By R.L. Bynum
CHARLOTTE — As Carolina coach Hubert Davis prepares for a season marked by transformation and high expectations, he’s both introspective and energized. With offseason chatter framing this as a pivotal season for him, Davis is embracing the challenge head-on.
With 11 new faces on the roster, Davis said he’s eager to see how they all fit together.
“Different combinations will be exciting to see what it looks like out there on the floor,” he said Tuesday at ACC Tipoff.
Among those newcomers is five-star freshman forward Caleb Wilson, whose arrival in Chapel Hill has already made an impression on and off the court.
“He’s a charismatic kid that enjoys being on this team, being a part of this program, but enjoys being in college, which is nice and refreshing,” Davis said. “If he ran for student body president, he might win. He knows everybody.”
But beyond Wilson’s personality, Davis sees plenty of substance.
“His talent out there on the floor, obviously, is real,” he added. “He lights up a room, whichever room he goes into, and it’s been so much fun coaching him.”
Davis describes the team’s energy level in practice as vocal and fiery.
“It’s been fun to coach that and to see that and to hear that,” he said. “When you have a vocal team, whether on either end of the floor, it’s a team that is well-connected. I like the noise. I like the voices that I hear.”
When it comes to crunch-time shots, Davis admitted that the post-RJ Davis and Armando Bacot era will be different. He was asked who would take the final big shot in a close game this season, and he first joked that it would be “whoever can make it,” but then admitted that he wasn’t sure. He said that it felt strange not to have RJ Davis, Bacot or players such as Cormac Ryan or Harrison Ingram.
“I think we have a number of guys that can shoot it and can make it,” Davis said. “Now it’s time for others to emerge, and I’m confident that we’ll have a number of guys able to do it.”
Despite the roster turnover, Davis emphasized that this group isn’t green because of the experienced transfer class, including Henri Veesaar, Jonathan Powell and Kyan Evans, as well as 22-year-old Luca Bogavac.
“We’ve got guys that have been successful at the highest level of other places, and they’ll be able to do that here in North Carolina as well,” Davis said.
Davis praised Powell as an “amazing defender” and person.
“He’s a physical defender,” Davis said. “He can guard multiple positions and keep the ball in front of him. He’s a good defensive rebounder and he’s competitive on the defensive end. As good as he is at shooting, he’s even more competitive or elite at getting stops and getting after it defensively.”
Building chemistry with so many newcomers is a challenge, but Davis said getting weeks of practice in the summer and early fall, unlike many years ago, is a big advantage.
Davis talked about how thankful he is about program’s newfound size and versatility.
“We’ve got really big guards,” he said. “Seth [Trimble] is big, and Jonathan Powell is 6–6″; Luka [Bogavac] is 6–6. It allows us to do a number of things versatility-wise on both ends of the floor,” Davis said. “Rebounding is the No. 1 determining factor of the outcome of the game and, from an offensive rebounding standpoint, that’s an area that needed much improvement this year compared to last.”
And then there’s Bogavac, the Montenegrin newcomer fans can’t wait to see.
“He does a number of different things out there on the floor,” Davis said. “He’s older, more experienced, and he’s a competitor. Whether it’s a pick-up game or we’re scrimmaging or just an individual drill, he’s someone that competes on every possession.”
As Davis enters a season unlike any he’s coached before, he’s leaning into the unknown with confidence, not just in the talent on the roster, but in the character of the group. With a blend of youthful energy, veteran experience and newfound versatility, the Tar Heels are poised to write a new chapter with fewer challenging plot twists than last season.
In a year filled with questions, Davis is embracing the possibilities.
