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#UNC coach Hubert Davis press conference ahead of Saturday's home game against Boston College
Jan 24, 2025
#UNC coach Hubert Davis press conference ahead of Saturday's home game against Boston College
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0:00
the last two games Ian is what four for
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19 from the floor 12 his shots were
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threes and he didn't attempt a free
0:06
throw the other night there is this him
0:09
settling maybe for some jumpers or are
0:11
teams taking away the drive and and how
0:13
valuable have the last two games been
0:15
for him to learn about some of the ways
0:17
that maybe teams are doing some
0:18
different stuff to him well I think I
0:20
definitely think it's growth in terms of
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the attenion that he's getting and how
0:24
teams have adjusted in terms of uh
0:27
playing him maybe uh being more physical
0:30
with him um obviously he's um jumped a
0:34
couple levels in regards to the scouting
0:36
report and the importance of um guarding
0:40
him but uh it was a conversation I
0:42
actually had with him yesterday that uh
0:44
you know one of his biggest strengths is
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being able to get to the basket and get
0:47
to the free throw line that's just you
0:49
know for him not getting to the free
0:52
throw line that's something that just
0:54
can't happen and I think that's one of
0:55
the things that makes him such a gifted
0:57
score is his ability to score at all
1:00
three levels but also be able to get to
1:02
the free throw line that's just
1:03
something that has to change moving
1:04
forward did were there any specific from
1:08
the last two games where he settled and
1:11
he now goes back and he can see that and
1:13
say yeah I should have taken the guy off
1:15
the drive well I wouldn't necessarily
1:17
use the word settled but I think there
1:19
um uh uh definitely opportunities that
1:22
we talked about where he could have uh
1:25
put the ball on the floor and attacked
1:27
the basket and um having a choice of
1:30
shoot the three or attack the basket
1:32
there are opportunities to be able to do
1:34
that and you want to mix that up you
1:36
want to have diversity in your game
1:38
offensively and I and I told him
1:40
obviously I was not nearly as gifted as
1:43
he was as a basketball player but I told
1:45
him that was the only stat that I ever
1:47
looked at um was that I wanted to make
1:49
sure that 50% of my shots weren't from
1:52
three unless I was like hot because I
1:55
wanted to do other things I wanted to
1:57
get to the free throw line I wanted to
1:59
get to the back B I wanted to shoot the
2:01
mid-range game I just didn't want to sit
2:04
there at from the three-point line and
2:05
settle for that and so
2:09
um my hope is moving forward um he'll
2:12
get to the free throw line more than
2:13
zero times the last
2:17
game wanted to ask you about Elliott and
2:19
the 13 assists the other night were
2:21
tremendous obviously yeah um but I was
2:23
wondering if it you know he started so
2:25
fast offensively in terms of scoring the
2:27
ball I think was 10 points in the first
2:29
six minutes six and a half minutes did
2:31
you feel like as you've gone back and
2:33
looked at it that maybe he stopped
2:35
looking for his
2:37
shot and was trying to get other people
2:39
involved when maybe he should have kept
2:40
on just just rolling with what he had
2:43
working like did that occur to you or
2:45
stand out to you as you went back and
2:46
looked at it no that that really didn't
2:48
stand out to me you know the things that
2:50
have really stood out to me and and I've
2:52
talked to you guys at Great length about
2:54
the little details and the disciplin and
2:56
details that make big things happen and
2:59
just the um and it's it's it goes back
3:04
to the consistency of being able to do
3:06
those things and it's come in I think in
3:09
a couple different parts I think you
3:12
know at the beginning of the year the
3:14
reason why we were getting down by
3:16
double figures is because we weren't
3:18
consistently doing those things and then
3:20
we were coming back because we were
3:22
consistently doing those things now
3:25
since coming back from Christmas I think
3:28
it's played a huge part and US putting
3:31
us in those situations where it's like a
3:33
onep possession game I mean we've played
3:35
nine of them thus far and the reason
3:38
that we've come out and won some of
3:40
those has been because of the
3:42
consistency of those little things the
3:44
Box outs the um free throws um taking
3:48
care of the basketball taking good shots
3:51
and the reason that we haven't come out
3:53
um on top on those other games is the
3:57
lack of consistency on that so just
3:59
regards to Elliot I I haven't looked at
4:01
it from that standpoint but overall as a
4:04
team of of what we have to do somehow to
4:07
become more consistent at those little
4:10
things so we're not in one possession
4:12
games and we can sustain leads because
4:14
that that's something else that we've
4:16
