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#UNC coach Hubert Davis, players RJ Davis and Seth Trimble in breakout room videos at #ACCTipoff
Oct 10, 2024
#UNC coach Hubert Davis, players RJ Davis and Seth Trimble in breakout room videos at #ACCTipoff
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0:00
coach Jen Lis Three Chicks in aad newsch
0:02
media how are you today good how are you
0:04
doing I'm well thank you so you've been
0:06
speaking a lot about speed and the
0:08
offseason with the team how is that
0:10
going um and are there any other key
0:12
components that y'all are really
0:14
focusing on no I mean I think that's you
0:16
know one of them in terms of our pace
0:18
and you know we we want to play at a a
0:21
really good pace and and but I want to
0:23
play at a great Pace on both ends not
0:26
just on the offensive end it's also
0:28
sprinting back on defense as well and so
0:31
um rebounding has always been an
0:33
emphasis for us it's always been huge
0:35
from coach Williams to myself is I've
0:38
always believed it's the number one
0:39
determining factor and outcome of a game
0:41
is being able to control the boards on
0:43
both ends and just our commitment to the
0:46
defensive end I thought we were a really
0:47
good defensive team last year and that
0:50
put us in position uh to be a really
0:52
good team and it's it's it's going to be
0:54
important for us uh this season with
0:56
this year's team you got sense besides
0:58
RJ uh who else you could be the reliable
1:01
kind of double figure scores on on the
1:03
team this year again I don't know but
1:04
we'll we'll we'll need a we'll need a
1:06
number of
1:07
them um but um from an offensive
1:11
standpoint there's a number of guys that
1:13
can you know Seth Trimble Jaylen
1:15
Washington Ian Jackson uh Drake pal uh
1:19
Kate Tyson Vin Allen Luben um there's a
1:22
number of guys that uh um can score in a
1:26
number of different ways I like the the
1:28
uh athleticism I like the versatility
1:30
for us and um especially from an
1:34
offensive standpoint allows us in the
1:36
chance of being really good defensively
1:37
as well you talked about the Freshman
1:39
coming in speaking about Drake
1:41
specifically has anything surprised you
1:43
about him or how have you seen him
1:44
develop over the last couple of months
1:45
no nothing has surprised me about uh
1:48
Drake or Ian or James Brown any other
1:51
freshman uh and I've said this before
1:54
it's Unique and rare to have three
1:57
freshman that have as much hype as
2:01
them and to be so committed to team and
2:07
as humble but also being on the floor at
2:11
the highest level of competitiveness you
2:14
don't see that very often and all three
2:16
of them I would say that about each one
2:19
of them so it's been such an honor and a
2:21
privilege and a blessing to be able to
2:23
coach Drake um early in the season Ian
2:26
and James Brown and we're expecting big
2:29
things
2:30
all three of them out there on the floor
2:32
how do you see the minutes being
2:33
allocated the four and five spot yeah I
2:37
I don't know um um
2:39
obviously um things that I've talked
2:42
about is I really like the versatility
2:45
and the
2:46
athleticism uh of this group in the
2:48
depth and so you can see many different
2:51
lineups I think with the group that we
2:53
have we we could go big we could go
2:55
small and those are things that uh we'll
2:58
look at continue to to develop and use
3:00
throughout the entire season what about
3:03
Tyson what what kind of roles might he
3:05
have might he play up there in a small
3:07
lineup in the well I you know he's um
3:10
he's a basketball player and I know that
3:12
sounds generic but um it's the highest
3:15
of compliment to call him that um I know
3:18
people the first thing that they think
3:21
about or see is his ability to shoot the
3:23
basketball throughout his career he's
3:24
been a 45 46% three-point shooter but
3:28
with his size at 6
3:30
he can rebound on both ends he can
3:33
handle the ball he can facilitate he can
3:35
defend so it allows us to move him
3:37
around a number different spots to be
3:39
able to utilize his ability to be able
3:41
to score and I think that's going to be
3:43
impactful for us how important has RJ
3:45
just been to the development of your the
3:47
program under you and how you can have
3:49
him as somebody that you can point um
3:51
other recruits or future players to as
3:54
what you can do in a Carolina Universe
3:56
yeah I think you know what
3:58
