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#UNC coach Hubert Davis after the Tar Heels blowout of Notre Dame
Jan 22, 2026
#UNC coach Hubert Davis after the Tar Heels blowout of Notre Dame
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0:00
talked a lot about get the importance of
0:01
getting multiple stops down stretches to
0:03
close games out. How satisfied were you
0:05
overall with the second half, especially
0:07
getting defensive stops to close this
0:08
one out?
0:09
Uh very uh very satisfied. You know, at
0:11
halftime, I told him and throughout the
0:14
first half that, you know, we got a
0:15
eight or nine point lead. Let's extend
0:17
it. Let's put um consecutive good
0:21
possessions together. I was encouraged
0:23
at halftime. We didn't extend it, but we
0:26
didn't blow it. and I said, "Okay, let's
0:28
take another step. Let's get off to a
0:30
good start. First four minutes of the
0:32
game, let's raise our level even more,
0:34
but just getting started." And we
0:36
started off on 80 run and we just
0:38
continued it throughout um the second
0:40
half. And so that's something that uh we
0:43
hadn't done in a while and I was very
0:47
proud and very happy for him. Andrew,
0:49
some of the guys said that a sense of
0:51
urgency was born in the second half in
0:53
Berkeley and they carried that this week
0:55
coming back home into this game. How
0:57
much did you have to talk to them about
0:58
having the right sense of urgency and
1:00
how much did you maybe see in them that
1:01
they kind of recognized what Henry
1:03
called a little bit of a wakeup call?
1:05
Well, I mean,
1:09
I I don't the way that I communicate
1:11
with them since the first time they came
1:14
together in in June, I've always talked
1:17
about sense of urgency. Um I I'm I'm
1:19
somebody that uh um any practice, any
1:23
shoot around, any game, it's an
1:26
opportunity to get better and it's live.
1:28
And so, um,
1:32
but I was really proud of them, uh,
1:34
tonight. Um, we had two really good
1:37
practices. Uh, another thing that I was
1:40
happy with was just the chatter in the
1:43
huddles uh, during timeouts, multiple
1:47
people talking. I love that. I I
1:50
encourage that. I love conversations. I
1:53
love, um, having those conversations
1:56
throughout a game. And I encouraged
1:57
those guys to speak up. And a number of
2:01
people were speaking up and saying good
2:03
things about um let's get stops. Let's
2:06
let's continue to box out. We've got to
2:08
talk on defense. That wasn't a good
2:10
shot. We got to get back to getting the
2:12
ball inside, share the ball. Um
2:16
that's one of the things that I was uh
2:18
really happy about.
2:19
Brian, then Rod,
2:20
uh Hubert, I know a lot of you talk
2:22
about like over the last couple games
2:23
have been defending the three ball.
2:25
Under came out, shot six for 12 in the
2:27
first half, but then two for 13 in the
2:28
second half. Derek and Caleb both said
2:30
the communication was kind of better in
2:31
that second half. Did you tell them
2:33
anything in the second half or the
2:34
adjustments being made? And what do you
2:35
see an improvement defending the three
2:37
ball tonight?
2:37
No, we we talk about communication all
2:39
the time and the communication at times
2:42
wasn't there in the first half. Um, you
2:44
know, there there are times where, you
2:46
know, we'll switch on the ball and um,
2:49
you know, Notre Dame does a good job of
2:51
setting go screens from behind. Very
2:53
tricky. But um the communication didn't
2:56
match up uh in transition and we talked
2:59
about that during the game in the first
3:00
half and also the second half and I
3:02
thought they did a much better job
3:04
especially when we went to our quote
3:06
unquote small lineup where Caleb is at
3:08
the five. Uh we did a much better job of
3:11
communicating the second half.
3:13
Rod then Spencer
3:14
Hubert it's it's a long flight pack from
3:16
California. What did you kind of reflect
3:18
on and think on trying to get these guys
3:20
back on track this week? Yeah, I mean
3:24
I mean there was a number of things, you
3:26
know, just looking at
3:30
the number one thing from last week for
3:34
us was
3:36
there were multiple possessions where we
3:38
were making mistakes like in backto back
3:41
possessions. So like we would turn the
3:43
ball over, not get back on defense, give
3:46
up a three. We would get to the free
3:48
throw line, miss two free throws, come
3:51
back down, given and one. And I I felt
3:54
like
3:56
last week we were letting one play
3:59
affect us on the other end to the next
4:02
play. And I talked to them about that
4:04
and I said, "Gasketball is a game of
4:06
mistakes. You just I mean, next play,
4:08
next possession." And I felt like we
4:10
didn't do that last week. And um and so
4:15
I talked to them and thought about that,
4:17
but I also thought about let's move
4:19
forward and not okay, we didn't play
4:23
well in California. Let's not dwell on
4:25
that and talk about it and think about
4:26
it the rest of the year. I didn't want
4:28
to do what I felt like we did lead it to
4:31
the next possession. Lead that to the
4:33
next game against Notre Dame. I wanted
4:35
to be positive with these guys, give
4:37
them confidence to go out there and play
4:39
and they were able to do that tonight.
4:41
Spence within Murf.
4:42
Coach Henry and Derek uh just said that
4:44
I know you said you had two good
4:45
practices this week. They said there was
4:46
definitely an increased level of both
4:48
focus and intensity in practice. Uh
4:49
would you agree with that assessment
4:51
going into tonight?
