As RJ Davis' shooting strife continues, UNC men's basketball searches for offensive spark against Alabama

RJ Davis has a tattoo on his shoulder that reads "perseverance."

He got it after UNC’s upset loss to Alabama in last year’s Sweet 16 matchup, where the consensus All-American finished 0-9 from three. 

And because of North Carolina’s early troubles this season, Davis has continued to lean on that word. 

“I got it tatted on me as a reminder,” Davis said. “Especially with the season we’re having right now to continue to fight through it all. Things are going to turn out how they are supposed to.” 

He admitted how badly he wanted his second chance against the Crimson Tide to “go right in so many ways.” Instead, his shooting struggles persisted.

Davis finished 1-11 from behind the arc in No. 20 North Carolina's 94-79 loss to No. 10 Alabama on Wednesday night. His poor shooting ushered the Tar Heels into their worst 3-point percentage of the season, 17.9, while the rest of UNC’s roster offered little support. North Carolina’s three leading scores on the season  — Davis, junior Seth Trimble and sophomore Elliot Cadeau — finished 11-41 from the field, as the Tar Heels recorded a negative assist to turnover ratio. 

Most of Davis’ shooting problems stemmed from an inability to create open looks. Out of the 11 threes he took, all but one was off the dribble. It's a byproduct of the extra defensive attention Davis earned after averaging 21.2 points per game last season. 

“[The shots] are all tough right now, and I know that,” Davis said. “I knew that coming into the season, how guards were going to be guarding me. And I mean, I know it's gonna be tough, but I just gotta do a better job.”

Head coach Hubert Davis offered a twofold solution. 

For RJ Davis to get out of his 24 percent 3-point shooting slump this season, he can’t settle for shots off the dribble. But when he isn’t scoring, his teammates have to pick up the slack. 

“It's not the University of RJ,” Hubert Davis said before later adding, “[It’s] the University of North Carolina. So we all got to step up.” 

On Wednesday night, they failed to do so. 

Alongside Davis, Trimble and Cadeau posted their worst shooting performances of the season. Cadeau failed to score from the field and recorded a season-low one point. 

UNC as a team finished with more turnovers (13) than assists (12) for the third time in four games. On a handful of possessions, a Tar Heel guard crossed mid-court and pulled up off the dribble without once completing a pass. 

The lack of ball movement made North Carolina’s free-flowing offense stagnant. 

“The ball did stick a lot,” junior forward Ven Allen-Lubin said. “That's just something we got to work on, trying to get the ball moving, trying to play selfless basketball.” 

When UNC does move the ball well, its through inside-out passing. By getting two feet in the paint and drawing defenders, easy kick-outs to Tar Heel shooters outside the arc become available.  

This area of the game also dried up against Alabama.

“We just gotta started looking for good [shots] before we start taking the hard ones,” first-year guard Ian Jackson said. “Try to touch the paint and get one kick out and get the three. Just look for the easy ones first.” 

The Tar Heels find themselves in concerning territory as UNC’s offensive woes mount. North Carolina’s 4-4 record is the worst start after eight games in over two decades. Even in December, the reality of a March run is beginning to slip.  

It was clear UNC’s guard play would have to do most of the heavy lifting this season, but lately, that burden might be unmanageable.

And with Davis’ redemption against Alabama spoiled, all he can do is continue to lean on the word on his right shoulder. 

@cadeshoemaker23

@dthsports | sports@dailytarheel.com