RJ um is doing and has done is is really
4:02
historical it's one of one you know
4:04
especially in this area with the
4:06
transfer portal and
4:08
inil to have somebody like RJ that has
4:11
been Elite on the court off the court in
4:15
the classroom is a first team academic
4:17
All-American and to be able to stay at
4:20
one Institution for 5 years that just
4:22
doesn't happen I didn't even know this
4:24
but I was in another previous interview
4:27
they talked about the last ACC player to
4:29
year to return back to college was in
4:32
2009 it was Tyler hansbro from North
4:34
Carolina and so what he means to me this
4:40
program I can't put it into words but
4:44
I'm going to enjoy this one last year
4:46
with RJ and do everything that I can on
4:49
my part to make this a a memorable
4:51
season for him what have you for that
4:54
just what you can say about how
4:56
difficult it is to have guys that stay
4:58
that you can grow and Implement things
5:00
with with the transfer portal and nil
5:02
and all these changes do you feel like
5:04
you can really evolve the team the way
5:06
that you want you can I mean this is the
5:08
way that I I I like to have a team we
5:11
have um we have system guys like RJ and
5:15
Seth Elliott um Jaylen Washington uh
5:20
Jaylen Withers then we've got three
5:22
freshman then we've got three transfers
5:26
and so um you have a hunger and thirst
5:28
that are coming in for a number of
5:30
different directions my preference is
5:32
not to have a team and not that it's bad
5:35
but just for me a preference of not
5:37
having a team full of transfers and a
5:39
team full of freshmen I love that
5:42
diversity um on a team and I feel like
5:45
that really breeds success and that's
5:48
what we have this year and I'm really
5:49
excited about it what do you SE with the
5:51
two James what are you really looking
5:53
forward those two guys jayen Withers and
5:55
Jay Washington Jaylen Withers jayen
5:57
Washington um just continue growth and
6:01
um and uh leadership um consistency in
6:05
terms of um defending and rebounding
6:08
finishing around the basket uh their
6:10
ability to run the floor get easy points
6:13
for us attacking the basket one of the
6:15
thing that's been really huge for us is
6:17
dominating points in the paint and being
6:19
able to score from the free throw line
6:21
so living in the paint living at the
6:22
free throw line those are two guys in
6:25
two different ways that can put Max
6:27
pressure on the rim and that's something
6:29
that we need from them this year every
6:32
single team you have is different what
6:33
the identity of this team is what are
6:35
you trying for yeah every every team is
6:38
different um you know one of the things
6:40
that and and I've said this before is
6:43
for this team to find it's this specific
6:47
team to find its own voice um I I
6:51
believe good teams have a voice they're
6:53
loud not just in terms of communication
6:56
on defense but in terms of leadership uh
6:59
on and off the court and for this team
7:02
which is a a group of just really
7:04
awesome nice kids for them to develop
7:07
their voice out there on the floor for
7:09
allow us to be the best that we can be
7:11
you you been a basketball a long time as
7:14
a player assistant
7:15
coach you learned these last few years
7:18
has made you a better
7:20
hit going to the final four than that
7:23
the disappointment season last year just
7:25
what have you learned that's made you a
7:27
better coach now um probably the number
7:30
one thing is every year is different
7:32
it's just every year has a different
7:34
personality it doesn't matter if you
7:36
have a number of guys coming back or new
7:40
transfers or freshman that each team
7:44
really has its own identity and you have
7:47
a foundation piece of how you want to
7:49
play and what this program is going to
7:51
be like but there's all also moments of
7:54
being able to change to tweak to Pivot
7:56
to alter to fit the personality of what
7:59
this team is going to be and for this
8:02
team to be successful and that's
8:03
something that that I've learned over
8:05
the years have you seen enough of your
8:07
team so far to kind of think okay even
8:09
though we lost some great players
8:11
there's enough pieces here to to be an
8:12
as championship team by the end of the
8:14
year I believe that we have enough
8:16
pieces and I'm very encouraged that we
8:18
can uh be a very good basketball team
8:22
and you know in terms of the athleticism
8:26
