Is UNC's RJ Davis eligible for 2025 NBA draft?

UNC senior RJ Davis has emerged as a standout player for the Tar Heels over the past four seasons. He led North Carolina to the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season championship last season and helped guide the team to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16.

As he plays in his final year, speculation has begun to swirl around Davis' NBA draft prospects. The 6-foot guard is averaging 17.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game this season.

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Is RJ Davis eligible for the 2025 NBA draft?

Based on the rules set forth by the NBA, RJ Davis will be eligible to declare for the 2025 NBA draft. The rules state that a player must be at least 19 during the calendar year of the draft and be one year removed from their high school graduation.

Davis was born on Oct. 21, 2001, which will make him 23 in 2025, meeting the age requirement. Additionally, he is a super senior this year, meaning he has already completed his four years of NCAA eligibility, thus qualifying him for the draft next year.

The New York native was expected to declare for the 2024 NBA draft but decided to return to UNC for one more season to improve his draft stock. He received an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing him to play a fifth season of collegiate basketball.

Despite being named the ACC Player of the Year and winning the Jerry West Award, many scouts and analysts alike did not peg RJ Davis as a likely first-round or second-round pick in 2024.

His subpar performance in the Sweet 16 defeat against Alabama, where he shot just 4-for-20 from the field and a horrendous 0-for-9 from 3-point range, certainly did not help his cause.

The concerns around his size (6-foot-0, 180 pounds) and age (older prospect at 23) could push him down draft boards compared to younger, more physically gifted guards like Rutgers freshman Dylan Harper—one of the top draft prospects for 2025.

However, RJ Davis has shown the ability to be a dynamic scoring guard and playmaker throughout his college career, averaging 15.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game over the past four seasons.

At the moment, not many projected 2025 NBA mock drafts have Davis being selected in the first or second round. Recent projections by On3 and Bleacher Report predict him going undrafted, while NBA Draft Room projects him going late in the second round with a slight chance.