done we were up by eight against
4:18
Stamford and had an opportunity to
4:21
extend the lead and we didn't we were up
4:23
16 to7 against Wake Forest on the road
4:26
and next time we scored was Ian's dunk
4:29
and and in between that we had four
4:31
turnovers and
4:33
so that's where I'm looking at overall
4:35
not specifically as a p a player but
4:38
overall as a team how can we get better
4:41
and how we can we become more consistent
4:43
just just to quickly follow up I'm not
4:45
trying to belor the Elliot thing but is
4:47
that a difficult balance to try to
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strike when you are such a distributor
4:52
like he is maybe with with seeking the
4:54
offense too um because again it seemed
4:57
like he was really going pretty good the
5:00
other night and then maybe he just sort
5:01
of stopped and was doing other things
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yeah I mean he he did he he had it going
5:06
in terms of um getting to the basket and
5:09
being able to score um you know one of
5:12
the things that I many things that I
5:14
love about Elliot his ability to
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understand when to do both and he is
5:19
such a gifted Pastor I think some of
5:21
those times he maybe even could have
5:22
taken a layup but he passed it out to a
5:25
teammate and that's the gift that he has
5:27
he just yes he can score but like
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instinctively like he just really wants
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to pass and so um finding that balance
5:37
of being aggressive and and when to get
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other his teammates involved which he
5:42
just naturally does that's something
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that um he continues to grow with and
5:47
continues to get better at you're you
5:50
know kind of talking about you know
5:51
again the consistency of maintaining the
5:53
details doing that for a 40-minute game
5:56
uh I guess from your standpoint what is
5:58
the I guess from an individual ual basis
6:00
what's kind of required there is that
6:02
just one of the guys kind of getting
6:04
everybody else on the floor on the same
6:05
page like I guess from their individual
6:08
standpoint like what does it kind of
6:09
take to get there in
6:10
state well I you know I always tell them
6:13
a mistake is good if you recognize it
6:16
admit it learn from it and grow from it
6:18
and it's something I got from coach
6:19
Smith and Coach Guth when I played here
6:22
uh we watch a ton of film so that they
6:24
can recognize it and so that they can
6:26
admit it and the next step is to learn
6:29
from it and grow from it I I just um I
6:33
think it's more than just one person I
6:35
think it's collectively as a team the
6:38
consistency and when you say a full 40
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minutes it's not being perfect I always
6:44
talk to them about we have to be a
6:46
disciplined team uh my definition of
6:49
discipline is not being perfect but it's
6:51
being committed to doing the right
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things the right way and so that's
6:55
something that this team continues to
6:57
grow with about being more consistent
7:01
not perfect but consistent for a full 40
7:03
minutes um to put ourselves in better
7:06
situations out there on the floor Eber
7:08
when you look at a Boston College what
7:11
about them stands out to you and just
7:12
looking them up yeah just you know their
7:14
physicality on defense um very physical
7:20
and uh uh their physicality can dictate
7:24
and decide how efficiently you run on
7:26
the offensive end um from an offensive
7:29
standpoint they can shoot the three they
7:31
don't shoot a high volume of Threes but
7:34
you know they they want to score
7:35
consistently in the paint through post
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and penetration and so um that's a huge
7:40
emphasis for us is protecting the paint
7:42
a huge emphasis for us is defending
7:45
without fouling because we've struggled
7:47
with that at times and a huge emphasis
7:49
for us is boxing out not allowing teams
7:52
Second Chance opportunity especially
7:54
especially at important times you know
7:58
and that's those are the three things
8:00
defensively that we've talked about in
8:01
regards to Boston College but just
8:03
overall the Improvement for us
8:05
defensively as a team they're big man
8:08
vinning has been big for them in
8:09
particular how do you try to slow him
8:11
down well I yeah he's really talented
8:14
he's big um he's um does a really good
8:19
job working hard to get his position
8:21
close to the basket and when he catches
8:23
it there it's very difficult to keep him
8:26
away from the basket he's a gifted
8:28
scorer and um he's very skilled there um
8:33
for us we've played a number of post
8:35
players throughout this season and we're
8:37
going to have to do a really good job
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not just specifically on him but for the
8:41
entire team but in regards to him um
8:44
make them work to get that position uh
8:47
try to keep him out of the middle uh
8:49
defending him without fouling because
8:51
they use him also to be able to get into
8:53
the penalty where they can get to the
8:54
free throw line and shoot and so
8:58
um it'll be a test force in the paint
9:01
tomorrow but um we're excited about that
9:04
challenge Huber how do you navigate the
9:07
mental approach when with this team when
9:10
the margins are so small between winning
9:12
and losing and getting them to where
9:14
you're cutting down on the mistakes but
9:16
they're not thinking okay if I make this
9:17
mistake it could cost us the game that
9:19
sort of thing yeah I mean I I think that
9:22
comes from knowing your players and
9:24
knowing the team I think every team has
9:27
a different personality I
9:30
think this team's personality we've
9:33
watched more tape than any other
9:35
previous years as me as head coach
9:37
because they need to see it
9:40
um I
9:42
think um holding them accountable to it
9:45
but also a balance of encouraging them
9:48
as well and you're right there there has
9:50
to be a balance there because I always
9:53
tell them either side of the floor I
9:55
want them to play fast and free and so
9:58
if you feel like and I was a player I I
10:00
I've been in a situation where I felt
10:02
like if I missed a shot or turned the
10:03
ball over I was on a bench and it was an
10:05
awful feeling and so I don't want them
10:07
to feel that um as players and I want
10:10
them to feel confident that and I always
10:12
tell them this I said I I don't mind
10:14
mistakes as long as it's made with
10:17
effort and concentration that's the only
10:19
time that I lift off in practice is when
10:23
a mistake is made when there is no
10:26
effort and there is no concentration
10:28
other than than that everybody makes
10:31
mistakes I know they don't want to miss
10:32
a shot and I know that they don't want
10:33
to turn the ball over and I know they
10:35
want to be in the right spots
10:37
defensively but if you do it with effort
10:39
and you do it with concentration that
10:40
really cuts down those things and when
10:42
you have a week like you guys have just
10:44
gone through for you as a head coach
10:46
what is the delicate balance of being
10:48
holding them accountable and encouraging
10:50
at the same time I think you can do both
10:52
I mean I I'm straightforward and
10:54
directing my communication in regards to
10:57
this is what we practiced and practice
11:00
this is what you've been told and taught
11:01
or talented enough to do and this is
11:03
your job and responsibility and you did
11:05
it well or you didn't do it well and if
11:08
you continue not to do it well then um
11:12
those are things that are going to hurt
11:13
your playing time and I'm I'm direct and
11:17
definitive in in my communication with
11:19
him but I also am very direct in regards
11:24
to encouraging them and understand and
11:27
them understanding that my belief in
11:30
them to be able to do it my belief in
11:32
them to be able to do it at a high level
11:34
and consistency and that I'm in their
11:36
corner and that's my job is to help and
11:38
encourage them to be the best that they
11:39
can be as a followup do you have to
11:41
encourage a little bit more when you
11:42
have a couple really tough losses like
11:44
you just had because you guys had some
11:46
earlier in the year so you're eight now
11:48
so maybe do you find yourself having to
11:50
be a little bit more encouraging because
11:52
they could be a little bit fragile um I
11:54
check the temperature of the team just
11:56
like you know knowing the team and
11:57
knowing the personalities uh
11:59
uh there's times this year that I've
12:04
uh been more direct I I've always I'm
12:07
always direct but I've been
12:11
um
12:14
louder firmer firmer that's a great one
12:17
I've been more
12:18
firm um and other times that that I feel
12:23
like what the team needs is still the
12:25
directness but but less firm and
12:29
and that's me knowing the team that's me
12:33
knowing the
12:34
individuals
12:37
and that's why I spend so much time with
12:39
them I mean there's some guys that I can
12:41
I can be more firm with and they can get
12:43
it and there's some guys that I have to
12:45
go five miles out to be able to get my
12:48
point across because at ultimately at
12:50
the end of the day I I just want them
12:51
playing at their best so I don't care
12:53
how it comes across I just want them to
12:56
understand where I'm coming from and and
12:58
what they need to do out there on the
12:59
floor you you guys got as you said as we
13:02
talked about the other night you guys
13:04
got the open shots yeah at Lake I mean
13:06
the offense generated the open looks and
13:08
you didn't make them yeah like as as
13:10
you've looked at maybe that aspect of
13:12
the
13:13
loss do you think that maybe moving
13:16
forward there might be have to be a
13:18
situation where you say you know what
13:21
don't camp out in the corner we're not
13:22
going to take these threes cuz they're
13:23
not going in like you know it got to a
13:25
certain point where they just weren't
13:26
going in yeah um you know is that a
13:29
consideration like in game like or maybe
13:31
you can't even do it in game because it'
13:33
be such a drastic change like is that a
13:35
consideration to be like yeah there's
13:37
there's only so many places on the floor
13:39
that you can be you know I mean it's
13:40
just you know I tell the guys this you
13:43
know it's corner corner wing wing top of
13:45
the key block block elbow elbow I take
13:48
away two corners and the spacing is not
13:50
going to be very good
13:52
there I hear
13:54
you saying don't go to the corner you
13:57
know what I mean like it always seem
13:58
like weight was going to let you keep
14:00
missing yeah you know what I mean and
14:03
and my response to that is and I hear
14:06
what you're saying I I
14:08
just I don't look at it that
14:12
way there I don't care how good a
14:14
shooter individually you are how well
14:16
you shoot as a team they going to be
14:18
days there going to be nights where that
14:20
shot is not falling that wasn't the
14:23
Difference Maker and us not coming out
14:25
on the Wind side
14:27
versus w far we took the lead at
14:31
5453 the next possession we had a miss
14:34
boox out they scored we came down missed
14:37
a three we came back down and we messed
14:40
up on our defensive assignment and they
14:42
got another dunk now we're down three
14:45
you know I just and what and my
14:48
communication with the team has been has
14:50
been this we lost another game by
14:53
one and just look at the little plays on
14:56
the offensive end little plays defensive
14:59
ly and say we do things a little bit The
15:04
Way We were supposed to do one or two
15:06
possessions on both ends then we're not
15:10
there so and it's
15:12
never about a Miss
15:15
shot
15:17
um it's about
15:20
plays and that's what I look at in
15:22
regards to um the outcomes lately and us
15:26
moving forward uh tomorrow against
15:28
Boston College time for two more Hubert
15:30
what have you noticed the last few days
15:32
in the film session as far as the
15:34
players and and yourself and any
15:36
differences there as opposed to earli in
15:38
the year or what have you seen no I I I
15:42
think you know I've said before that I
15:44
love coaching this team I love being
15:46
around them they're a great bunch of
15:47
kids and I believe in this team I
15:50
believe that we're nowhere close to
15:52
reaching the full potential of what I
15:54
think this team can be and
15:57
become and
16:01
I really believe that the guys are
16:02
starting to see it and start to
16:04
understand it um my hope is is that they
16:08
do you know it's
16:14
um practices have been good the last
16:17
couple days film sessions I've been
16:19
meeting with a number of the players
16:21
those conversations have been good um
16:24
the confidence in the spirit and the
16:26
enthusiasm is there um
16:34
they just want to play well and they
16:36
just want to see the benefits of playing
16:38
well out there on the floor and I want
16:41
that for them I like them with smiles on
16:44
their faces as opposed to them crying in
16:46
the locker
16:47
room um I want
16:50
them I want them
16:53
happy anybody else I guess when it comes
16:56
to you mentioned you know a GU like for
16:58
example you know getting to the rim and
17:00
just the team as a whole getting to the
17:02
to the free throw line do you have like
17:03
a philosophy so to speak of you know
17:06
always take the open three when it's
17:07
there versus you know stepping in or you
17:10
know if you're not in Rhythm getting
17:11
like you have like a certain
17:13
communication for them in that regard as
17:15
far as yes you're open but if you're not
17:16
in Rhythm just get to the old yeah well
17:19
you know when a shot is created you know
17:21
an open shot is created I want all of
17:22
our guys to be able to take it I I mean
17:25
I specifically told Ian I was like if I
17:28
had your athletic say I drive all the
17:30
time you know and be able to get to the
17:32
rim you know and I told him me as a
17:36
player I just I wasn't as gifted as he
17:38
was so I couldn't do that that wasn't an
17:40
option for me and so um there's not a
17:43
formula in terms of turn down this shot
17:46
wait two minutes before you take a three
17:50
um and this is for all the players I
17:53
just I want them taking good shots and
17:56
everybody knows what a good shot is a
17:57
good shot is is something that is not
17:59
just what you want it's what the whole
18:01
team wants including the coaches and and
18:03
it's a shot that where the board is
18:05
covered and where we can get offensive
18:07
rebounds where we drastically need to
18:08
improve and so um and it's growth for
18:12
Ian
18:14
uh you know he was on a nice stretch and
18:18
you know now he's at the top of the list
18:20
or near top of the list in terms of
18:22
scouting report and so I told him now
18:24
it's it's it's his time to adjust to how
18:27
they're playing them and and that's the
18:29
growth of a player everyone goes through
18:32
it RJ had to go through it Seth going
18:34
through it everyone has to go through it
18:36
and now Ian is going through it and I
18:38
couldn't think of anyone better to go
18:39
through it with than than Ian thank you
18:42
coach thanks everybody
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