Video: Stepinac basketball holds practice ahead of the Crusader Classic
Stepinac basketball holds practice ahead of the Crusader Classic
John Meore, Rockland/Westchester Journal News
R.J. Davis has an opportunity.
The 23-year-old White Plains native was passed over in the second round of the NBA Draft on Thursday, but quickly signed on with the Los Angeles Lakers as an undrafted free agent. He’s expected to work out and play with the organization’s summer league team.
Davis was was a prolific scorer at both Archbishop Stepinac and the University of North Carolina, but is considered to be an undersized guard at the next level. He took part in the NBA G League Camp in May and played well, but did not make the list of 75 NBA Draft Combine invitees.
Exhibit 10 contracts are for the NBA minimum and are not guaranteed. The best-case scenario is a spot on the Lakers’ roster. The middle ground is a chance to continue the audition during training camp and then a two-way or G League deal. The worst-case scenario is getting cut and returning to free agency or signing overseas.
Davis took part in 14 pre-draft workouts for undisclosed NBA teams.
The Lakers are set to play in the California Classic July 5-8, which is hosted by the Golden State Warriors and the NBA Summer League July 10-20 in Las Vegas.
Bio
BIRTH DATE: October 21, 2001
HEIGHT: 6-0
WEIGHT: 180
GAME: Davis is a proven scorer who creates space with his ability to change speed and change direction with the best in the game. He can be a streaky shooter, but when Davis finds a rhythm, the points come easily. The lack of size is an issue, but he is an impact player in the locker room who understands all that goes into winning. Davis is not an explosive player and often struggles to defend bigger, stronger opponents. He’s got the handle of a point guard and likely needs to improve his passing and decision-making to earn minutes off the bench in the NBA.
COLLEGE: Davis played five seasons at North Carolina and is No. 2 on the program’s all-time scoring list and No. 3 on the ACC’s all-time scoring list behind Tyler Hansbrough (UNC) and J.J. Redick (Duke) with 2,710 points. He is the Tar Heels’ career leader in 3-pointers (358) and free throw percentage (86.4). Davis was the ACC Player of the Year in 2023-24 and was voted a consensus first-team All-American. He was second-team All-ACC in 2024-25, averaging 17.2 points on 41.3% shooting.
HIGH SCHOOL: Davis piled up 2,446 points at Archbishop Stepinac, making him the all-time leading scorer in Westchester County history. He was named Gatorade New York State Player of the Year, CHSAA MVP and BCANY Mr. Basketball in 2020. Davis was part of the Crusaders team that won the Archdiocesan, city and Federation championships in 2018 along with A.J. Griffin (Duke), Alan Griffin (Illinois/Syracuse) and Joel Soriano (Fordham/St. John’s).