the length uh the depth um
8:30
really excites me of what this team
8:32
could be and what this team could look
8:34
like and and I'm I'm really excited
8:36
about it you how do you maintain what
8:39
Carolina has always been about as a
8:41
program in this era where a whole lot of
8:44
different things K you have
8:47
nil you
8:51
have that kind of thing yeah you guys
8:53
have been about different things say
8:56
historically how do you maintain what
8:59
you want be um you maintain it because
9:01
that it it's not changing it just is
9:03
what it is Carolina's Carolina um I've
9:07
experienced it I've gone through it I
9:09
believe in it it's proven that it works
9:13
and as long as I'm head coach that will
9:14
never
9:15
change um I know there's other factors
9:18
the transfer portal and nil the
9:22
involvement of
9:23
agents that being said uh Carolina is
9:27
Carolina and um the foundation of this
9:30
piece of this place will never change
9:33
you have you have to you have to be
9:36
elite on the court off the court in the
9:39
classroom you have to serve out in the
9:42
community um you have to unpack your
9:45
bags and both feet have to be in for
9:47
this University and this community and
9:49
this program you have to want to be a
9:51
part of a team you have to think about
9:54
the team success not just your success
9:57
and this is not a transaction
9:59
program just is
10:02
not can you give us a summary of
10:04
freshman Dr handle the fact you said
10:07
everyone's going to be targeting you
10:08
this year defensively how you how do you
10:10
kind of keep it going knowing that the
10:11
SC is going to be designed to turn kind
10:13
just picking my poison taking it with
10:15
the defense gives me obviously I know
10:17
like there's a lot of teams that are
10:18
going to be playing defensive coverages
10:20
different against me so it's kind of
10:22
just um this will be a true test to my
10:24
playmaking skills we have a lot of score
10:26
uh wings and guards that's able to um
10:29
score I will this year and um it kind of
10:32
just makes me able to kind of put myself
10:35
in the right position but at the same
10:36
time put my trust put my trust in my
10:38
teammates as well RJ how would you say
10:40
this year differs this year's team
10:41
differs from previous years and what you
10:43
say the biggest strengths are for this
10:44
team yeah I mean this this team is
10:46
different in terms of athleticism this
10:48
is probably the most athletic team I
10:50
ever played with um at at UNC so um and
10:54
you know obviously Carolina's known for
10:55
our Fast Pace but I think it's going to
10:57
be faster in terms of of um we always
11:00
had a post presence in previous years um
11:02
but this year it's going to be a little
11:03
bit more spread out um so I think our
11:05
strength for this year is going to kind
11:07
of just being able to play uptempo um
11:10
use our athletic abilities to get up and
11:11
down and finish at The Rim um but
11:14
overall confidence I think the overall
11:15
confidence for this team um has the
11:19
potential to do a lot of great things so
11:21
that's what we're relying on you before
11:23
about your relationship with uh coach
11:24
Davis and um you sure in your fifth year
11:27
have you sat and thought about maybe
11:29
what your presence on the team can do
11:31
for his legacy as a coach and what maybe
11:33
he can uh talk to players about in the
11:36
future about what they can accomplish in
11:37
Carolina based off of your example yeah
11:40
that's a great question I really put
11:41
that into perspective and really thought
11:43
about that but um I think it's just a a
11:47
true Testament to me kind of just
11:49
trusting coach Davis in our relationship
11:51
um because he's always put me in great
11:52
positions to be who I am and that
11:56
started from the day he recruited me to
11:58
my fifth year now now in college and
12:00
when you have a coach like that that
12:02
believes in you has uh the ultimate
12:04
confidence in you kind of just go out
12:06
there to play your game and not just
12:08
have any worries about you know looking
12:09
over your shoulder to see if you're
12:10
getting subbed out um it allows you to
12:12
do great things and so I really do
12:14
appreciate coach Davis for allowing me
12:16
to do that and you know that speaks to
12:18
the type of Coach he is but the type of
12:19
person he is you miss Pace um obviously
12:22
you have to get stops to run who has
12:24
stood out on the defensive end that
12:26
you've seen so far in the all Camp yeah
12:28
I mean SE tro I mean I think he's uh
12:33
been phenomenal all off season um and
12:36
just in terms of his ability to be
12:37
defensively like I think he showed
12:39
glimpses of that last year um but we
12:41
know we he could be one of but not if
12:44
the best defender in the country I mean
12:46
me and him have battles every day in
12:47
practice kind of just going at it so um
12:50
I make him better he makes me better and
12:52
um Seth has been like extremely good in
12:55
practice on defensive end but then also
12:57
Drake pal just with his his L his
12:59
athleticism um his anticipation to get
13:02
into the passing Lanes um so those real
13:05
two people have really been stuck out me
13:06
for defensively yeah said you guys are
13:09
competing so hard that occasionally you
13:11
kind of got into some
13:12
scraps take us through that what that's
13:14
like yeah I think this is like a a big
13:16
brother little brother uh connection we
13:18
have um so there's been times where you
13:20
know I'll get a stop on Seth or Seth
13:22
will get a stop on me or I'll score on
13:23
him it just be constant back and forth
13:25
but that just speaks to our relationship
13:28
um our you know our Brotherhood and it
13:30
makes us better at the end of the day
13:31
when you you know just saying the iron
13:33
sharp as iron and um by doing that it
13:36
kind of make the games easier especially
13:38
when you have a a phenomenal Defender
13:39
like Seth you know guarding your full
13:41
practice you know not 94 ft um getting
13:44
into the passing Lanes getting over
13:46
screens um it allows me to be a better
13:49
player be a better scorer be a better
13:51
playmaker and vice versa so uh and I
13:54
think St is like our Competitive Edge
13:56
not competing sometimes just we get out
13:59
and we just getting into each other's
14:00
head so um that just speaks on you know
14:02
just how bad you know we want to win as
14:04
a team but overall just make each other
14:06
better what's on your checklist for this
14:08
year I mean yeah I mean it's I mean it
14:11
seems like it shouldn't be but uh I mean
14:14
there's a there's a lot in terms of you
14:16
know winning a national
14:18
championship um my main goal for real is
14:21
is like be National Championship but
14:22
also just be a better leader uh a better
14:26
leader like on and off the court uh
14:28
vocally and um just because I'm now the
14:31
older guy I'm now a veteran and there's
14:34
a lot of younger guys and inexperience
14:36
so kind of just take them under my wing
14:38
sh the Carolina way but at the same time
14:40
that understand that what's at stake and
14:43
um each game matters we're University
14:45
North Carolina everyone's going to you
14:47
know throw their best shot at us so kind
14:49
of just getting them to have that
14:50
mindset to you know play 110% every game
14:53
there are some statistical achievements
14:55
historically that you can achieve this
14:57
year Amanda was pretty open about
14:59
wanting those marks how do you process
15:02
scoring and some of the other spots that
15:04
you can end up historically in this
15:05
program at the end of your career yeah I
15:07
don't really try to you know obviously I
15:09
know like what's at stake in terms of
15:12
being the scoring record but you know I
15:14
don't want to put my main focus on like
15:16
I have to be you know unc's alltime
15:18
scoring um that's just really not my
15:22
main focus not my key emphasis on this
15:24
on this year um yes obviously it' be
15:27
great if I get it um but really just
15:29
taking one step at a time um and being
15:32
able to be the leader being able to be
15:34
the player that I know I can be um and
15:35
kind of just overall improveed my game
15:37
in all aspects so if it happens it's a
15:39
by product in the season if if it
15:40
happens it happens I'll be you guys will
15:42
see me smiling from ear to
15:45
ear I don't think
15:48
so part of um a lot of different teams
15:52
all of them are kind of different in
15:53
their own way how is this particular
15:56
team different from the ones from the
15:58
past and what is it about this team that
16:00
you can say look I may not be able to
16:02
guarantee much but one thing I can
16:04
guarantee about this team is that we
16:06
will be this you will see this what is
16:09
that this well I mean we will compete
16:11
and we will be a gritty team I think one
16:13
thing that's so different about this
16:15
team is um our athleticism um and the
16:19
talent like the talent like from the
16:21
back court to the front court is
16:23
remarkable uh you know you have two five
16:25
stars uh two NBA draft draft prospects
16:29
maybe even four with you know sethan
16:30
Elliott so I mean it's just in terms of
16:34
um the talent the potential that this
16:36
team has is it's through the roof and I
16:38
think once we realize that and once we
16:40
actually put that into perspective um
16:42
we'll be more than fine RJ uh orando and
16:46
her and account for a lot of points and
16:48
rebounds last season where are those
16:50
inside points and rebounds going to come
16:52
from this season I think it's going to
16:53
be a collective uh team effort from
16:56
everybody from the guards to The Bigs um
16:58
obviously having M his post presence and
17:01
his rebounding skills was you know one
17:03
one as coach Davis describes it and
17:05
that's hard to replace but it allows
17:07
other guys to step up it allows other
17:09
guys to show the full potential um but
17:11
it's going to be a full team effort you
17:13
know to box out and uh to get those
17:15
rebounds so we could go have fun on the
17:17
offensive end who have you seen that's
17:18
impressed you in practice in the front
17:20
courner Jayla Washington and Jayla WIS
17:22
have been extremely uh great um just in
17:25
terms of their presence on both ends of
17:27
the floor um you know they're you know
17:29
obviously having mon last year on the
17:31
defensive like as the anchor um and I
17:33
think Jay wash and Jay Wht and Vin have
17:35
really taken a big step in terms of
17:37
using their voice um being a a presence
17:40
under the rim um on both ends of the
17:42
floor so i' I've been really um
17:45
impressed by their their play as AF far
17:48
RJ every year from freshman sophomore
17:50
junr whole way you've improved your
17:52
scoring average and some of it has
17:54
jumped up quite a bit from from Junior
17:56
to last year like five points per game
17:59
yeah is that just does that just speak
18:01
to what you address in the offseason
18:04
individually the work you put in to
18:07
taking your game where you want it to go
18:09
the next coming season I mean is that a
18:11
product of the work yeah I think one
18:13
thing about me is um I think I improve
18:18
in every aspect of my game even just
18:20
from high school it's always been a uh a
18:23
huge jump just because I put the work
18:25
into it and when you do that you you
18:28
trust your work and you trust your
18:29
confidence you trust your beliefs of
18:30
what you able to do because you know
18:32
that's what you rely on in the off
18:34
season and I think you know showing that
18:37
through my past few few years from
18:39
sophomore now to senior you can see
18:41
those jumps you can see those
18:42
progressions um CU that's why I pr
18:44
myself on um not taking a day off not
18:47
you know taking a step back holding
18:49
myself accountable um whenever I feel
18:52
like I'm I'm not playing to my best of
18:53
my abilities um because I know I'm
18:55
better than that I know my capabilities
18:56
so uh kind of just improve every year um
19:00
and improve my strengths but also my
19:02
weaknesses just talking about Drake has
19:05
anything kind of surprised you about him
19:07
or anything that he's done over the last
19:09
couple months yeah I mean he's
19:13
like he's crazy like his like I never
19:16
seen uh like I always I'm like bro like
19:18
can I see your like let me just see your
19:19
wingspan um just because like his length
19:23
and ability to get into the passing
19:26
Lanes is like I haven't seen seen that
19:28
as a freshman there was like one play in
19:30
practice where you know I had scored the
19:32
layup and then they tried to pit the
19:34
ball ahead but obviously Drake was in
19:35
the pass Lane so they try to throw over
19:37
his head and like he called it like as
19:39
he was like Randy Moss I'm like I've
19:41
never seen that that's like like
19:43
remarkable so um he's been great um he's
19:46
been learning he learns things on the
19:48
Fly um if he makes one mistake he won't
19:50
make it again so that's the type of
19:51
player Drake
19:54
is RJ you got a birthday coming up no
19:58
games on day got any plans so my
20:01
birthday's on a Monday and I got class
20:02
that night so I'm a little bit mad about
20:06
that so um I don't know hopefully
20:10
hopefully I have some family friends
20:12
come come that weekend I think we have
20:15
fall break so maybe I get some time to