4:52
I would. I would. And um somebody that
4:55
stepped up dramatically
4:57
in in that in that space in leadership
5:01
was Caleb. I mean, he's last couple days
5:04
and including tonight, he's one of the
5:07
guys that was more vocal, more vocal in
5:11
practice, more vocal uh right before uh
5:14
we went out for warm-ups um um for the
5:17
game. I said my last words before we
5:20
went out to the floor and he said,
5:21
"Coach, can I say something?" And he
5:23
went after the team. He said, "Look,
5:25
let's go out there and compete." He's
5:26
never done that before. And so, um,
5:30
I really like that from him.
5:32
Murf then RL.
5:33
Coach, an offthe court question. I know
5:35
that coach Williams and Tyler have come
5:36
out very publicly about keeping the
5:38
Smith Center on campus, not taking it to
5:41
to Carolina North. I wonder if you've
5:42
been asked to give your opinion or if
5:44
the administration's talked to you at
5:45
all, and what your thoughts are about
5:47
the the future of this place and and
5:49
where you guys should play basketball.
5:50
Well, I mean, obviously, I love this
5:52
place. This is home to me. I've said
5:54
this before. This is where I went to
5:57
school and uh this is where I played,
6:00
but it's much more than just basketball
6:02
for me. Smith Center is home for all the
6:05
relationships and the conversations that
6:07
I've had here. Um every time that I come
6:10
in to work, I can remember every
6:13
conversation interaction that I had with
6:15
Coach Smith and Coach Guthridge, Coach
6:17
Williams, with all my roommates, my
6:19
teammates, my friends. Um, Chapel Hill
6:22
is where I fell in love with my wife,
6:24
where we got married, where I became a
6:25
Christian and Smith Center is basically
6:28
home plate for that. And so, um, but I I
6:32
love the leadership of Chancellor
6:34
Roberts and I love what him being
6:36
chancellor of this school and, um, I
6:39
just love working for him.
6:40
All Pat,
6:41
what have you seen from Jaden recently
6:43
for to earn him that start and how did
6:46
you like the combination of Derek and
6:47
Jaden in the back court? Well, I mean,
6:49
the only reason that I went that way to
6:51
start the game is I felt like that group
6:54
played the best against Cal. I felt like
6:58
that group played the closest
7:01
to not where I wanted us to be, but the
7:05
closest in terms of the effort and
7:07
energy, enthusiasm, the will and the
7:09
want to that I that I require every time
7:13
you get out on the floor. And so, um, I
7:15
wanted that group to start the game
7:17
because I thought it was the group that
7:18
really led us to come back against Cal.
7:21
Last two, Pat. Then Shelby,
7:23
uh, Hubert here in the back. Um, great
7:25
bounceback performance for you guys
7:26
tonight, but how do you make sure that
7:28
that carries over? You know, it's one
7:29
thing to do when your backs are against
7:31
the wall, but to repeatedly bring this
7:33
level is another kind of challenge.
7:35
Yeah, it I agree with you. you know, um
7:38
I I encourage the team every time that
7:41
we win is to
7:43
is to enjoy winning. It's very difficult
7:45
to win. It's very difficult to win in in
7:47
conference in the ACC. And so that
7:49
should be celebrated. And then tomorrow
7:52
we'll start our preparation and practice
7:55
for Virginia. And you know, this is this
7:59
is
8:01
I I think sometimes lose sight. This is
8:04
the first ride with this group and we
8:08
have 11 new players and so we're going
8:11
through this for the first time and
8:14
we're learning, we're growing, we're
8:16
getting better and um looking forward to
8:19
practice and preparation to play a
8:21
really good Virginia team.
8:22
Last one, Shelby.
8:23
Just going back to what you said about
8:25
um Caleb and him maybe find more of his
8:28
voice with this group and being a
8:30
leader. Um, I mean, he's obviously a
8:32
very vocal guy, very confident guy.
8:34
That's been obvious since coming here.
8:36
So, just maybe what from your
8:37
perspective has been the switch recently
8:39
where you've seen him speaking up more
8:40
in the huddle at practice these days?
8:42
No, I mean, we we spent some time
8:43
together last couple days in my office
8:46
and um
8:49
it's different now. When I was in
8:51
school,
8:53
I think maybe I said one word my
8:55
freshman year. Um I think
8:59
um my second year I maybe said five my
9:02
sophomore year then but everything was
9:05
built on seniority and then you know
9:07
when you became a senior you were almost
9:10
automatically gifted that leadership
9:12
position whether that was something that
9:14
was in your personality or not. You know
9:18
everything's different now. You know
9:19
when I was in school it didn't matter
9:21
how good you were. I wasn't good enough
9:22
to do this but everybody stayed four
9:24
years. It's not this way anymore. You
9:27
know, people go to the NBA after one
9:29
year, the transfer portal. So, one of
9:31
the things that I encourage everyone is
9:33
to be a leader within their own
9:34
personality. Doesn't matter what
9:36
classification you are. I don't care if
9:38
you're a freshman, walk-on, senior,
9:41
you're a starter, you don't get any
9:43
minutes. Um, I want guys to speak up. I
9:47
want guys to be leaders. And um I've
9:51
enjoyed the um Caleb being more vocal
9:55
the last three days. I think it's really
9:57
ignited our team. He has a personality
9:59
that just um encourages guys. He's a
10:03
great teammate. He lights up the room
10:05
every time he steps in it. And so now
10:08
that he's using his voice, it's really
10:11
motivating guys in a good way.
10:13
Thank you, coach. Nice.
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