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#UNC coach Hubert Davis postgame press conference after exhibition win over W-S State
Oct 30, 2025
#UNC coach Hubert Davis postgame press conference after exhibition win over W-S State
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0:00
Um, obviously second half you guys
0:01
tightened up a lot of things,
0:02
particularly ball controlled and made
0:04
some more shots, things like that. Uh,
0:06
what do you think in that first half
0:07
just wasn't connecting for you guys? And
0:09
how do you think you guys were going to
0:10
Yeah, I don't know. I I don't know if we
0:11
were nervous or it's the first time this
0:14
group is um been at home and played on
0:18
our home floor, but just the um the lack
0:22
of energy, effort, attention to detail
0:25
wasn't there in the first half and that
0:27
was the exact opposite in the second
0:29
half. And I think that's why we played
0:30
so well in the second half. Just the
0:32
energy uh picked up effort um uh
0:36
specifically on the defensive end. Uh
0:38
finishing and uh I thought we were more
0:40
disciplined defensively in the second
0:42
half. We finished possessions with the
0:44
rebound and that allowed us to get out
0:46
in transition. It says that we have, you
0:48
know, we had 12 fast break points, but I
0:51
felt like we had more. It just felt like
0:52
we were always on the run in the second
0:54
half, but it always led from
0:57
us uh defensively in the second half.
1:00
In the second half, you guys shot well
1:03
from the from the perimeter. The guys
1:04
were talking about how a lot of it came
1:06
from swing passes and they were kind of
1:08
catching shots. Is that what you
1:09
envision this group being? A group that
1:11
can swing a lot because there's a lot of
1:12
different dudes that can knock them
1:14
down.
1:14
Yeah, it is. I mean, we have a number of
1:16
guys that um consistently can can hit
1:19
open threes, but you know, I
1:22
you know, I've been clear and
1:23
definitive. I'm a dominate points in the
1:26
paint type of guy. And that's where you
1:28
generate those open threes. I want to
1:30
dominate points in the paint through
1:31
post penetration, offensive rebounding,
1:33
and live in the paint, live in the free
1:35
throw line, and put max pressure on the
1:37
rim. So, we've got to do a better job of
1:39
being stubborn and persistent in terms
1:41
of attacking a basket and uh getting
1:43
into the paint and finishing around the
1:45
basket. I think in the first half we
1:47
missed eight layups
1:49
um around the basket and that's just,
1:51
you know, moving forward that's just not
1:52
going to work.
1:54
Hubert Jiren, he hit those couple of
1:56
threes in the second half, but in the
1:58
first half he was playing defense on a
1:59
guy who was 10 inches shorter than him
2:01
out on the perimeter and doing a pretty
2:02
good job of it. Does he give you a
2:04
dimension that maybe you haven't had in
2:06
the past in the team that you've
2:08
coached?
2:08
Well, I mean, he he's, you know, his
2:11
ability with his size, he really can
2:14
guard one through five. So, it gives us
2:16
the versatility on the defensive end to
2:18
be able to do different things because
2:20
of his ability to be able to do that.
2:22
Um, unfortunately, where I found out
2:25
that he could do that was against us
2:27
last year on RJ.
2:29
And so, um, you know, he does a really
2:32
nice job of getting around screens and
2:34
he can move his feet. He's disciplined
2:36
defensively and he can also rebound the
2:38
basketball. I was really happy with him
2:40
being able to hit some shots in the
2:43
second half. We've got to get him more
2:44
I've got to get him more shots. Um, and
2:47
just uh because he's just so talented on
2:50
the offensive end as well. And so just
2:51
being intentional to make sure that he's
2:54
getting enough looks on the offensive
2:55
end.
2:56
Hubert, how do you get him more shots?
2:57
Oh,
2:58
playsboro.
3:00
You talk about the chemistry that Henry
3:02
and Caleb have to high low and Caleb
3:05
talking about how it's an adjustment for
3:06
him because in high school he wasn't
3:08
used to having another guy that tall to
3:10
lob to.
