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#UNC coach Hubert Davis after victory over Syracuse
Feb 3, 2026
#UNC coach Hubert Davis after victory over Syracuse
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0:00
How much stock you put into the close of
0:01
the game, but what can you learn from
0:03
the last night?
0:03
You just did.
0:05
[laughter]
0:07
Last week.
0:08
Okay. What? Well, how much [laughter]
0:11
I got you there, didn't I?
0:13
I got you there.
0:14
If you leave coaching, you're hiring and
0:16
I'm hiring.
0:17
Okay. All right.
0:18
So, how much stock do you put into that?
0:20
And how do you communicate that to the
0:21
guys?
0:21
I put a lot of stock in it. you know,
0:23
just um um you know, we always talk
0:27
about finishing possessions, finishing
0:29
halves, finishing games, and
0:34
that's just unacceptable.
0:36
You know, um I thought we were playing
0:38
really well on both ends of the floor. I
0:40
felt defensively we were getting better
0:42
throughout the game. Uh especially
0:45
second half, I thought we responded and
0:46
came out on both ends of the floor. we
0:49
were we were on point. And um
0:53
and Syracuse is a is is a great
0:55
basketball team. Coach Altry um
1:00
um is a fantastic coach and you can see
1:04
they're extremely talented. Um but the
1:07
last nine 9 minutes and 32 seconds just
1:10
a departure of what allowed us to get
1:13
the lead. um taking good shots, taking
1:16
care of the basketball, executing
1:19
defensively, defending without defending
1:21
without fouling. Um uh execution-wise,
1:25
defensively, boxing out um just
1:28
different stuff like that. And um they
1:31
got it to six. And so um we'll watch the
1:35
film and learn from it. And um I always
1:37
think, you know, I go from Coach Smith,
1:39
u mistakes are good when you can
1:41
recognize it, admit it, learn from it,
1:43
and grow from it. And that's what we'll
1:44
do.
1:44
You said very quickly if I can ask
1:46
father, you said unacceptable in that
1:47
stretch. Right before [clears throat]
1:48
that was a 40 to4 run by you guys. How
1:51
acceptable was that? And what did you
1:52
like about
1:53
Yeah, I like that. [laughter]
1:56
Put a lot of stock in that.
1:57
Yeah, I put a lot of stock in that one,
1:58
too. I like that as well. But, you know,
2:00
that's something that
2:03
we have battled all year is our ability
2:07
to stay
2:09
on point, on script.
2:12
And that's something that we we need to
2:15
fix. Now, um we have stretches, I think,
2:19
of brilliance and then we'll go
2:21
stretches where we're making multiple
2:23
mistakes
2:25
um consecutively
2:27
and
2:29
very, you know, and and that's something
2:31
that we have to work on and something
2:32
that we have to get better at.
2:33
Spencer, then Michael, another solid
2:35
game from [clears throat] Luca tonight
2:36
off the bench. What did you see from his
2:38
game and what did you like about it?
2:39
Yeah, I thought Luca was really good
2:40
defensively. um did a really nice job uh
2:43
defending
2:45
um uh trying to help out rebounding the
2:47
basketball. Um he was getting to the
2:50
offensive glass and um
2:53
didn't get any offensive rebounds, but
2:55
he went and that's something that is um
3:00
is a job and requirement of our wing
3:02
players is to get to the offensive glass
3:05
and just, you know, at a real nice
3:07
rhythm and pace on the offensive end. uh
3:09
being able to shoot the ball, his
3:10
ability to pass is real and so um he's
3:14
in a nice rhythm right now and I was
3:15
really happy with his play.
3:16
Michael then Brian
3:17
Hubert, there have been times in the
3:19
past where in the game before the Duke
3:21
game, you guys lost that game, but
3:25
obviously didn't happen.
3:26
Yeah, the game before the Duke game like
3:28
23-24 was Georgia Tech.
3:30
Okay.
3:31
Or Yeah.
3:33
Okay. Do you do you feel like maybe in
3:35
the second half when Syracuse [snorts]
3:37
started to cut the lead down, guys maybe
3:39
started looking ahead a little bit to
3:41
this weekend?
3:41
I Well, I mean, you have to ask them. I
3:43
would my answer would be no. I've not
3:46
mentioned who we're playing on Saturday
3:48
to them one time.
3:50
You know, I've I've been specific with
3:52
you guys all the time that, you know,
3:54
like I always was it Proverbs 4:25, keep
3:57
your eyes straight ahead. Ignore all
3:58
sideshow distractions. And so your focus
4:01
should be real on what's in front of
4:03
you. And what was real in front of us
4:04
was a very good Syracuse team.
4:06
Brian Noah,
4:07
uh, Huber, I know you talked a little
4:09
bit about, but can you talk about the
4:10
overall depth and how maybe stepping up
4:12
at a perfect timing? Obviously at Jiren
4:14
at Virginia, John Powder Knight had got
4:16
12 points in 13 minutes. Can you talk
4:17
about how that depth is evolving and
4:19
ended up going up as of late?
4:20
Yeah, I mean Jonathan I thought uh did a
4:22
really nice job for us. Um obviously his
4:25
ability to be able to shoot the
4:26
basketball was good, but uh he's a big
4:29
guard, physical, competitive. Um in our
4:32
switches he can guard, you know, one
4:34
through four. Um does a really nice job
4:37
rebounding. He even led us in rebounding
4:39
at Virginia. And so he can do a number
4:41
of different things that impact winning
4:43
in a number of different areas. And um I
4:47
thought he played really well tonight.
