When first-year guard Elliot Cadeau told RJ Davis he needed one more basket for a new career high, Davis was already aware.
“I’m trying to get 40,” he replied.
Davis didn’t quite reach that mark in No. 3 North Carolina’s 85-64 routing of Wake Forest on Monday — scoring a career-high 36 points on 14-23 shooting — but his four 3-pointers did help him break Justin Jackson’s program record of 15 consecutive games with multiple threes. It was also Davis’ 100th career start, and the senior guard recorded zero turnovers.
The White Plains, N.Y., native likened his rhythm against the Demon Deacons to playing backyard basketball.
“I think it’s like a zone that every hooper knows,” Davis said. “When you’re just in that zone, it’s hard to get out of. You can’t hear anything. You just see the ball in the basket.”
With three minutes left and the game all but over, Davis needed one more score to set a new milestone. Sizing up Demon Deacon guard Hunter Sallis at the top of the key, Davis crossed over twice and sunk a deeply-contested three.
Davis knows assistant coach and former UNC sharpshooter Jeff Lebo would rather have him hunt more catch-and-shoot looks. And although Davis himself estimates that his 3-point percentage off of catches this season is “probably like 100," he still prefers shooting off the dribble.
The triple went in. New career high achieved. Based on the night he was having, was anyone surprised at that point?