20:16
chill with them thing about you know
20:19
this team this year that is like that
20:21
you can like while you may not
20:23
necessarily be able to guarantee a lot
20:25
of things but you can guarantee that we
20:27
will see blank from this team this year
20:29
what is that blank I think you can
20:31
guarantee that we're going to score a
20:33
lot and we're going to get up and down
20:35
the floor very fast I think that's one
20:37
thing that you can guarantee you know we
20:38
may have last year we were an amazing
20:40
defensive team and we had our defensive
20:42
lapses you know it just happens we had
20:43
our offensive lapses it just happens but
20:46
one thing that you can guarantee is how
20:48
fast an athletic will be this year
20:50
thanks so no problem so you last season
20:53
Mondo and Harrison account for a lot of
20:55
points a lot of rebounds where are those
20:58
point of rebounds coming from this
21:00
season everybody everybody's touching
21:02
the paint more I'm touching the paint
21:04
more RJ is Elliot Drake The Bigs are
21:07
everybody's touching the paint more so I
21:09
think as a team we're making up for it
21:11
but rebounding that's I mean it's it's
21:14
going to be Miss from them too it's been
21:15
missed this summer so we have to make
21:17
sure that everybody's giving in full
21:18
effort 100% effort to crash the glass on
21:20
the offensive and defensive end who's
21:22
impressed you with in the front Court
21:24
during practice among the jayen then
21:27
Allen everybody El
21:29
uh I mean they've all truly been
21:32
impressed to me I've I've loved the
21:34
summer Jay wat's had the summer K had
21:37
then but I think I've been impressed
21:40
with Jay wit the most Jay wit hasn't
21:42
really had a bad day this summer and he
21:44
just he's really done everything right
21:46
this summer like he's been here he'll go
21:48
up but he'll never go down you know he's
21:51
just he's he's been complete this summer
21:53
it's been fun to watch do you see the
21:54
see uh coach Davis scoring small Su and
21:58
maybe Kate Tyson at the four or somebody
22:00
like that absolutely absolutely I think
22:02
Kate and Drake will see will see some
22:04
time at the four this year you never
22:06
know I mean maybe I can play the four
22:07
you never know what they'll try but but
22:09
yeah I mean definitely kayen Kay and
22:11
Drake Seth you just talked about
22:13
preparing for all the teams in the ACC
22:14
how weird is it to kind of have some
22:16
West Coast teams and SMU and how much of
22:19
a wrinkle does that add that you know
22:20
you haven't really seen these teams
22:22
right before no it's very it's very
22:24
weird it's very weird I mean like you
22:27
said we haven't seen these teams before
22:28
and now we got to go four hours 5 hours
22:31
West to go play a team but fortunately
22:34
we can kind of smooth into it this year
22:36
because we don't have to go on the west
22:37
coast they all come to us so we can see
22:40
them we can get acclimated to them
22:41
before we have to go all the way out to
22:43
California to play how important is not
22:45
having that travel all the way out to
22:46
the West Coast especially during school
22:48
we yeah it's super important I mean
22:50
we're very busy with school and this is
22:52
not something that we've done before so
22:54
you know we're not in the NBA we don't
22:55
go on 10day road trips on the west coast
22:57
so feel like doing that the teams have
22:59
to do that this year really going to
23:00
have to adjust it's going to be
23:01
something new for him what's your take
23:02
on Drake po I think you mentioned
23:04
earlier from Chad County what can you
23:06
tell the folks in Chad County about how
23:07
Drake's feeling Drake is the nicest kid
23:09
ever Drake is one of my favorites he
23:11
does everything right on the court uh he
23:15
does everything and more I mean he gets
23:16
in the passing Lanes he knocks down
23:18
shots he I mean rebounds the ball
23:21
whatever you want Drake to do he's going
23:22
to do you
23:24
know uh the quicker pace is there any
23:27
downside to that as far as turnovers or
23:30
whatever M we're smart with the ball uh
23:33
you know we know the right plays to make
23:36
I mean it's really just as simple as
23:37
that you know we're not driving reckless
23:39
we're not we're running we're running
23:40
fast but we're not running out of
23:42
control you know so thank you no problem
23:45
thanks
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