3:11
Yeah. Yeah. I mean they um to be early
3:15
in the season
3:17
they really have a chemistry where it
3:19
feels like they have played together a
3:22
couple of years. They just feed off of
3:24
each other. when I separate them in
3:25
practice, they look like they're about
3:27
to cry because they want to be on the
3:29
same team again, you know. Um, but they
3:32
do they have a nice chemistry. They a
3:34
And one of the things that I think is
3:38
really beneficial to Caleb is to have
3:40
that chemistry with an experienced
3:42
player um who talks to him on the court
3:46
um shows them how to prepare, shows them
3:49
how hard you have to practice just to
3:50
put yourself in a position to be
3:52
successful. So to have that type of it's
3:54
so beneficial to have older players show
3:57
the way to younger players. Doesn't
3:59
matter how talented you are. An older
4:01
player is somebody that needs to be
4:04
there to teach him and Henry's done a
4:05
nice job of that.
4:07
Is a tie a fixture this season?
4:09
No, I just went upstairs. I don't know.
4:10
I went upstairs and found this shirt and
4:12
I saw my
4:14
my list of ties and I was like, man, I
4:16
haven't worn a tie in five years. I
4:19
said, "Let me see if I can tie it and
4:22
then if I can tie it, then let's wear
4:24
it." So, I might wear it on Monday
4:25
night. It was I haven't done it in 5
4:27
years. It feels good.
4:29
No clip on.
4:30
It's no clip on. Stop it. Stop it. Stop
4:32
it. Stop it.
4:34
All right, we're done. Thanks.
4:35
Stop it. If it was, well, who cares,
4:38
right? At least I tried, right?
4:43
No. No. There's no clip on. See,
4:45
to do it. Okay. felt like fewer were
4:48
one-handed passes tonight. Is that fair?
4:50
Um, with the turn some of the turnovers
4:52
you had at BYU, were you happier with
4:54
what you saw as far as the ball
4:56
security, so to speak?
4:57
Yeah, I just, you know, we had some at
4:59
the last couple of practices and I just
5:02
was straight up and honest with them. I
5:04
just don't understand that. I said, you
5:06
don't not getting more playing time if
5:08
you throw a one-handed pass. That
5:09
doesn't impress me at all. I I want
5:12
simple and sound plays, make the easy
5:14
play. And I felt like our guys were
5:17
doing that and they're understanding
5:18
that those little things um are really
5:21
the difference makers in regards to
5:23
being successful is being consistent in
5:25
the fundamentals on both ends of the
5:27
floor.
5:28
Hubert, speaking of simple and sound
5:29
plays, what did you think of Caleb's
5:30
dumb? What went through your head after
5:32
he uh after he did that?
5:33
I wanted him to get back on defense.
5:36
It was it was the beautiful finish. Um
5:38
again, you know, not many people can do
5:41
that. He's very gifted and uh his
5:44
ability to finish above the rim um with
5:47
traffic is something that he's already
5:49
done and expect him to do the remainder
5:51
of the season.
5:52
How important is it to have those sort
5:53
of highlight plays? Does that give you a
5:55
sense or the team a sense do you think
5:57
of just added motivation? Not motivation
6:00
but like just added um
6:02
I don't even know the word I'm looking
6:03
for but just
6:04
energy. Yeah. Like an added energy on
6:06
the court just to be able to have guys
6:07
that can do that.
6:08
Yeah. you know, I it it got the crowd
6:11
going and but it didn't
6:15
it didn't resonate with us in the first
6:17
half, you know, and yes, you can draw um
6:21
energy from plays like that. I I just um
6:24
energy and effort plays um are like they
6:29
you just need one person to do it
6:32
and then one other person does it and
6:34
then now you have the whole team to do
6:35
it. But I'm trying to get them to
6:37
understand that what brings us the
6:38
energy and effort and what fuels uh us
6:42
is uh defensively and rebounding the
6:44
basketball.
6:45
How satisfied do you feel like you guys
6:46
how satisfied or ready do you feel like
6:48
this team is to start the regular season
6:50
on Monday?
6:50
It doesn't matter. It starts on Monday.
6:53
I mean we'll have tomorrow off. We've
6:55
got three days of preparation Friday,
6:57
Saturday, and Sunday. Um, I like the
6:59
exhibition games that we played and it
7:01
really has identified things that we're
7:03
doing well and things that we need to
7:04
improve on and um, we'll be prepared and
7:08
ready uh, for a good Central Arkansas
7:10
team on Monday night.
7:12
Andrew and Adam,
7:13
here we're going back to Jiren at
7:15
Alabama. It's threes and layups. We saw
7:17
something in the lane the other night
7:18
against BYU. How much more of his game
7:21
is kind of in between the three and the
7:23
layup?
7:23
Yeah, I'm not a I'm not that's not me as
7:26
a coach. Um, and no disrespect to anyone
7:29
who believes in that philosophy. I think
7:31
that's great. For me, I like I like four
7:34
level scorers, guys that can shoot from
7:36
three, uh, mid-range shot at the right
7:38
time by the right people. I like layups
7:40
and dunks, and I like getting fouled and
7:42
getting to the free throw line. And so,
7:44
when you think of, um, Jiren, he's a guy
7:47
that can do that. And I want to take
7:50
advantage of everything that he can
7:51
bring to the table on both ends of the
7:53
floor. And so that includes being a
7:55
fourle score on the offensive end.
7:56
Last two, Adam, then Shelby.
7:58
Hubert, going back to the three-point
8:00
shooting, like I I hear you on what
8:01
you're talking about, like helps
8:03
generate that and what AJ was saying
8:04
with the with the passing,
8:05
but you don't believe me.
8:06
I do believe you. I just wanted to
8:08
follow up on it. Uh did you feel like
8:11
like
8:11
we're getting comfortable with each
8:12
other? I can I can ask you a question.
8:15
Just don't wear a clip on.
8:16
Oh,
8:17
look at I love it, guys. I love it. I
8:19
love it.
8:19
Two more questions. See, you're getting
8:21
cursed.
8:22
I know. But uh
8:24
did you feel like did you feel like the
8:26
threes in the second half were just more
8:27
in rhythm?
8:28
They were.
8:28
I feel like maybe against BYU I it
8:31
seemed like you never got a good rhythm.
8:34
I would agree with you on that,
8:35
especially in the second half. They were
8:36
generated off of a drive. They were
8:39
generated off of throwing the ball in
8:40
the post. They were generated off an
8:42
offensive rebound uh in transition. And
8:45
then and then also the swing swing, you
8:48
know, just like, oh, okay, that's a good
8:49
shot. Boom. Let's get a great shot. And
8:51
so when when the ball moves and you got,
8:54
you know, ball movement, player
8:55
movement, um I think you usually shoot a
8:58
high percentage. So I agree with you in
9:00
the second half. I felt like the threes
9:02
were better and they were coming in a
9:04
better way.
9:05
Yeah. Y
9:05
last one, Shelby.
9:06
Yeah. First of all, we need to make sure
9:08
the photos videos were getting your tie
9:10
right on that. Okay. So no photos from
9:12
the loosen tie portion.
9:15
Okay.
9:15
No, that's I'm just
9:17
Let's go, Shelby. We got
9:18
I got you. All right. Okay.
9:20
Okay. Um I'm curious just um at halftime
9:23
I know that some of the players were
9:24
telling us that they felt like um Elijah
9:26
and Steph were like particularly vocal
9:28
in terms of just hey we need to play
9:31
with you know more more energy, more um
9:34
more effort. Um what did you see in
9:35
terms of just like an in team leadership
9:38
maybe at halftime or in huddles guys
9:39
just kind of getting on each other to
9:41
get more into it?
9:42
Yeah, I think the the two most vocal
9:44
guys are um are Seth and Elijah. Um
9:48
they're that way in practice. They were
9:49
there. They were that way in shoot
9:52
around this morning and also um in the
9:54
games and in the huddles. And um just
9:57
like you talked about the energy and
9:58
effort plays um having vocal leaders
10:02
that are encouraging guys to pick it up
10:04
and play at a high level, you just need
10:06
one or two and then it just um everyone
10:09
follows. And so I really appreciate um
10:11
the leadership from Seth and Elijah. I
10:13
thought they did a really good job with
10:14
that. Thank you coach.
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