By R.L. Bynum

CHAPEL HILL — Could RJ Davis and Armando Bacot become the first Carolina teammates to have their jerseys go up in the Smith Center rafters since four members of the 2015–16 team earned the honor?

There are set criteria for a Tar Heel to either have a jersey retired or honored. Two of the ways for a number to be honored clearly appear to be in sight for Davis: being named first- or second-team All-America by The Associated Press, NABC, USBWA or The Sporting News, or earning ACC Player of the Year honors.

How could Bacot also get his jersey honored? That’s not as clear, but Steve Kirschner, UNC’s Senior Associate Athletic Director for Sports Information and Media Relations, says that the criteria are not set in stone.

“Over the years, we routinely review the criteria and make adjustments, when necessary,” Kirschner said.

In 1993, Coach Dean Smith gave SID Rick Brewer a list of players that he thought should be in the rafters, and it was up to Brewer to come up with criteria for each. At the time, there were only six retired jerseys (there are now eight) and 29 honored jerseys (there are now 45).

George Lynch was on Smith’s list, and the criteria Brewer came up with was that he was the team MVP for a 1993 national championship team. That’s why being the MVP for a national championship team is another way to earn honored jersey status.

Could there be modifications to get Bacot’s No. 5 jersey honored? Most would agree that the school’s all-time leading rebounder deserves it.

One possible addition would get Bacot the honor by virtue of being a two-time All-ACC selection.

“I’m not opposed to it,” Bacot said. “I think everything is changing in college basketball. Here, it’s a lot different than what it was. So, I’m I feel like it’s definitely something that we should probably look at or will be looked at to change.”

An honored No. 5 jersey already is hanging from the Smith Center rafters for Ty Lawson. Davis wears No. 4, a jersey number that isn’t either retired or honored.

Bacot and Davis would be the first teammates with their jerseys honored since four members of the 2015–16 team earned the honor: Marcus Paige, Brice Johnson, Justin Jackson and Joel Berry II.

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Criteria for retired or honored jerseys

Retired

National Player of the Year (Associated Press, NABC, USBWA, The Sporting News, Wooden Award or Naismith Award)

Honored

First- or second-team All-America (by a team that the NCAA uses to determine consensus All-America honors, currently The Associated Press, NABC, USBWA and The Sporting News); ACC Player of the Year; Most Valuable Player of NCAA Tournament winning team; Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Final Four; or Olympic gold medalist

Photo via @UNC_Basketball