With the NBA Draft tomorrow night, we now re-post our NBA Draft Stock Profile article. This one originally ran at the beginning of the month. RJ Davis is the all-time leader in minutes played, free throw percentage and field goal attempts in North Carolina Tar Heels basketball history. He is also the program’s second leading all-time scorer, behind only Tyler Hansbrough, one of the greatest players in college basketball history.
Rewriting the Carolina record book is quite a feat, when you consider their extremely storied history.
According to RG.org, North Carolina is the all-time leader in NCAA tournament wins (134), with 31 Sweet Sixteen appearances. They are also the all-time leader in Final Fours with 21. The Tar Heels can also boast 12 national title game appearances and six national championships.
But despite his status as one of the most accomplished players in not just UNC, but ACC history, the 23-year-old guard seems destined for the G-League, maybe.
Or, the ACC’s third-leading all-time scorer and White Plains, N.Y. native could be set for a pretty decent and lucrative career in Europe.
Of course, there is still a chance he gets drafted, provided a team in the late second round is looking for a pure scorer who is only 6-feet tall and 180 pounds.
That is where the issues begin in the RJ Davis NBA Draft stock report. He is considered undersized for the NBA, and he’s probably not to their standards when it comes to finishing at the rim. And while the NBA isn’t exactly big on defense right now, in general, RJ Davis is lacking in this department too.
Not to mention he has to deal with the stigma that comes with being a 5th-year-player (and being 23-years-old).
The idea, in the heads of NBA scouts and GMs these days, is that anyone who stayed in school for as long as possible just wasn’t good enough to leave and go pro.
That’s a touch knock to overcome. RJ Davis also doesn’t have a great position fit at the next level. He doesn’t have the length or size to play anything but point guard, but his skill set is more combo guard than the 1. Still Davis does bring a great, quick first step and excellent play-making ability.
So hey, you just never know, right?
The only former Tar Heel who will likely get drafted this time around is Drake Powell, who we often see him in the mid to late first, just outside the lottery picks.
Ian Jackson, who transferred to St. John’s, will be one to watch in 2026. You can see where we RJ Davis, or where we don’t have him, in our latest NBA mock draft, here.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter