UNC star R.J. Davis is a consensus first-team All-American, after being named to several year-end teams by national college basketball organizations.

Davis earned a spot on the All-American first team by the Associated Press on Tuesday, before the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association named him to their teams on Wednesday. The Sporting News had previously included Davis on its team on March 12. The senior guard is the first Tar Heel to earn first team Associated Press honors since Justin Jackson did so in 2017, and the first Carolina player to be a consensus first-team All-American since Tyler Hansbrough in 2009.

Davis, the reigning ACC Player of the Year, is UNC’s leader in scoring (21.4 points per game), three-point shooting (40.6 percent) and free-throw shooting (87.3 percent), while ranking second on the team in steals and assists. He led Carolina to an ACC regular-season title and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Davis is the 19th Tar Heel overall to earn consensus first team All-American honors, and 2023-24 is the 28th season at least one Tar Heel has earned that honor. A consensus selection is one who made a majority of the NCAA’s four recognized All-America teams: Sporting News, Associated Press, National Association of Basketball Coaches and the U.S. Basketball Writers’ Association. Davis was named to all four. He is just the ninth Tar Heel to ever achieve this, joining Lennie Rosenbluth (1957), Phil Ford (1978), Michael Jordan (1983 and 1984), Kenny Smith (1987), Jerry Stackhouse (1995), Antawn Jamison (1998), Joseph Forte (2001) and Tyler Hansbrough (2008 and 2009).

Rounding out the consensus All-America first team with Davis is Purdue’s Zach Edey, Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht, Houston’s Jamal Shead and Connecticut’s Tristen Newton.

In addition, the USBWA named UNC fifth-year center Armando Bacot as a third team All-American. Joining Bacot on the third team are Johni Broome of Auburn, DaRon Holmes II of Dayton, Antonio Reeves of Kentucky and Baylor Scheierman of Creighton. In his final season with Carolina, Bacot is averaging 14.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. His 77.7 free throw percentage is a career best.

Davis, Bacot and the rest of the Tar Heels will be back in action on Thursday when they take on Wagner in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:45 p.m. in Charlotte.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect the NBCA and USBWA All-American teams. The initial version only discussed the Associated Press team.

Featured image via Associated Press/Nick Wass

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