By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — During the first half of No. 12 North Carolina’s win against East Carolina, freshman Caleb Wilson turned the ball over four times, struggling to navigate double-teams that looked a little different.
But halftime brought a turning point, not with words but with video.
In the locker room, Assistant Coach Sean May pulled out an iPad. On the screen, Wilson saw what he couldn’t fully process in real time: where the pressure was coming from and why his spins toward the baseline were leading him straight into trouble.
The adjustment was immediate. Wilson didn’t commit a turnover in the second half.
UNC coach Hubert Davis saw a lot of double teams coming from the backside for the first time this season and wanted Wilson to understand what the Pirates were throwing at him.
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“Most of the time, they were coming from the top of the key or from the passer,” Davis said at a Monday press conference in the Smith Center ahead of Tuesday’s 7 p.m. ACC opener (ESPN2) at home against Florida State (7–6). “And, so, when Caleb spun baseline, there was a guy there. And so just being able to show him where the double team was coming from made a big difference for him.”
That moment wasn’t an accident. It was part of a deliberate shift in how UNC (12–1) approaches teaching and in-game corrections. Davis said that the program is using iPads more and more.
“I think it’s important to use it,” Davis said. “[When I was in the NBA], there were a lot of coaches that we used to watch film at halftime. So, at the beginning of the year, I talked to the staff and said, ‘This is something that I want to use, because I think it can help.’ ”
For Davis, the reasoning is simple. Explaining concepts is helpful, but showing video examples works much better.
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“I’m a visual learner, and I think a lot of our guys are. If they see it, I think they can process it better than just telling them that,” Davis said. “That philosophy played out against East Carolina.”
During the CBS Sports Classic, St. John’s coach Rick Pitino could be seen watching a replay on an iPad during the game — and nearly throwing it back to a staff member in disgust.
Neither one is going to happen for Davis, who says he won’t be looking at an iPad during a game. But he says that his staff uses iPads on the bench to reinforce adjustments.
“I will lean on the assistant coaches in regards to challenging calls and different stuff like that,” Davis said. “But I do look at it at halftime, and I think it’s a valuable piece to be able to use.”
Has it made a difference? Davis didn’t hesitate.
“I think that is a reason why we watch so much film as a team,” Davis said. “Because when they see it, it really resonates with them rather than just telling them that.”
For a program steeped in tradition, embracing technology isn’t about chasing trends. It’s about clarity. And for Wilson, that clarity changed the way he operated on offense after halftime.
| Team | League | Overall | NET* | WAB* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 Duke | 17–1 | 29–2 | 1 | 2 |
| No. 10 Virginia | 15–3 | 27–4 | 13 | 11 |
| Miami | 13–5 | 24–7 | 32 | 28 |
| No. 19 North Carolina | 12–6 | 24–7 | 23 | 19 |
| Clemson | 12–6 | 22–9 | 36 | 33 |
| No. 24 Louisville | 11–7 | 22–9 | 14 | 25 |
| N.C. State | 10–8 | 19–12 | 35 | 45 |
| Florida State | 10–8 | 17–14 | 69 | 74 |
| California | 9–9 | 21–10 | 65 | 49 |
| Stanford | 9–9 | 20–11 | 59 | 51 |
| SMU | 8–10 | 19–12 | 39 | 50 |
| Virginia Tech | 8–10 | 19–12 | 53 | 52 |
| Wake Forest | 7–11 | 16–15 | 64 | 81 |
| Syracuse | 6–12 | 15–16 | 83 | 92 |
| Pittsburgh | 5–13 | 12–19 | 109 | 146 |
| Notre Dame | 4–14 | 13–18 | 93 | 121 |
| Boston College | 4–14 | 11–20 | 159 | 217 |
| Georgia Tech | 2–16 | 11–20 | 167 | 210 |
* — Through Sunday games
Saturday’s results
No. 1 Duke 76, No. 19 North Carolina 61
Boston College 77, Notre Dame 69
Clemson 79, Georgia Tech 76
No. 24 Louisville 92, Miami 89
Florida State 92, SMU 78
Stanford 85, N.C. State 84
Wake Forest 80, California 73
Pittsburgh 71, Syracuse 69, OT
END OF REGULAR SEASON
ACC tournament
Spectrum Center | Charlotte
Tuesday through Saturday
| Date | Time/ scores | Month/day | Opponent/event (current ranks) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | Exhibitions | |||
| 9 | W, 88–70 | Friday | vs. No. 21 USC in Greensboro | |
| 18 | L, 76–58 | Sunday | vs. Indiana in Indianapolis | |
| 27 | 7:30 | Tuesday | vs. Charlotte | ACCN Extra |
| November | Regular season | |||
| 2 | 7 p.m. | Monday | vs. Western Carolina | ACCN |
| 6 | 7 p.m. | Friday | vs. Wofford | ACCN |
| 10 | 7 p.m. | Tuesday | vs. Wyoming | ACCN |
| 13 | 7 p.m. | Friday | vs. Georgia | ESPN2 |
| 20 | 9 p.m. | Friday | vs. Marshall | ACCN |
| 23 | 7 p.m. | Monday | vs. Monmouth | ACCN |
| 27 | 7 p.m. | Friday | Dick Vitale Invitational vs. West Virginia in Charlotte | ESPN |
| December | ||||
| 1 | 7:30 | Tuesday | ACC/SEC Challenge vs. No. 12 Arkansas | ESPN |
| 6 | 3 p.m. | Sunday | vs. Butler | ESPN2 |
| 12 | Noon | Saturday | at Georgetown | Peacock |
| 15 | 7 p.m. | Tuesday | Tobacco Road Classic vs. N.C. State in Greensboro | ESPN2 |
| 19 | 2:30 | Saturday | CBS Sports Classic vs. No. 23 Kentucky in New York | CBS |
| 21 | 8 p.m. | Monday | vs. The Citadel | The CW |
| 30 | 4 p.m. | Wednesday | vs. California | ACCN |
| January | ||||
| 2 | 4 p.m. | Saturday | at Boston College | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 5 | 9 p.m. | Tuesday | at No. 11 Louisville | ESPN or ESPNU |
| 9 | Noon | Saturday | vs. N.C. State | ESPN2 |
| 13 | 7 p.m. | Wednesday | at Florida State | ESPN2 or ESPNU |
| 16 | 2:15 | Saturday | vs. Stanford | The CW |
| 19 | 9 p.m. | Tuesday | vs. No. 9 Virginia | ESPN |
| 23 | Noon | Saturday | at Syracuse | ESPN or 2 or U |
| 26 | 7 p.m. | Tuesday | vs. SMU | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 30 | 6 or 6:30 | Saturday | Nashville Hoops Showdown vs. No. 3 Illinois in Nashville, Tenn. | ESPN |
| February | ||||
| 2 | 7 p.m. | Tuesday | at Notre Dame | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 6 | 2:15 | Saturday | vs. Georgia Tech | The CW |
| 8 | 6 p.m. | Monday | vs. No. 11 Louisville | ESPN |
| 13 | 5:30 | Saturday | at No. 2 Duke | ABC |
| 20 | 7 p.m. | Saturday | at Wake Forest | ACCN |
| 22 | 7 p.m. | Monday | vs. No. 14 Miami | ESPN |
| 27 | 7 p.m. | Saturday | at Virginia Tech | ESPN |
| March | ||||
| 2 | 9 p.m. | Tuesday | at Pittsburgh | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 6 | 6 or 6:30 | Saturday | vs. No. 2 Duke | ESPN |
| 9–13 | Tues.-Sat. | ACC tournament in Greensboro |
Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics
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