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#UNC coach Hubert Davis press conference ahead of Tuesday's game at Kentucky
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0:00
So, if you were just going back, you've
0:01
had a couple days obviously to digest
0:02
Michigan State. When you watch the
0:04
takeback, were there any other takeaways
0:05
that stood out to you as compared to the
0:07
immediate aftermath?
0:08
Yeah, you know, just uh from an
0:10
offensive standpoint, just um and and
0:13
stuff that we talked about heading into
0:15
the game and and just moving forward,
0:17
just our execution has to be better. I
0:19
mean, obviously, we took care of the
0:20
basketball. We only had eight turnovers,
0:22
but just the execution part uh in
0:25
regards to, you know, setting silent
0:27
legal screens, um getting to the
0:29
offensive glass, um those little things
0:33
that make big things happen and and
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then, you know, from a defensive
0:36
standpoint, you know, just boxing out.
0:39
Um, you know, we I've been
0:42
straightforward about how important
0:43
rebounding is and you know, Michigan
0:45
State um got an offensive rebound off
0:48
their misses 41% of the time and so shot
0:51
51%. They got 46 points in the paint and
0:54
so um those are things that are that
0:58
aren't good and um for us to be
1:02
successful those are things that we have
1:04
to do well and we have to do well
1:06
consistently. I guess just like
1:08
following up on that um because
1:09
obviously again rebounding is something
1:11
that you um emphasize. I saw you
1:13
specifically in the Michigan State game
1:15
like like we you know all have to crash,
1:17
we all have to rebound. Um how much of
1:19
that is just really simple like kind of
1:22
keeping in the back of your mind then
1:24
versus maybe with like switches and kind
1:26
of the rotational things that can go on
1:28
there if that makes sense.
1:29
Yeah. No, it makes sense. I mean, it's
1:30
just, you know, we don't think about
1:32
breathing and, you know, when we're
1:34
hungry and going to get something to
1:36
eat, like it it shouldn't be something
1:39
that we have to write down on the things
1:41
to-do list to box out. It should just be
1:43
instinctive. We've
1:47
I don't know how many practices we've
1:49
had. I I know we talk about it every day
1:52
and on and on off days. So, um it's just
1:56
something that um um consistently as a
2:01
group we've got to do a better job of do
2:04
a better job of making contact first,
2:07
doing a better job of uh maybe not
2:10
leaking out in transition
2:13
and securing the ball first before we we
2:16
get off to the offensive end. Hubert,
2:18
when you first got here as an assistant,
2:21
Carolina, Kentucky had sort of a
2:22
semianual home and home where you guys
2:24
were playing in Chapel Hill and then in
2:25
Lexington, but this is the first time
2:27
you guys will have played on a campus
2:28
site since 20 the 20145 season.
2:31
Yes.
2:32
Is that sort of a series that you would
2:33
like to see brought back that home and
2:35
home arrangement that you had with them?
2:37
Yeah, I mean it's obviously it's um you
2:40
know
2:42
just like you know the last couple years
2:44
playing Kansas home and home you know
2:46
you have two historic programs and to be
2:49
able to play each other on each other's
2:51
campuses is is really special and you
2:54
mentioned the last time 2014 that we
2:57
played in Lexington but it was a home
2:59
and home series. Um, I think at that
3:03
time us in Kentucky weren't involved in
3:07
a Champions Classic and so it feels like
3:11
we match up against them every year
3:13
whether it's on a neutral site but you
3:16
know obviously playing them there and
3:18
and when they come to Chapel Hill is
3:20
something special and something that um
3:24
I like and and our players like to
3:26
compete against. What did you learn
3:27
about the physical play inside you saw
3:29
Thursday that you may be able to apply
3:31
against a guy like Marino on Tuesday
3:33
night?
3:34
Well, it's just it, you know, it is what
3:36
it is in regards to, you know, winning
3:40
the battle in the trenches. You know,
3:42
I've talked to the guys at great length,
3:44
you know, you know, making a reference
3:46
in regards to football. You know, you
3:48
can have the best quarterback, the
3:51
receivers, the running backs, but all
3:53
that is it's it's all done in the
3:55
trenches. it's it's done on the
3:57
offensive defensive line. And so for
3:59
basketball, you know, from an offensive
4:01
standpoint, it's taking care of the
4:03
basketball. It's uh dominating points in
4:07
the paint. It's uh defensively, it's
4:10
boxing out, it's protecting the paint.
4:13
Those are all the things when the ball
4:15
goes up in the air and it goes on the
4:17
ground, it can't be 50/50 loose balls.
4:19
It's got to be all UNCC. Hubert, uh, the
4:22
other day after the Michigan State game,
4:24
we talked to Tom Mizo first and he was
4:26
talking about, uh, you know, Caleb
4:28
Wilson and how they wanted, you know,
4:29
send extra attention to him, always
4:30
keeping eyes on him, things like that.
4:32
Caleb was talking about the adjustments
4:34
of having that extra defensive attention
4:36
on him. I guess for him, what has been,
4:39
how have you kind of seen him adjust to,
4:41
I guess, the extra double teams and the
4:43
clogged paints and everything like that
4:44
as well?
4:45
Yeah, I mean, it's definitely has
4:46
changed throughout um, each game. you
4:49
know, uh, the first time that he was,
4:51
uh, doubled was against St. Bonaventure
4:54
and then obviously Michigan State was
4:56
loaded towards him when he was trying to
4:58
attack the basket. He was still able to
5:00
get there pretty much as well. And so,
5:02
um, Caleb adjusting in that and
5:04
understanding uh, the opportunities for
5:07
him to score, but also to get two on the
5:09
ball and be able to facilitate and hit
5:11
open teammates. And the great thing
5:13
about Caleb is, yeah, he can score, but
5:16
he's also a gifted passer and a willing
5:18
passer as well. So that that that that's
5:21
good for us.
5:22
Do you think he's forcing more shots
5:23
here the last couple games?
5:25
No, I don't think so. I I Caleb is uh
5:28
he's a competitor. He wants to win. He
5:31
wants his team to be successful and um
5:34
on both ends of the floor. He'll do
5:36
whatever he needs to do to put us in a
5:38
position to be successful. Um um that
5:42
word is nowhere near Caleb in any form
5:45
or fashion. Hubert, what impresses you
5:48
most about Kentucky, this particular
5:50
Kentucky team?
5:51
Yeah, I mean, you know, they they can
5:53
they can they can really shoot. I mean,
5:55
they just, you know, they've got guys
5:56
that deep range uh um can really shoot
6:00
the basketball and but but these guys
6:04
can also put the ball on the floor. They
6:05
can penetrate and get to the basket. Uh
6:08
very versatile on the offensive end. Um
6:11
they're basketball players. They they
6:13
can pass, they can penetrate, they can
6:15
shoot. Defensively, they've got the
6:17
versatility to switch a number of
6:19
different uh rotations and then they
6:21
have, you know, u bigs that can block
6:23
and alter shots. And so, it'll be a
6:26
challenge for us, but we're excited
6:27
about the challenge tomorrow night.
6:29
I guess going back to the overview, um I
6:31
think it was a little over eight minutes
6:34
that you guys went without with the
6:36
exception of Caleb. Anybody else?
6:37
First half, second half
6:38
um in the second half of the Michigan
6:40
State game. Sorry. Yeah.
6:41
Um, and then I think last like four or
6:43
15 were held scoreless from the field. I
6:46
know after the game you talked about
6:47
kind of some of the struggles against
6:49
like Michigan State set defense, maybe
6:51
not switching sides with the ball, but
6:53
like now that you've had time to go over
6:54
the film, what I guess stood out about
6:56
that last stretch in Michigan?
6:58
Yeah, I would, you know, I I would I
7:01
would even broaden that to to just
7:06
certain stretches in both halves and
7:08
it's not just a Michigan State game. I
7:10
would say uh the Radford game, the Navy
7:13
game, you know, there there are
7:14
stretches in the first half where I felt
7:17
like we had a seven-point lead and then
7:18
it went on a 130 run. Same thing uh you
7:22
know, you mentioned with 8 minutes ago,
7:24
a little bit under 8 minutes ago was a
7:26
three-point game. They went on a 218 run
7:28
to end the game. And so like what is
7:30
contributing to that? And so that goes
7:33
back to both ends. It's not just from an
7:35
offensive standpoint, obviously taking
7:37
care of the basketball, taking good
7:38
shots, executing, getting to the
7:41
offensive glass, but it's also
7:43
defensively. It's uh protecting the
7:45
paint. It's it's, you know, it's boxing
7:48
out. And so those are the things that we
7:51
have to grow and do a better job of is
7:54
consistently not having those three to
7:56
four minute stretches in either half
7:59
that either um take away a lead that we
8:03
have or puts us in a hole where we can't
8:05
get back.
8:07
Hang on. Coach has a hard stop at 215.
8:09
So make sure you got to get it in. Get
8:11
it in. So Bren,
8:12
I was just going to say Huber's been a
8:13
couple of weeks since had the injury. I
8:14
know he's still in the process of
8:16
recovering now. Do you have any sense of
8:18
a better idea of when you might be able
8:19
to get it back or get back in practice
8:21
or sort of where he is in the recovery?
8:22
Yeah, I don't have a definitive um you
8:25
know answer, you know, in regards to
8:27
when he's going to come back, but it's
8:29
progressing fast and and and really
8:32
well. Um he's shooting, he's dribbling,
8:35
um he's conditioning, and so um it's in
8:39
a really good spot, and I'm looking
8:40
forward to when he can get back out
8:42
there on the floor.
8:43
How do you think your team's responding
8:45
to the early season loss? maybe both
8:47
emotionally and even in practice and is
8:49
it kind of an advantage to go into
8:51
another big game right after this um
8:53
this early in the season kind of shake
8:54
it off?
8:56
Well, I
8:59
I mean irregardless, you know, all of us
9:02
don't want to lose. And so, you know,
9:04
one of the things that I always talk to
9:05
him about is how you react and how you
9:07
respond. And so, we've had a couple good
9:09
days of practice. We've got one more
9:10
today in preparation for Kentucky.
