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#UNC coach Hubert Davis press conference ahead of Saturday's game at N.C. State
Jan 10, 2025
#UNC coach Hubert Davis press conference ahead of Saturday's game at N.C. State
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0:00
do all good go ahead good you seem to be
0:04
getting a tighter rotation here lately
0:08
um what what are you uh seeing with the
0:11
matchups and the lineups you're putting
0:13
out there well I don't know what your
0:16
definition of a tighter rotation is I
0:18
mean I have played nine to 10 guys
0:21
pretty much every game and so um And in
0:25
regards to this team
0:27
um whatever gives us the best chance uh
0:31
to win um those are the guys that be out
0:35
there on the floor and so
0:38
um if that's your definition of a
0:41
tighter rotation then I agree with
0:43
you what did you think of Seth play
0:46
there t night 26 minutes he didn't score
0:48
but got all that chance to got there
0:50
just sweat and play and he hadn't done a
0:51
whole lot had practiced a whole lot
0:53
since the the yeah I mean you we talked
0:56
about it you know the last time that he
0:57
had played before SMU was UC La so you
1:00
know it it does take time to get into a
1:03
rhythm uh the best way to get in rhythm
1:06
of playing basketball in a game is
1:09
playing basketball in a game and so he
1:12
had one practice prior to uh to SMU but
1:16
it
1:17
was um it was great having him back out
1:21
there on the floor um he's such a a big
1:24
piece of of our team in terms of what he
1:27
can do on both ends of the floor his
1:30
ability to score three-level score his
1:33
ability to defend he's a bigger stronger
1:36
guard you can guard multiple
1:38
positions and you know he's a junior
1:40
he's an experienced player that has gone
1:43
through and been through a number of
1:44
different situations and um those are
1:48
the type of uh players that you want out
1:50
there on the floor so I'm glad he's back
1:52
I know that you're not big on talking
1:54
about starting lineups or anything like
1:55
that but do you have to have a
1:56
conversation with a guy when he's out
1:58
for a while he was starting become back
2:00
and kind to figure out if he's going to
2:01
come off the bench or start you have to
2:03
have that conversation have you had that
2:04
myself you you you can have that
2:07
conversation again you know I've said
2:09
that what for me as a coach and me as a
2:15
player being in a starting lineup didn't
2:19
mean very much to me at all but that was
2:22
me I know for some people it is I felt
2:26
in regards to the SMU game for the
2:29
amount of time that Seth was out and the
2:31
limited time that he had practiced which
2:33
was a day before SMU I felt it was
2:37
better for him to come off the bench and
2:39
find his rhythm what it would look like
2:41
tomorrow I'm not sure but I I will say
2:44
this Seth is will be on the floor a lot
2:47
because he has earned it and because we
2:49
need it what stands out to you about
2:52
this ncate team they're not the same
2:54
team that you faced back in March had we
2:56
aren't the same team
2:58
either that's true
3:00
um they have eight newcomers have
3:02
newcomers as well but you're facing Don
3:04
CH Styles you know he left the program
3:06
two years ago have You' been in contact
3:08
with him at all um since that period and
3:11
he said he's been close with Jaylen Seth
3:13
and RJ just what are youting I guess
3:16
tomorrow from him and well I mean NC
3:19
State um even though that they do have
3:22
new players um they're very similar in
3:26
terms of their approach um from a
3:29
defensive stand Point they've always uh
3:31
been a team that you know applies
3:35
tremendous pressure on the ball they do
3:37
a fantastic job of getting Steals and
3:39
deflections um after maid basket dead
3:42
ball situations full court after free
3:45
throws uh very
3:47
physical um they do a terrific job of
3:49
scoring in the paint attacking the paint
3:51
getting to the free throw line uh
3:53
versatility and athleticism and so um
3:58
we're expecting that we expected that
4:00
every time that we do play NC State and
4:03
uh we'll expect that tomorrow youber uh
4:05
Jaylen Washington has 18 block shots on
4:08
the season and half of them in the last
4:11
two games um what do you attribute that
4:15
boost to and and the rim protection he's
4:18
given you the last couple games has been
4:20
really key I feel like well I agree with
4:22
you it has been um not only his ability
4:25
to block shots but also to alter shots
4:28
as well and so
4:30
so you know there have been times
4:32
especially at the beginning of the year
4:33
where it was we were giving up too many
4:36
points in the paint you know whether it
4:38
was Michigan State or uh Kansas Auburn
4:41
Auburn yeah and so
4:46
um you know having somebody in the lane
4:50
that can block into alter shots which uh
4:52
jat has been doing over the last couple
4:55
of games has been a huge benefit for us
4:58
defensively and it's something that he
5:00
can do on a consistent basis and I
5:02
expect him to do the remainder of the
5:04
season and it really helps us out on the
5:06
defensive end well like I saying what do
5:07
you attribute the change to I mean it's
5:09
been it's been a big big boost the last
5:12
two games did somebody scream at it like
5:13
what what tall you're right block some
5:17
shots okay
5:19
Coach I mean do you have anything you
5:21
can point to there that that has led to
5:23
the increase no I don't I I don't have
5:26
anything definitive to point towards in
5:29
regards to to why he's blocking and
5:31
altering more
5:32
shots currently now compared to in the
5:35
earlier year but I like it and I want it
5:39
to um continue cber we talk a lot about
5:42
Ian scoring but his rebounding these
5:44
last two games have been high level as
5:46
well what have you seen from him in that
5:48
area of his game well I mean that's
5:50
something that you
5:52
know I you know I've said to the guys a
5:56
lot lately over the last couple of days
5:59
that you know there's some things that I
6:01
have talked to this team since it's come
6:04
together every day and one of them is
6:07
the importance of rebounding just is
6:09
what it is uh on both ends boxing out
6:11
and rebounding and getting to the
6:14
offensive glass and I think Jay wash has
6:17
really
6:19
um done a really good job of stepping
6:22
that part of his game up in terms of the
6:25
importance of getting rebounds the
6:27
important importance of boxing
6:30
out
6:33
um and it is needed I mean it's just
6:37
I've always believe that rebounding is
6:39
the number one determining factor of the
6:41
outcome of a game and it's something
6:43
that at times we have struggled with and
6:48
Jay wash and I think the whole team is
6:50
but Jay wash in particular has really
6:52
grown in that role and he's doing a
6:54
really good job of it I'm I'm proud of
6:56
him Huber uh Ian Jackson kind of laughed
6:59
a little bit when asked if NC State was
7:01
a rival after the game the other night
7:03
do you consider them a rival I consider
7:05
everybody a rival I don't look at
7:08
anybody
7:10
differently
7:12
um when you're competing I'm ready to go
7:16
so it doesn't matter where you're from
7:18
what conference you're in uh my Approach
7:21
and the
7:22
way that I want our team to compete
7:26
isn't different towards one team or one
7:29
pro program compared to another um it's
7:32
one approach and for us to compete at
7:35
the highest level with that real on that
7:38
the games with NC State have had a kind
7:40
of fun character to them though um you
7:42
know with DJ Burns and trick Quon the
7:44
guys going back and forth a little bit
7:46
obviously there was the big ACC
7:47
Championship game last year how would
7:49
you kind of characterize what the games
7:51
with NC State have been like in your
7:53
time here as
7:56
coach the
7:58
same you know they're different than
8:00
other
8:01
games no they're at the highest level so
8:05
whomever we play against it's at the
8:07
highest level it's um one because they
8:11
are deserving of that in terms of our
8:13
preparation and our competitiveness and
8:15
our play but anybody that we play
8:18
deserves that as well and that's always
8:20
been my Approach and that's the way that
8:22
I coach the team I'm sorry T go back to
8:25
Rod's question yeah going going back to
8:29
Ian offensive rebounding and his recent
8:31
aggression and putting up those numbers
8:33
what have you noticed from him uh in
8:35
practice and games with that uptick in
8:38
production yeah I mean it was needed you
8:41
know having somebody else that can score
8:43
the basketball and it's it comes really
8:45
easy for him I mean just his ability his
8:48
quickness his size his
8:50
athleticism um shooting the ball from
8:53
three mid-range getting to the basket I
8:56
also think he's doing a really good job
8:58
of attacking the basket and getting
8:59
fouled and getting to the free throw
9:01
line and so that helps out RJ out there
9:03
on the floor having another score and so
9:08
um he's in a really nice Rhythm right
9:11
now but that's something that he's
9:12
always been gifted to do is be able to
9:15
score where I've seen him grow the most
9:18
is um his leadership his um his talking
9:23
his
9:24
defense um just playing with tremendous
9:28
energy um and enthusiasm and um he's
9:32
playing at a really high level right now
9:34
for you guys the the night U 50% from
9:37
the three-point line I know you know
9:38
someone like a drake had it going RJ had
9:40
it going things like that I guess when
9:42
you look back at uh you know that film
9:45
you know from that game do you feel like
9:46
you guys got gu better looks on this
9:48
time around compared to previous games
9:51
no I just think we made
9:54
them I I thought we got some good looks
9:57
but I thought
10:00
I thought we made him and that's
10:02
something we
10:06
offensively I I want to dominate points
10:09
in the paint through post of penetration
10:10
I want to live in the paint and I want
10:12
to live at the free throw line I say
10:13
that to the team every
10:16
day but we also want to be efficient and
10:19
shoot good threes and we want to make
10:21
them and I felt like in SMU we made him
10:23
and we shot him and we made him I guess
10:25
when it comes to you know when it comes
10:27
to that when it comes to the three-point
10:28
shooting you know occasionally you know
10:30
teams will you know kind of goes on and
10:32
things like that I guess how you know
10:34
the other night you know how did you see
10:36
that you know the the efficiency from
10:37
three kind of open things up for you
10:39
guys you know that helped that really
10:41
helped you know with the SMU coming out
10:43
in a Zone it was you know it was a 23
10:46
131 matchup Zone it kind of morphed into
10:49
a man and um I really think um our
10:53
ability uh to make threes especially
10:56
with Drake pulled them out of that
10:59
and made them go man and so that that's
11:03
going to be huge for us whether it's a
11:04
man or a Zone our ability to be able to
11:07
shoot the ball from the outside gives us
11:09
spacing everyone talks about spacing you
11:11
can put you know guy in both corners and
11:14
spread them
11:16
out Defenders are still going to be in
11:18
the lane if you can't shoot and so our
11:20
ability to be able to shoot the
11:21
basketball consistently will open those
11:24
Lanes uh more for us so that we can
11:27
attack the basket through post and
11:29
penetration and that's exactly what we
11:31
want hbert against SMU Elliot picked up
11:34
those two fouls in the first few minutes
11:36
have you talked to him about maybe yes
11:38
just kind of reeling it
11:40
in it is I mean he's just a you know
11:43
obviously he's a huge piece uh for us as
11:46
a team and uh recently and at times
11:49
throughout the year he's got in early
11:51
foul trouble
11:54
and that's not good for us we are a
11:57
better basketball team when is not in
11:59
foul trouble and he's out there on the
12:01
floor and so we've had a number of
12:04
conversations um about him continuing to
12:06
be aggressive on the defensive end but
12:08
not put himself in a position where he's
12:11
fouling and that's going to be huge for
12:13
us against NC State because with their
12:17
pressure one of the things that has
12:19
allowed us to have some success against
12:22
them is having multiple ball handlers
12:24
out there and so having Elliott and Seth
12:27
and RJ out there is a huge benefit for
12:29
us and being able to handle their
12:31
pressure uh tomorrow Shelby and then
12:35
just on the not I mean you talk about
12:36
just the growth of Ian in terms of his
12:39
leadership what does that look like for
12:41
a guy like him because obviously some
12:43
guys are more by example summer hey I'm
12:45
going to PL hudle and talk to them what
12:47
does that look like for him I think it
12:49
it it's different for um every player
12:53
one of the things that I encourage them
12:54
is to be leaders within their own
12:56
personality there isn't a blueprint on
12:58
the way that you need to be a leader but
13:01
I want them to be able to lead with
13:02
their own
13:04
personality um Ian's personality is out
13:07
there he has an unbelievable smile he's
13:10
charismatic and I want him to be able to
13:13
lead in that way um when I played those
13:18
roles
13:20
were probably um for the older guys for
13:25
the juniors or
13:27
seniors I I've encouraged everyone to be
13:30
a leader because I think things are
13:31
different you know there's with guys
13:34
going to the NBA the transfer portal um
13:38
there's a lot of times where guys are
13:40
only here one year and so I think it's
13:43
important in order to be the best team
13:46
possible you have to have leaders out
13:47
there on the floor and Ian has always
13:50
been that and even though he's a
13:52
freshman I've encouraged him every day
13:55
to be that type of leader and every day
13:57
I feel like he's growing more
13:58
comfortable in that role just follow up
14:01
if I may um one of the things you just
14:03
talked about just kind of in the player
14:05
breakouts with Drake is he said you know
14:07
I feel like I kind of want to start to
14:09
talk more use my voice more that' be
14:10
great okay that'd be great well you know
14:13
what I he's a little quieter no he is
14:16
quieter but I was really quiet as a
14:19
freshman
