Hubert Davis hopes exhibition was early lesson on importance of defense, rebounding

By R.L. Bynum

CHAPEL HILL — It took North Carolina 11 games last season to figure out that defense and rebounding were the catalysts for success. Coach Hubert Davis hopes that that message will come much quicker after the choppy first nearly 11 minutes of the No. 9 Tar Heels’ exhibition victory Sunday over Johnson C. Smith.

It was a fun 127–63 blowout, but only after the team fully engaged on those two crucial elements.

Granted, it was against an overmatched Division II program, but that combination produced 34 fast-break points, 26 points off turnovers, 20 layups, 10 dunks, nine steals and six blocks.

Davis usually doesn’t worry about statistics, but he seized those above numbers to make a preseason point to his team to back up what he saw well ahead of Monday’s 9 p.m. opener in the Smith Center against Elon (ACC Network).

“It was great to be able to make that point to them that a change was made with nine minutes and 12 seconds to go in the first half,” said Davis, whose team only led 21–20 with 9:37 remaining. “Because we got after it defensively, started rebounding the basketball, and then that allowed us to get out in transition. To be able to talk about it and then show them actual examples of that working out in our favor, for our benefit? I think it’s really huge for this team.”

Davis said the 81–69 victory in Charlotte on Dec. 20 over Oklahoma in the Jumpman Invitational is where it all came together last season.

“I don’t think last year’s team fully bought in to the importance of defending and rebounding until the Oklahoma game,” Davis said. “I felt like that’s where they got it, and that’s where we took off.

“My hope is that it doesn’t take until the [11th] game of the season that we can fully commit to those two things and how important it is for the success of this team,” Davis said. “But it’s something that I talk about every day, and I’m going to talk about it every day for the remainder of the season.”

Davis declared a few weeks ago that he wants UNC to be the fastest team in the country. If he talks about rebounding and defense as much to his players as he mentions it to the media — and you know he does — it is repeatedly pounded into their heads.

“That’s where we can start getting out in transition,” Davis said. “Our pitch-aheads have been really good. I feel like five guys are sprinting to offense, and we’re trying to get what we want — a layup or a dunk or a deep-post catch or get fouled, get to the free throw line, or a quick, open 3 by our best 3-point shooters.”

Davis says some of his players naturally embrace defense and rebounding, and he has to coach others who may not have previously had that mindset.

“I think it’s a combination of both,” Davis said. “We’re going to have to rebound the basketball. We’re going to have to defend. We’re going to have to take care of the basketball. And those are three boxes that have to be checked every day.”

Undoubtedly, any player who doesn’t embrace all of that will be watching from the bench.


UNC schedule

DateMonth/dayTimeOpponent/event
(current ranks)
TV/
record
October
15TuesdayW, 84–76at MemphisExhibition
27SundayW, 127–63vs. Johnson C. SmithExhibition
November
4Monday9 p.m.vs. ElonACCN
8Friday7 p.m. ETat No. 1 KansasESPN2
15Friday8 p.m.vs. AmericanACCN
22Friday12:30 a.m ETat HawaiiESPN2
Maui Invitational
25Monday11:30 p.m. ETDaytonESPN2
26Tuesday8:30 or 11 ETNo. 11 Auburn or
Iowa State
ESPN or
ESPNU
27Wednesday2:30 ET, 5 p.m.,
9:30 or midnight
Memphis, No. 3 UConn,
Colorado or Michigan State
ESPN or
ESPN2
DecemberACC/SEC
Men’s Challenge
4Wednesday7:15vs. No. 2 AlabamaESPN
—————————
7Saturday2 p.m.vs. Georgia TechACCN
14Saturday4 p.m.vs. LaSalleThe CW
Jumpman Invitational
in Charlotte
17Tuesday7 p.m.No. 21 FloridaESPN
CBS Sports Classic
at Madison Square Garden
21Saturday3 p.m.UCLACBS
—————————
29Sunday8 p.m.vs. CampbellACCN
January
1WednesdayTBAat LouisvilleACCN
4SaturdayNoonat Notre DameCBS
7Tuesday9 p.m.vs. SMUACCN
11Saturday4 p.m.at N.C. StateACCN
15Wednesday7 p.m.vs. CalACCN
18Saturday2:15 vs. StanfordThe CW
21Tuesday9 p.m.at Wake ForestESPN
25Saturday2:15 p.m.vs. Boston CollegeThe W
28Tuesday9 p.m.at PittsburghESPN
February
1Saturday6:30 p.m.at No. 7 DukeESPN
8Saturday4 p.m.vs. PittsburghESPN or
ESPN2
10Monday7 p.m.at ClemsonESPN
15Saturday6 p.m.at SyracuseESPN
19Wednesday7 p.m.vs. N.C. StateESPN or
ESPN2
22Saturday4 p.m.vs. VirginiaESPN
24Monday7 p.m.at Florida StateESPN
March
1SaturdayNoonvs. MiamiESPN or
ESPN2
4Tuesday7 p.m.at Virginia TechESPN, ESPN2
orESPNU
8Saturday6:30vs. No. 7 DukeESPN
11–
15
Tues.–Sat.ACC tournament
Spectum Center, Charlotte

UNC roster

No.ClassPlayerPos.HgtWgt
2FreshmanJames Brown (4 star)56–8225
11FreshmanIan Jackson (5 star)26–5185
9FreshmanDrake Powell (5 star)26–6195
3Soph.Elliot Cadeau PG6–1180
22JuniorVen-Allen Lubin46–8230
5JuniorCade Tyson36–7205
13JuniorJalen Washington56–10230
7JuniorSeth Trimble26–3195
0SeniorTyzhaun Claude46–8226
4GraduateRJ DavisPG6–0180
24GraduateJae’Lyn Withers 46–9215
Walk-ons
15FreshmanJohn Holbrook46–823p
14SophomoreRussell Hawkins26–1175
6SeniorElijah Davis26–4197

Photo via @UNC_Basketball

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