the basket and either score himself or set up teammates on the outside when defenders collapse on his penetration.

He also had the opportunity to bolster his stock under the spotlight of the NCAA tournament, and he responded by averaging 19.3 points in three games. However, the Tar Heels' championship hopes came to an end when they lost to Alabama in the Sweet 16 with Davis shooting an ugly 4-of-20 from the field and 0-of-9 from beyond the arc.

Davis is 22 years old, which may be a concern among NBA teams when directly comparing him to top prospects who are younger. Size is also a potential issue, as he is listed at 6'0" and 180 pounds.

Perhaps he can overcome some of those factors with an eye on the 2025 draft by putting more excellent basketball on tape during his final season at North Carolina.