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| No. | Class | Player | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Freshman | Maximo Adams (MAX-ih-mo) | F | 6–7 | 220 |
| 30 | Freshman | Malloy Smith | G | 6–5 | 180 |
| 21 | Freshman | Sayon Keita (SIGH-on KAY-tuh) | C | 7–0 | 205 |
| 5 | Freshman | Kevin Thomas | W | 6–6 | 205 |
| 35 | Sophomore | Cade Bennerman — U | C | 7–0 | 205 |
| 17 | Sophomore | Neo Avdalas — W (NEE-oh ahv-DOLL-lus) | G | 6–9 | 220 |
| 2 | Sophomore | Isaiah Denis | G | 6–4 | 185 |
| 3 | Sophomore | Matt Able — X | G | 6–5 | 200 |
| 22 | Junior | Alexandros Samodurov (Alex-ANN-drose SAH-muh-DUHR-off) | C | 6–11 | 225 |
| 1 | Senior | Terrence Brown — Y | G | 6–3 | 180 |
| 4 | Senior | Jaydon Young (JAY-din) | G | 6–4 | 200 |
| 15 | Senior | Jarin Stevenson (JARE-in) | F | 6–10 | 220 |
| 14 | Graduate | Angelo Brizzi — Z (BRIZZ-ee) | G | 6–3 | 200 |
| 54 | Graduate | Cameron Fens — V (Fenz) | C | 7–0 | 255 |
| Walk-ons | |||||
| 99 | Junior | John Holbrook — SA | F | 6–8 | 230 |
| 32 | Senior | Evan Smith | G | 6–1 | 200 |
V — South Dakota transfer; U — Northwestern transfer; W — Virginia Tech transfer; X — N.C. State transfer; Y — Utah transfer; Z — Buffalo transfer; SA — Holbrook is a designated student-athlete, so he doesn’t count against UNC’s 15-player limit.
Coach Michael Malone’s coaching staff — Associate head coach Chuck Martin; assistant coaches Bryan Tibaldi (tih-BALL-dee), Sean May, Jorge Sanz (HOR-hey sahnth), Pat Sullivan and Brandon Robinson; Director of player development Deon Thompson.
Players who entered transfer portal
| Player | Class next season | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt | Next school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luka Bogavac | Senior | W | 6–6 | 215 | Oklahoma State |
| James Brown | Senior | C | 6–10 | 240 | Howard |
| Derek Dixon | Sophomore | G | 6–5 | 200 | Arizona |
| Kyan Evans | Senior | G | 6–2 | 175 | Minnesota |
| Zayden High | Junior | C | 6–10 | 230 | South Florida |
| Jonathan Powell | Junior | G | 6–6 | 190 | Pittsburgh |
| Ivan Matlekovic | Junior | C | 7–0 | 255 | Pacific |
UNC schedule
| Date | Month/day | Opponent/event (final ranks) |
|---|---|---|
| October | Exhibitions | |
| 9 | 7 p.m. Friday | vs. USC in Greensboro |
| 18 | 5 p.m. Sunday | vs. Indiana in Indianapolis |
| 27 | Tuesday | vs. Charlotte |
| November | Regular season | |
| 2 | Monday | vs. Western Carolina |
| 6 | Friday | vs. Wofford |
| 10 | Tuesday | vs. Wyoming |
| 13 | Friday | vs. Georgia |
| 20 | Friday | vs. Marshall |
| 23 | Monday | vs. Monmouth |
| 27 | Friday, 7 p.m. | Dick Vitale Invitational vs. West Virginia in Charlotte |
| December | ||
| 1 | Tuesday, 7:30, ESPN2 | ACC/SEC Challenge vs. No. 13 Arkansas |
| 6 | Sunday | vs. Butler |
| 12 | Saturday afternoon | at Georgetown |
| 15 | 7 p.m. Tuesday | Tobacco Road Classic vs. N.C. State in Greensboro |
| 19 | 2:30 Saturday, CBS | CBS Sports Classic vs. Kentucky in New York |
| 21 | Monday | vs. The Citadel |
| 30 | Wednesday | vs. California |
| January | ||
| 2 | Saturday | at Boston College |
| 5 | 7 p.m. Tuesday | at Louisville |
| 9 | Saturday | vs. N.C. State |
| 13 | Wednesday | at Florida State |
| 16 | Saturday | vs. Stanford |
| 19 | Tuesday | vs. No. 17 Virginia |
| 23 | Saturday | at Syracuse |
| 26 | Tuesday | vs. SMU |
| 30 | Saturday | Nashville Hoops Showdown vs. No. 5 Illinois in Nashville, Tenn. |
| February | ||
| 2 | Tuesday | at Notre Dame |
| 6 | Saturday | vs. Georgia Tech |
| 8 | Monday, 7 p.m, ESPN | vs. Louisville |
| 13 | Saturday | at No. 4 Duke |
| 20 | Saturday | at Wake Forest |
| 22 | Monday, 7 p.m, ESPN | vs. No. 24 Miami |
| 27 | Saturday | at Virginia Tech |
| March | ||
| 2 | Tuesday | at Pittsburgh |
| 6 | Saturday | vs. No. 4 Duke |
| 9–13 | Tues.-Sat. | ACC tournament in Greensboro |
Top photo by Nell Redmond/theACC.com; Wilson photo by Joshua Lawton
