UNC Basketball: 3 takeaways from a first-round NCAA Tournament win over Wagner

1. RJ Davis showed why he's an All-American

The Seahawks actually hung around for longer than Carolina fans would have liked, trailing by just 12 with a little over 10 minutes remaining in the second half. That's when RJ Davis said enough is enough. The senior guard sunk a three at the 10-minute mark, then added eight more points down the stretch to help put the game away. In all, Davis scored 17 in the second half and 22 for the game, and he did it in a variety of ways that have become very familiar to UNC's opponents. He drove to the basket, he sunk four threes, he pulled up for a couple of floaters and mid-range jumpers, and he also chipped in two free throws.

If Carolina wants to seriously compete for a national championship, it will be Davis who leads them. The real road to a title begins on Saturday, when he'll be matched up with Tyson Walker, Michigan State's senior shooting guard. Walker was outstanding as well in his first-round matchup, scoring 19 points and swiping three steals. Like Davis, Walker is the shortest player on his team, but he's also the most important, leading the Spartans in points with 18.2 per game.

Every year, we see that experienced guard play makes a difference in March. Whoever wins the matchup between Davis and Walker stands a great chance of getting their team to the Sweet 16.