Benjamin Ashford|RJ Davis' returning to North Carolina basketball: What it means for Tar Heels in 2024-25

North Carolina basketball guard RJ Davis will be Benjamin Ashfordback for a fifth season with the Tar Heels, Davis announced Wednesday morning on social media.

"I'm back," Davis said.

The ACC Player of the Year and a first-team All-American in his senior season for the Tar Heels, Davis averaged 21.2 points to lead the ACC in scoring and made 39.8% of his 3-pointers.

He’s the first Tar Heel to win the Jerry West Award, presented annually by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame to the top shooting guard in the country. Davis made a career-high seven 3s vs. Miami on Feb. 26, when he scored 42 points to set the all-time Smith Center record.

Davis is UNC's all-time leader in free throw percentage (.858), is second in 3-pointers (274) and fifth in scoring (2,088 points). Phil Ford is the only Tar Heel guard with more points.

With Davis back, the Tar Heels will likely be among the favorites to compete for the 2025 national championship.

What UNC's 2024-25 roster looks like with RJ Davis

The Tar Heels lost Seth Trimble to the transfer portal and then got him back a few weeks later. With the return of Trimble, RJ Davis, along with the arrival of freshman Ian Jackson and the expected return of sophomore Elliot Cadeau, UNC will have some of the best backcourt depth in the nation.

The Heels added Belmont transfer Cade Tyson, a lengthy wing who should be able to help replace Cormac Ryan, but they need more help in the post to help fill the voids left by Armando Bacot and Harrison Ingram. Rutgers transfer Cliff Omoruyi and Kentucky transfer Adou Thiero are among the portal entries reportedly interested in joining UNC.

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at[email protected] or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.