9:13
either, you know, whether we were
9:14
playing Kentucky or whomever, you know,
9:16
you always want to get back out on the
9:18
court, you want to compete. Um, but, um,
9:21
how can we learn not just from I I think
9:24
you can learn just as much from a win
9:26
than you can from a loss. And so for us
9:28
just to continue to grow and get better
9:31
on both ends of the floor, more
9:32
consistent. I think that's the most
9:34
important thing. And at the end of the
9:35
day, the results will take care of
9:36
itself.
9:37
Hubert, how do you approach the the two
9:39
foul situations in the first half? Is it
9:41
situational? Is it
9:43
up and down? Up and down. It's on a
9:46
daily basis. Sometimes I'm like, "No,
9:48
let's keep him in there." Then he gets
9:49
the third foul and then that's not a
9:51
good decision. And sometimes
9:53
I take him out and, you know, it's a
9:57
good no, that's a bad decision. And it's
9:59
really a, you know, a trust and a feel
10:02
um situational
10:04
um for the for the game that we're in,
10:07
the like the score, um um how the team
10:11
is playing while somebody is on the
10:13
bench, all those type of factors or
10:16
things that are running through my head.
10:18
Um, but it is important because,
10:24
you know, you don't want Caleb and and
10:27
Henry getting into foul trouble. It's
10:29
just you wanted them out there on the
10:31
floor. And so, you're trying to uh find
10:34
ways to keep him out there on the floor,
10:37
but not put you in a situation where he
10:38
has his third foul headed into the
10:40
second half.
10:41
Where are you on the backup side right
10:43
now? Zaden was the first guy off the
10:45
bench for every game until Michigan
10:46
State and then Brown came off the bench
10:49
first. Um what's the dynamic there? Are
10:52
there other options for the backup time?
10:54
Yeah, I mean there's nothing to read
10:56
into who I called off the bench first u
11:00
irregardless if it was Zaden or JB.
11:03
There's times where Caleb has played the
11:05
five. Um so um one of the things that I
11:08
think is really good for us is the
11:10
versatility that we have. We can put a
11:12
number of different lineups up there and
11:14
we have the size and athleticism to be
11:17
able to do that.
11:18
I wanted to ask about Kayen. Obviously,
11:20
he's had some games where maybe he's
11:22
knocking down the long shot and that,
11:24
you know, kind of gets him going
11:25
offensively, other games, you know, not
11:27
quite as there for him. Is it a matter
11:28
of, you know, the looks he's getting or
11:30
is it just one of those things where
11:32
kind of a player just needs to kind of
11:33
shoot himself in the kind of figure out?
11:35
Yeah, one of the things that I've, you
11:37
know, I expect and I've talked with him
11:38
about is not just his shooting. You
11:40
know, I Kenne is so beneficial to us on
11:44
both ends of the floor, but from an
11:45
offensive standpoint, you know, he's our
11:47
guy in terms of a distributor. He's our
11:49
best and, you know, in transition
11:51
pitching the ball ahead. I love when he
11:54
gets into the lane, draws two, plays off
11:56
two feet, and is able to find, you know,
11:58
teammates and, um, those are the things
12:01
and get us organized so that we can
12:03
execute. So, those are things. It's not
12:05
just the shot. And one of the things
12:07
that I have encouraged them about and I
12:10
gave them an example for myself is you
12:13
know when I played I one of the things
12:15
the only stat that I ever looked at was
12:17
I never wanted to shoot over 50% of my
12:20
shots from three. I just wanted to get a
12:22
layup a floater get to the free throw
12:24
line. I don't care how good a shooter
12:26
you are. I think it's just that's very
12:28
difficult just to stay from three-point
12:31
range. And so Ken has ability to be able
12:33
to score in a number of different areas
12:35
inside the ark. And so just encourage
12:38
him um to use those things in his bag
12:41
and and not just stay out there from
12:42
three-point range.
12:43
Last one real quick.
12:44
Yeah. I'm curious going back to what
12:46
Jeremiah said. Um ISO shared after the
12:48
game just pulled up the quote, but the
12:50
idea that it might take to the middle of
12:52
December to see what some teams really
12:53
have just with all the transfers.
12:55
Obviously you guys have a not a lot of
12:56
new guys. Um, are you do you feel like
12:59
you're still kind of figuring out some
13:00
some things about the team? And if so,
13:01
what do you still feel?
13:03
Yeah, I mean, I think you're always
13:04
trying to figure out the team, you know,
13:06
throughout the entire year, but I I I
13:08
think for us, maybe even a little bit
13:11
more, you know, um, you know, Luca um,
13:15
didn't play in the first exhibition
13:16
games and so that was a team. then he
13:20
was eligible
13:37
whether it's December or today um you
13:40
know we're just always trying to get
13:42
better trying to grow and I just want
13:45
each one of these players to play at
13:47
their best.
13:47
Coach, thank you. Thanks.
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