14:21
too
14:22
and maybe sometimes for me
14:29
because they start and play so many
14:33
minutes I want
14:36
them to be
14:39
louder because there you know as a
14:41
freshman I hardly even played there
14:43
wasn't really you know having seniors
14:46
like Steve Bucknell and Jeff Libo there
14:49
wasn't a need for me to have a voice and
14:51
so Drake is quiet but um his voice
14:57
is becoming Lou louder in practice in
15:00
huddles during the games I love it um
15:05
but he is a freshman
15:08
and I couldn't think of to be able to
15:11
coach anyone better than Drake he's such
15:14
a joy to coach and um you could see how
15:17
comfortable he's becoming more and more
15:19
every practice and every game at being
15:21
vocal time for a couple more H
15:24
because no go ahead um Drake had um I
15:27
believe 14 in the first three in the
15:29
second half of SMU but still played a
15:31
very well-rounded game do you think your
15:33
players are just picking their moments
15:35
better and playing more as a team not
15:37
trying to do too
15:38
much I don't know about picking their
15:40
moments
15:44
um in regards to Drake you know and for
15:48
everyone I want everybody to be
15:49
aggressive out there on the floor um I
15:52
want them um to be basketball players I
15:54
always say that my job as a coach is to
15:56
put them in spots and then take a step
15:58
back you use your gifts and talents that
16:00
Jesus has giv you out there on the floor
16:02
to be able to play a game that you love
16:04
and um I like how aggressive Drake has
16:07
been over the last couple of games in
16:09
regards to not just shooting threes but
16:11
attacking the basket getting out in
16:13
transition going to the offensive glass
16:15
and so that's a huge benefit for us and
16:18
you know in combination with Drake's
16:20
ability defensively being able to guard
16:22
multiple positions because of his length
16:24
and
16:26
athleticism um it's been a huge key for
16:28
us and you can see the growth in him the
16:31
growth in all the freshmen and just the
16:33
growth in our team in terms of finding
16:35
their role and being a star within their
16:37
own role H thank you Hubert because you
16:40
all because you all last year went
16:42
through the process when you played
16:44
Virginia Tech and you saw Tyler nickel
16:46
again of planning for him scouting
16:49
against him seeing him in the game and
16:51
then seeing him afterward does that make
16:55
planning forward and seeing Don trees
16:56
again any less weird to you personally
17:00
is it strange like that's not strange to
17:02
me at all and does that does having been
17:05
through it last year I'm saying does it
17:08
I don't know smooth the process out for
17:10
you this time around I don't there is no
17:13
process my Outlook and my preparation is
17:16
for NC State and and our preparation of
17:19
playing a really good team on their home
17:21
floor tomorrow at 4:
17:25
um maybe my perspective is because I
17:27
played 12 years the NBA and I was traded
17:30
three times and I've seen former players
17:33
and former coaches and I have great
17:35
relationships with all my coaches and
17:37
players that I played with I don't mean
17:39
to say the relationship's not great I'm
17:41
just saying like he turned the film on
17:42
and there he is you know I mean
17:45
like
17:48
yeah all right
17:50
last last
17:52
one he had that stretch four straight
17:54
games 23 or more points he was very
17:56
excited to have that record the first
17:58
you would freshman do that then the
18:00
other night he didn't score till a
18:02
minute and a half left in the first half
18:03
he only taken four shots but he had five
18:05
rebounds in the steal is that a sign of
18:07
maturity a guy learning to lose himself
18:09
in the game with everything more that's
18:11
coming along with him well I think with
18:14
Ian we've had
18:16
conversations
18:17
about he's not just a scorer there's so
18:20
many other ways out there in the game
18:22
that he can be impactful i' I think he
18:25
can be an elite Defender I think he can
18:27
be an elite distributor because he has
18:29
the ability in a one-on-one situation to
18:32
create a shot anytime he wants to not
18:34
only for himself or for his teammates
18:37
the
18:37
rebounding especially over the last
18:39
couple of games he has stepped it up and
18:42
he's done a really nice job on the
18:44
defensive boards getting um getting in
18:47
the lane and and helping us rebound the
18:49
basketball and um he sees the benefit of
18:53
it not only for himself but how it helps
18:55
out the team and you're right that
18:58
that's a sign of growth um in Ian and
19:01
it's something that uh he'll continue to
19:03
do the remainder of the Season thank you
19:05
everybody
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