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#UNC coach Hubert Davis press conference ahead of Friday's exhibition game against BYU
Oct 22, 2025
#UNC coach Hubert Davis press conference ahead of Friday's exhibition game against BYU
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0:00
Brandon, what do we try to transition
0:02
there?
0:03
You don't want to talk about the
0:04
Pittsburgh Steelers. Um,
0:06
obviously you guys have a big exhibition
0:08
coming up here. As someone who has been
0:10
around college basketball for as long as
0:12
you have, we're seeing these these new
0:13
exhibitions come and it's a trend. It's
0:15
in front of fans. It's away arenas
0:17
versus some of the private exhibitions
0:18
that it has.
0:19
Reliable, affordable, power.
0:21
What do you what what do you sort of
0:23
make of that trend overall? And what are
0:25
the biggest pros and cons that you see
0:27
to it compared to some of the smaller
0:29
stuff where maybe you could break out
0:30
individual skilled worker zone or things
0:32
like that?
0:32
Yeah, I think that's a great question. I
0:34
mean, you know, normally it's been, you
0:35
know, behind closed doors and private
0:37
and you have more of a hands-on approach
0:40
in regards to, hey, let's look at um
0:43
going up against a zone or going up
0:45
against a press or let's let's do
0:47
situational stuff. And so, uh but but
0:51
there's huge benefits in playing games
0:53
like this. I mean, obviously playing
0:54
against such a a really good opponent in
0:57
BYU, it it gives us an opportunity to be
1:00
able to take a clear look at us on
1:02
things that we're doing well, things
1:03
that we need to improve on before the
1:06
regular season starts. The same thing
1:07
that happens in the NBA, and so it gives
1:09
us a chance to do that. I think it's
1:12
also really beneficial for us to go on
1:14
the road. Um it it it really you know it
1:19
you know to take a road trip to be on a
1:22
true road game um there's a lot that you
1:25
can learn about your team and it's
1:28
something that um is invaluable to be
1:31
able to learn that prior to the uh
1:33
regular season starting. If I if I could
1:35
follow up, I know like uh at sometimes
1:38
one of the things that has also gotten
1:39
lost in the crosshairs of these is some
1:40
of the small North Carolina schools, for
1:42
example, who would have an opportunity
1:43
to come in and play here and maybe
1:45
that's not the case as much anymore. Are
1:47
you concerned that those might fall by
1:48
the wayside at all a little bit or
1:50
Well, we're playing Winston Salem State
1:51
and uh every year
1:54
um in exhibition season, we will play a
1:56
North Carolina school, whether it be
1:58
Johnson C. Smith or Winston Salem State.
2:00
Um because that's important to us and
2:03
that's important to the state.
2:04
When you're playing one of these games
2:06
and you know as a marquee type of
2:08
matchup and there's a lot of these going
2:10
on in college basketball this week like
2:11
Brandon said. Do you hold anything back
2:13
in terms of you know like what you might
2:16
show? I mean does it matter as much to
2:18
like put something on film that teams
2:20
can scout even in the preseason or do
2:23
you just let it you test everything and
2:24
figure it out as you get No, I don't
2:26
think there's a situation where you hold
2:28
things back. I mean, I think there's
2:32
there's situational stuff that
2:35
we haven't practiced yet. And so, um,
2:41
in that scenario, you you are playing
2:43
and you are playing what you have
2:45
practiced at that point. And so, that's
2:48
what we'll do um against BYU. and
2:52
that'll give us um a good indication on
2:55
the things that we need to work on
2:56
moving forward.
2:57
You heard along those lines. Just going
2:59
off what you're saying there, but
3:00
Beard's question like what are the
3:03
things that you'll be looking for as a
3:05
coach of a new group um on Friday night
3:09
when when you play by BYU? Like what are
3:11
you looking for out of your guys? Yeah,
3:13
I mean, uh, specifically the the the
3:16
huge bullet points that we've talked
3:17
about and identified every every day
3:20
since we've come together as a team, you
3:22
know, from a defensive standpoint, us
3:24
being and I've I've been clear and
3:26
definitive like we've got to be a really
3:28
good defensive team, good rebounding
3:29
team, uh, for us to have a chance to be
3:33
the best team that we can possibly be,
3:35
uh, become. Uh, looking at our pace, you
3:38
know, you know, we we we play at
3:40
tremendous pace. uh taking care of the
3:42
basketball, doing a much better job this
3:44
year, getting to the offensive glass.
3:46
And so those are big picture, very
3:49
important things that that that I'm
3:52
looking for um out of the scrimmage on
3:54
our exhibition game on Friday.
3:56
How important is this opportunity for
3:57
you to get look at as many different
3:59
player groupings as possible in this
4:01
kind of setting?
4:02
Very important. It really is. You know,
4:04
you you get an opportunity to do that
4:05
obviously at practice, but that's
4:07
against each other. Now being able to do
4:09
that against another opponent is
4:11
something that's uh it's going to be
4:13
really huge for us.
4:14
So when people are watching people may
4:16
kind of make too much out of some of
4:17
these games. You're looking at this as a
4:20
lab experiment in some ways to see.
4:21
I'm not looking at this at a lab
4:22
experience. They keep score.
4:26
It's a free opportunity. I know Roy said
4:28
lab one time before stuck in my head.
4:30
It's a free opportunity to see what you
4:32
got and to look at all these different
4:34
groupings. So what the intent going in
4:37
they are keeping score. you're trying to
4:38
win, but how much of it is it to make
4:39
sure you get a look at all those
4:41
different groupings?
4:42
Well, it it is important. I think it's
4:43
both, you know, and
4:46
you know, these type of games
4:49
are very important for us in our
4:52
development and our growth as a team.
4:54
And it's also an exhibition game. I
4:57
mean, we did the same thing last year
4:58
against Memphis and we didn't have RJ.
5:02
And we learned something about Seth in
5:06
that game.
5:08
Um then going through the entire year,
5:12
you know, Memphis had a pretty good
5:13
season and we won 23 games and just got
5:17
into the NCAA tournament. So there's
5:21
um there's a lot of value in the these
5:24
type of games, but it's also
5:27
an exhibition as well, if that makes
5:29
sense.
5:30
It's both.
5:31
It's both. Hubert, he wanted to recruit
5:33
a lot of players, but AJ Deans was a
5:35
really highprofile one. Um, what's it
5:38
kind of like just going against somebody
5:40
like that so soon? And how's the
5:42
relationship kind of continue? You know,
5:44
obviously there's a lot of guys you get
5:46
to meet and get to know in the
5:47
recruiting process.
5:49
Well, I mean, AJ's um not only an
5:51
outstanding player, he's he's just a
5:53
really neat kid that um obviously is
5:56
extremely talented out there on the
5:58
floor, but he's also somebody that um
6:01
loves the idea of team and teamwork. And
6:05
um just watching a little bit of tape on
6:08
them and their exhibition game against
6:09
Nebraska, he's just continue to grow um
6:12
as a player, as a teammate. And um but
6:16
BYU is not AJ Deans of BYU is BYU and
6:21
it's a very good basketball team and so
6:24
um with the number of talented players
6:26
out there and so we're very thankful for
6:28
the opportunity to be able to uh compete
6:31
against them uh this Friday.
6:33
I wanted to ask you about obviously Luca
6:35
just do you have an update on his status
6:37
and has he been at this point
6:39
uh from an instit uh from an NCAA
6:41
standpoint? Yes. Um, institutionally
6:44
wise, uh, we're working on it and we're
6:46
making progress.
6:47
You expect him to play on Friday and you
6:48
saw this?
6:49
Uh, possibly.
6:51
Bit of a sorry, a pivot, but I just had
6:53
a question about Caleb. He was sharing
6:54
with us the other week. He likes to read
6:56
like daily stoes some quotes. Obviously,
6:58
you guys do the quote of the day. Um,
7:00
I'm not sure if that's something that uh
7:02
you guys have like talked about at all
7:04
and just what do you think that says
7:06
about Kaylin? Kind of just the guy he
7:08
is, how comfortable and confident he is.
7:10
Just maybe that's
7:11
he is. He's very confident and he's very
7:13
comfortable. Um, honestly, I just came
7:16
from a meeting with him just now. I, you
7:18
know, texted him. I said, "Hey, I'd like
7:20
to spend some time together before
7:22
practice." He was like, "I'm already
7:23
here, coach." And so, we just walked
7:24
right up into the office and we sat down
7:26
and and talked for about 25 minutes. And
7:29
he is he's he's confident. Um, uh, he
7:34
cares.
7:36
And
7:38
um
7:41
I don't know what else I could it it's
7:43
hard for me to describe from the
7:45
standpoint of just
7:48
what a great person a great teammate he
7:50
is and um
7:54
you know the way that he communicates
7:56
with me with his teammates and the
7:57
coaching staff uh with um I couldn't ask
8:02
any more of what Caleb already has
8:04
brought to this team and to this Yeah, I
8:06
guess just a quick followup. Um, you
8:07
were kind of speaking on the AC network
8:09
special about how you were almost like
8:11
scared of like um, Coach Smith a little
8:14
bit just
8:14
I was right. Yeah. Um, if you could just
8:17
kind of juxapose that to maybe how Caleb
8:20
has been with you and maybe how rare
8:22
kind of that composure is for
8:24
Yes. I mean, it's a little bit
8:25
different. I mean, I you know,
8:29
I had a great relationship with Coach
8:31
Smith and but
8:34
you know, it's just different. You know,
8:36
it's um,
8:38
you know, when I played after the
8:41
season, you couldn't be on the court
8:42
with the guys until October 15th. So,
8:44
obviously, I, you know, stopped by the
8:46
office every day and hung out with Coach
8:47
Smith and Coach Guthridge, but being on
8:49
the floor with them was only limited to
8:51
when the season started. now you can be
8:53
on the court with them all the time and
8:55
so
8:57
having more access and more time with
8:59
them I think um
9:03
you know players are more comfortable
9:05
with their coaches more so than when I
9:07
played and um I really like it.
9:11
Coach, I got another history question
9:12
for you about coach Smith. I read a lot
9:14
about history
9:15
and I asked Shawn May about this
9:18
informally at the Raleigh Sports Club. A
9:20
lot of schools, they lose touch, their
9:23
players and their students lose touch
9:25
with their legacy coach like Dean Smith
9:27
because there's been different coaches,
9:29
different athletic directors, etc. That
9:31
hasn't happened here in North Carolina.
9:33
How have you guys maintained that uh
9:35
connection back to Dan Smith? So, these
9:37
guys that weren't even born when he was
9:39
coaching know about him and what he
9:42
meant beyond basketball.
9:44
Well, I mean, that's a that's a message
9:46
that is preached every day to these
9:48
guys. It's, you know, the foundation of,
9:51
you know, what this program is about is
9:53
about relationships and how it all ties
9:55
together. Uh, one of the many reasons
9:58
that I I love, you know, our coaching
10:01
staff is is that, you know, all of us
10:03
didn't play for the same coach here at
10:05
Carolina. And so, you know, the
10:07
communication and what we give to the
10:09
players, we really give them the full
10:11
body experience of what this place is
10:13
like, but from different angles. You
10:16
know, as much as Carolina is Carolina,
10:19
I'm a different person than Coach
10:21
Williams. Coach Williams is a different
10:22
person than Coach Guthridge. And Coach
10:24
Guthridge is a different person than
10:25
Coach Smith. And so, I think it's really
10:28
cool that we can give our shared
10:30
experiences from a different perspective
10:32
to our players and allow them to
10:34
understand what this place is has always
10:36
meant and what it's like.
10:38
Could you imagine a school not knowing
10:40
their students and their players not
10:42
knowing about a legacy coach like Dean
10:44
Smith? I could not imagine that, but it
10:47
it won't happen here because I talk
10:48
about him and coach Guthridge and Coach
10:50
Williams every day.
10:51
Thank you, Henry.
10:53
For your staff, um going into an
10:55
exhibition game, I think the focus will
10:57
be on the players once the the game gets
10:59
started, but going into the game, is
11:00
this an opportunity for the staff to to
11:03
prepare for an opponent as if you would
11:05
during the regular season?
11:06
Oh, we do. I mean, it's it's it's
11:08
everything. It's scouting report. It's
11:10
the same routine headed into a regular
11:14
season game. And that's, you know, one
11:15
of the benefits of playing in this game
11:17
is, you know, we have 11 new players, so
11:20
for them to understand the regular
11:22
routine and preparation to play an
11:24
opponent. So, yeah, that does play a
11:26
part.
11:27
So, Hubert, you emphasize improving size
11:29
and rebounding as a priority in the
11:31
offseason. What are you particularly
11:33
looking for out of your bigs in this
11:35
exhibition game coming up?
11:36
Not just specifically with the bigs,
11:38
just for our team. You know, I always
11:40
have said that rebounding is the number
11:42
one determining factor of an outcome of
11:44
a game. And so, you know, we we've got
11:46
to be a good rebounding team on both
11:48
ends of the floor. And so, those are
11:50
things that we talk about and emphasize,
11:53
excuse me, um every day. And
11:55
irregardless if you have size or don't
11:57
have size. Um so, um that's an area that
12:01
we really want to improve on and we want
12:03
to be really good at this year.
12:05
I know you touched on it a little bit,
12:06
but having freshman get out there in in
12:09
front of an away crowd, how important is
12:10
it for their development specifically
12:12
outside of I guess the rest of the team
12:14
in a sense?
12:14
Yeah, it is. I mean, it's, you know,
12:16
it's it's important for them to get out
12:19
there um on the floor, but you know,
12:21
these guys have been exposed to a number
12:23
of different situations. It's not like
12:26
when I was playing, you know, playing in
12:28
the NBA arena for the first time was
12:31
very different for me. These guys have
12:32
done it since high school. They do it in
12:35
AAU. And so the moment is never too big
12:38
for them. And actually, it's the exact
12:40
opposite. They run towards it. And so it
12:42
be exciting for all of our players uh um
12:45
to be able to play on Friday.
12:47
All right. You um I don't know if you
12:50
saw, but I went off on the NCA letting
12:53
you sign people out of the GLeague now.
12:55
Did you see that?
12:56
I didn't see that.
12:57
That's in the news. He said there's no
12:59
rules and yeah, he just went off on it.
13:03
I know if you haven't seen it, I was
13:04
going to say what think of it, but
13:06
I'm sorry I didn't see it.
13:07
When you when you see it, think of my
13:09
question.
13:09
Okay, I will. I will. I will. I will. I
13:12
will. I'm a huge fan of Coach Iso. Okay.
13:16
He did go off on it.
13:17
He did. Okay.
13:18
He We've met with Caleb. We've met with
13:20
Derek. Um but the other freshman, you
13:22
brought in Isaiah. What do you like
13:24
about his game and what he brings to the
13:25
team? Yeah, he's um um now practicing
13:29
full practice
13:31
um
13:33
uh starting late last week. Um still
13:36
limited in in some sense, but uh being
13:39
able to participate in every drill
13:42
during practice. And so it's nice to
13:44
have Isaiah out there. I know that, you
13:46
know, last year throughout high school,
13:48
he had broke his finger and then he
13:50
reinjured it um as soon as he got here.
13:53
And so, um, obviously a very, um,
13:59
gifted player, but just a great kid. I
14:02
mean, just such a joy to be around. He
14:06
loves being a part of a team, loves
14:07
being here, and I'm so thankful that
14:09
he's healthy enough to be able uh, to
14:11
participate fully in practice. Now,
14:13
time for a few more.
14:14
We've we've gotten to talk, like Michael
14:16
was saying, we've gotten to talk to a
14:17
lot of the guys this preseason, which
14:19
has been great.
14:20
Good.
14:20
Um,
14:21
they're funny, aren't they?
14:22
Let's keep it up.
14:24
Let's go. Let's talk.
14:26
But, you know, a lot of them has sort
14:27
have sort of characterized the
14:29
personality of this group as being
14:31
competitive, being hungry, you know,
14:34
wanting to win like that that feeling
14:36
already just just um from having even
14:39
not played a game. Like, is that are
14:42
those qualities that you have picked up
14:43
on too with these guys? And is is that
14:47
something that's also important about
14:49
seeing how that maybe that appetite
14:51
shows up in a game setting like like
14:54
Friday night?
14:54
I agree with you. You know, I it
14:56
definitely that has um I've picked that
14:59
up and noticed that that this is a very
15:00
competitive group. It's um it's a team
15:04
that I don't have to poke and prod to
15:06
get after it. They already do and that's
15:10
exactly what you want. um they compete
15:12
extremely hard out there on the floor
15:14
and then they're in the locker room
15:15
laughing and joking around and and
15:18
that's the type of uh
15:21
that's the type of team that you want to
15:22
have. And and also it's it's also uh
15:26
beneficial in games like this to be able
15:28
to see how you handle, you know,
15:31
everything is good when everything is
15:32
going well, but how do you handle
15:33
adversity? Y
15:34
you know, if a team goes on a run, you
15:36
know, how do you how do you do you come
15:38
together? um um do you get stronger? And
15:42
those are things that it's really
15:44
important to see and identify,
15:47
especially before the regular season
15:49
starts.
15:49
Huber, where have you seen the most
15:51
improvement through preseason practice
15:53
to this point?
15:54
Um uh I've seen the most improvement uh
15:58
defensively. Um,
16:03
that's just number one on my list is for
16:06
us to be a really good defensive team.
16:09
And I've seen improvement
16:13
in regards to individual one-on-one
16:16
defense and the importance of
16:18
communication and talking early, loud,
16:20
clear, and constant team defense wise.
16:23
And so that's the area that I've um
16:27
seen the most improvement. Have you seen
16:29
that versatility with the guys? I mean,
16:30
because you look at this roster, it
16:32
looks like it can be comparable to that
16:34
top 10 defense you guys had a few years
16:36
ago.
16:36
No, it is. It it and and it actually a
16:38
couple years ago it it we we have more
16:40
size and more versatility. And so it'll
16:42
allow you to do different things on the
16:44
defensive end. And so that's fun to
16:46
practice, that's fun to watch and to
16:49
teach and grow. And so, yeah, you're
16:52
right. That versatility will allow us to
16:54
be um a lot more versatile on the
16:56
defensive end. Last three,
16:58
hopefully better.
16:58
I'm sorry.
16:59
Last three, Andrew, Grant, Shelby.
17:01
So, going back to Adam's question about
17:03
the competitiveness, some of the guys
17:04
are described as being chippy, either in
17:06
open gym or in practice, and they say it
17:07
in a very positive way. As a coach, when
17:10
you see chippiness like that, that
17:12
doesn't spill over. It just stays there.
17:14
What does that tell you about the kind
17:15
of makeup your team has?
17:16
No, I like it being chippy, you know,
17:18
and that's that's competitiveness, you
17:22
know. So, um, you know, when I was here
17:25
at Carolina, was it 15 guys on the team?
17:28
13 of them were McDonald's
17:29
All-Americans. And so, uh, the 12 years
17:32
that I was in the NBA, I always had two
17:34
teammates that wanted my minutes, my,
17:37
uh, position, and wanted my contract.
17:38
And so, every day you had to show up.
17:41
And, and actually, I I spoke with them,
17:44
uh, on Monday about the importance of
17:46
your job and responsibility.
17:49
And I explained it to them because none
17:51
of them have ever had a job.
17:54
And they asked me did I have a job. And
17:56
I told them I had a number of jobs
17:57
growing up. And I said that, you know,
17:59
your job and responsibility
18:02
um is to do two things. Is to give
18:04
everything that you got. Empty the tank
18:06
every day and to execute properly. And I
18:09
said that I have a job and
18:12
responsibility as a coach, as a husband,
18:14
and as a father. And irregardless of how
18:16
I feel, how much sleep I get, what my
18:19
temperature is, my job and
18:21
responsibility is to give my best in
18:23
everything that I do and then try to
18:24
execute properly. Um, not being perfect,
18:28
but perfect in in effort and attention
18:31
to detail.
18:32
Grant,
18:33
hey, coach. Um, I've talked to Henry at
18:35
AC Tip Off and one of the things he
18:37
mentioned when when he was at Arizona
18:38
and playing against BYU, the elevation
18:41
was a huge, you know, was kind of an
18:42
issue. um go going to going to Salt Lake
18:46
City and looking this at this team. How
18:49
can you how do you gauge where the team
18:50
is at uh where they're at conditioned um
18:53
where that
18:55
where that condition?
18:56
Yeah, sorry.
18:57
No, I can understand. No, I can
18:59
understand that. Um I haven't talked to
19:01
the team about it and I'm not going to.
19:04
um
19:07
number of teams playing in Salt Lake
19:08
City. So irregardless of the elevation,
19:11
you're still gonna have to get back on
19:12
defense, still going to have to box out,
19:15
still going to have to set a screen,
19:16
you'll still have to knock down that
19:17
open jumper. So, you know, irregardless
19:21
of what the elevation is, the
19:22
responsibilities of our players on the
19:24
floor on both ends of the floor never
19:26
change.
19:28
Um, Hubert, I was curious again a little
19:31
bit more big picture, but the three
19:33
triangle teams, women's teams ranked in
19:35
the preseason, top 15, all three men's
19:38
triangle team from the top, I guess 26,
19:41
just as somebody that kind of grew up,
19:42
you know, around the ACC, playing in the
19:44
AC, coaching at ACC. um we're a ways
19:46
away from that, but just the level of
19:48
excitement just around hoops here in the
19:51
triangle and you
19:53
Well, I think the level of excitement
19:55
of, you know, hoops has always been
19:57
high. I mean, it's, you know,
20:01
I can't remember a time where there
20:03
wasn't any excitement around
20:06
college basketball around here. You
20:08
know, I know you're talking about North
20:10
Carolina, Duke, and NC State, but also
20:12
Wake Forest. We have a number of uh um
20:15
other institutions, historical black
20:17
colleges that are very successful. And
20:20
so um just the state of North Carolina,
20:23
it's always an excitement heading into
20:25
basketball season. And um this year
20:28
doesn't seem any different than any
20:30
other year. And every other year it's
20:31
been at the highest.
20:33
Thank you, coach. Thanks everybody.
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