Two Tar Heel Standouts Named to Naismith Trophy Midseason Team

The No. 7 ranked North Carolina Tar Heels have a couple of star players getting recognized for their talents and production throughout the first half of the regular season. 

The Naismith Awards announced their 2024 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Men’s College Player of the Year Midseason Team Thursday, featuring Tar Heel standouts Armando Bacot and RJ Davis.

Davis is having an outstanding senior campaign for the University of North Carolina. The 6-foot guard is scoring a career-high 21.4 points per game on 43.1% shooting from the field and 41.1% from three-point range on 7.7 attempts per game. 

The four-year guard is also posting 3.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.3 steals (career-high) per game this season. Davis was named to the Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch List before this season began.

Meanwhile, Bacot is averaging a double-double for the third straight season. The grad student is recording 14.2 points and 10.2 rebounds in 30 minutes per game. The 6-foot-11 forward/center is ranked first in the conference in total defensive rebounds (184). 

Bacot has had a decorated collegiate career at North Carolina, where he was named All-ACC three times. The fifth-year forward was named to the Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch List, AP Preseason All-American, and Wooden Award (Preseason) heading into this season.

It’s cool to see Bacot and Davis get recognized for their stellar play this season, as they are some of the best players in the country. It would not be shocking to see more accolades for this duo, especially if they can win the ACC and get a top seed in the NCAA tournament.

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