4:48
No. and Rod,
4:49
the last three games now, you guys have
4:51
went on a run to end the first half and
4:52
that was part of the 40 to 14 run even
4:54
tonight.
4:55
Yeah.
4:55
Um how important I guess is that for you
4:57
guys and what what is the biggest
4:59
difference that you've seen as of late
5:00
in the last couple games in the first
5:01
half?
5:02
Yeah. Well, I I think there's growth
5:03
there, you know, ending ending the
5:05
halves the right way and then coming out
5:08
in the second half and raising that
5:10
level. I think that's something that we
5:12
have grown from um say at the beginning
5:14
of the year. That's something that we're
5:16
improving. And so just the consistency
5:18
to put 40 minutes together. I know it's
5:22
not realistic, but I'm going for
5:24
perfection and hope we can get somewhere
5:26
close to that. But um you're right. I
5:29
thought the way that we played ending
5:30
the half and the way that we started the
5:32
second half um was some of our best
5:35
basketball.
5:36
Rod and Brennan Hubert, how do you kind
5:38
of help those guys fight that human
5:39
nature [clears throat] when they're
5:40
having so much success in those moments?
5:44
Yeah, that's that's difficult. you know,
5:47
um maybe I should text them or tweet or
5:52
I don't, you know, the way that they
5:54
communicate. I I you know, but um
5:58
just the ability to and this is, you
6:01
know, just the ability to stay locked in
6:03
and be able to um consistently do the
6:06
things that are asked of you. Um no one
6:09
is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes, but
6:14
there's a level of consistency
6:15
individually and as a team that needs to
6:17
be there to be successful, and I think
6:19
our team is learning that.
6:20
More Brendan, then Don.
6:22
Yeah. Coming into tonight, uh Caleb and
6:24
Henry with the leading assisters for
6:26
each other. They went to it again. I
6:28
think two of the first three possessions
6:29
of the game. What is it about that big
6:30
passing that is so effective, especially
6:33
of late?
6:33
Yeah, the buddy ball between those two.
6:35
Yeah, it's it's it's nice. You know, I
6:37
mean, both of them, people talk about
6:40
their scoring and their rebounding. They
6:43
they check a number of boxes. They're
6:44
really good passers. And the chemistry
6:46
between them has been there since they
6:49
met. I mean, it's just it's interesting,
6:53
you know, coming from an experienced
6:54
player like Henry and then a freshman
6:56
like Caleb. And it it feels like they
6:58
played together three or four years.
7:00
When I separate them in practice, they
7:02
start crying and, you know, whining and
7:04
I have to put them back together.
7:06
Um, but they just have a real good feel
7:09
for each other on both ends of the floor
7:11
and the way that they communicate and
7:14
um,
7:15
obviously they've been successful this
7:16
year.
7:17
Donna, then the last two will be Jesse
7:18
and Shelby.
7:20
Here we go. See you. I'm curious about
7:22
what you saw about the Caleb Donnie
7:25
matchup today.
7:26
Yeah. Um, Donnie is he's got tremendous
7:30
length, versatility, his ability to
7:31
score in many different areas. Um,
7:34
obviously he can shoot three, but he's
7:36
got a real mid-range game. Can post up,
7:38
get to the free throw line. Very
7:41
impressed by him um because of his
7:44
length. He can be an excellent defender,
7:46
switch one through five, runs the floor,
7:48
ability to finish around around the rim
7:50
and um it was a nice matchup between
7:53
those two guys that um have similar um
7:57
traits and gifts out there on the floor.
7:59
Was fun to watch.
8:00
Last two, Jesse and Shelby. Hubert, to
8:02
kind of piggy back off that question, um
8:04
to have the match done physical tonight,
8:07
how if at all beneficial is that?
8:14
Yeah, I mean, we didn't look at it as,
8:16
you know, a matchup between, you know,
8:18
Donnie and Caleb. It was between North
8:20
Carolina and and Syracuse. And um you
8:25
know, both of those guys um are really
8:28
good players. they're gifted and they
8:32
can check a number of boxes. So, again,
8:34
it was really nice to see that matchup
8:36
and see them compete against each other.
8:39
It's always nice to watch talent on
8:41
talent and um um I think both of them
8:44
played um extremely well. Shelby,
8:47
we're just a little bit away from the
8:48
game, but just wanted to ask about the
8:50
shoes that you and the coaching staff
8:51
were wearing and just what did that
8:53
mean to you, not only to be able to
8:55
maybe represent that cause, but for the
8:57
players to have that experience with the
8:59
um the
9:01
Yeah, I mean that's huge. I mean, one of
9:03
the biggest things
9:05
um for us um as a team and as a program
9:10
is community service. Um, I always say
9:12
that a blessing is just not for you.
9:14
It's to work through you to benefit
9:16
somebody else other than just you. And
9:19
so our players have done a number of
9:22
things at the Children's Hospital
9:25
um
9:27
YMCA, Hardgraves Community Center, Boys
9:29
and Girls Club. But to, you know, to
9:31
wear those shoes that um kids painted
9:35
for us, just um um our support for them,
9:39
our support for their family and um just
9:43
the relationships and the friendships
9:45
that our our kids, our players are um
9:49
developing with them is something that
9:51
they'll remember for the rest of their
9:52
life. One of the things that I tell them
9:54
like the things that you'll remember
9:56
here are experiences. It's not I I don't
10:00
think in 5 years you'll remember that
10:02
the score of this game was 8777,
10:06
but you'll remember why we wore those
10:08
shoes. You remember who painted those
10:10
shoes and the reason why and the
10:12
relationships that come from it. Thank
10:14
you.
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