The Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center opened in January 1986 and has spent nearly four decades hosting basketball games featuring one great player after another. Tim Duncan played at the Dean Dome — as did Grant Hill, Len Bias, Christian Laettner, Chris Paul, JJ Redick, Stephon Marbury, Shane Battier, Jay Williams, Jayson Tatum, Zion Williamson and Paolo Banchero. And those are just the names of a few notable visitors. If you want to create an impressive list of Tar Heels, just Google "North Carolina Basketball All-Americans" and take your pick.
My point?
My point is that more elite players than I have time to name have played inside this 21,000-seat arena, and exactly none of them ever did what RJ Davis did Monday night. The fourth-year guard took 22 shots, made 14 of them and finished with a career-high 42 points in North Carolina's 75-71 win over Miami. Those 42 points were split evenly between the two halves and represented the most points any player, home or away, has ever scored in a game inside the Smith Center.
"I kind of felt good most of the game," Davis said. "Came out hot. I told myself since I had a good first half to continue to stay on it. I was aggressive and shots were falling. For me to have a performance like that tonight means the world to me."
The four-point victory improved North Carolina to 22-6 overall, 14-3 in the ACC. The Tar Heels are one game ahead of Duke in the loss column of the league standings with three regular-season games remaining. They are No. 7 in Tuesday morning's updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings, where Purdue remains No. 1 for the seventh consecutive morning.
Tuesday's Top 25 And 1 rankings
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Zach Edey finished with 35 points and 15 rebounds in Sunday's 84-76 win at Michigan. The Boilermakers' next game is Saturday against Michigan State. | -- | 34-5 |
| 2 |  | Cam Spencer finished with 25 points and four rebounds in Saturday's 78-054 win over Villanova. The Huskies' next game is March 3 against Seton Hall. | -- | 37-3 |
| 3 |  | Jamal Shead finished with 12 points and 10 assists in Saturday's 82-76 win at Baylor. The Cougars' next game is Tuesday against Cincinnati. | -- | 32-5 |
| 4 |  | Dalton Knecht finished with 24 points and seven rebounds in Saturday's 86-51 win over Texas A&M. The Vols' next game is Wednesday against Auburn. | -- | 27-9 |
| 5 |  | Tamin Lipsey finished with 14 points and six assists in Saturday's 71-64 win over West Virginia. The Cyclones' next game is Wednesday against Oklahoma. | -- | 29-8 |
| 6 |  | Kam Jones finished with 34 points and two steals in Sunday's 88-64 win over Xavier. The Golden Eagles' next game is Wednesday against Providence. | -- | 27-10 |
| 7 |  | RJ Davis finished with 42 points and four steals in Monday's 75-71 win over Miami. The Tar Heels' next game is Saturday against NC State. | -- | 29-8 |
| 8 |  | Hunter Dickinson finished with 20 points and seven rebounds in Saturday's 86-67 win over Texas. The Jayhawks' next game is Tuesday against BYU. | -- | 23-11 |
| 9 |  | Caleb Love finished with 30 points and five assists in Saturday's 91-75 win over Washington. The Wildcats' next game is Wednesday at Arizona State. | -- | 27-9 |
| 10 |  | Baylor Scheierman was 4 of 16 from the field in Sunday's 80-66 loss to St. John's. The Bluejays' next game is Wednesday against Seton Hall. | -- | 25-10 |
| 11 |  | Ja'Kobe Walter finished with 16 points and four rebounds in Monday's 62-54 win at TCU. The Bears' next game is Saturday against Kansas. | -- | 24-11 |
| 12 |  | Chad Baker-Mazara finished with 25 points and four assists in Saturday's 97-76 win at Georgia. The Tigers' next game is Wednesday at Tennessee. | -- | 27-8 |
| 13 |  | Kobe Elvis was 2 of 11 from the field in Wednesday's 71-67 loss at George Mason. The Flyers' next game is Tuesday against Davidson. | -- | 25-8 |
| 14 |  | Great Osobor finished with 17 points and seven assists in Tuesday's 68-63 victory over San Diego State. The Aggies' next game is Tuesday at Fresno State. | -- | 28-7 |
| 15 |  | Duke allowed the Demon Deacons to shoot 60.4% from the field in Saturday's 83-79 loss at Wake Forest. The Blue Devils' next game is Wednesday against Louisville. | -- | 27-9 |
| 16 |  | Jaedon LeDee finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds in Saturday's 73-41 win over Fresno State. The Aztecs' next game is Tuesday against San Jose State. | -- | 26-11 |
| 17 |  | Coleman Hawkins finished with 30 points and five steals in Saturday's 95-85 win over Iowa. The Illini's next game is Wednesday against Minnesota. | -- | 29-9 |
| 18 |  | Alabama allowed the Wildcats to shoot 63.1% from the field in Saturday's 117-95 loss at Kentucky. The Crimson Tide's next game is Wednesday at Ole Miss. | -- | 25-12 |
| 19 |  | Jaylen Wells was 3 of 12 from the field in Saturday's 73-61 loss at Arizona State. The Cougars' next game is Thursday against USC. | -- | 25-10 |
| 20 |  | B.J. Mack finished with 17 points and two assists in Saturday's 72-59 win at Ole Miss. The Gamecocks' next game is Wednesday at Texas A&M. | -- | 26-8 |
| 21 |  | Justin Edwards finished with 25 points and eight rebounds in Saturday's 117-95 win over Alabama. The Wildcats' next game is Tuesday at Mississippi State. | -- | 23-10 |
| 22 |  | WIll Richard finished with 21 points and three assists in Saturday's 77-64 win over Vanderbilt. The Gators' next game is Wednesday against Missouri. | -- | 24-12 |
| 23 |  | Mitchell Saxen finished with 20 points and seven rebounds in Saturday's 88-62 win over San Diego. The Gaels' next game is Thursday at Pepperdine. | -- | 26-8 |
| 24 |  | Tyler Wahl finished with 18 points and six rebounds in Tuesday's 74-70 win over Maryland. The Badgers' next game is Tuesday at Indiana. | -- | 22-14 |
| 25 |  | Rivaldo Soares finished with 20 points and three rebounds in Saturday's 84-82 win at Oklahoma State. The Sooners' next game is Wednesday at Iowa State. | -- | 20-12 |
| 26 |  | Juwan Gary finished with 22 points and eight rebounds in Sunday's 73-55 win over Minnesota. The Huskers' next game is Thursday at Ohio State. | NR | 23-11 |
