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#UNC coach Hubert Davis, along with RJ Davis and Seth Trimble at press conference after blowout win.
Mar 19, 2025
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0:05
As the media comes in and we get ready
0:08
to talk to the North Carolina Tar Hills,
0:10
just a reminder to please silence your
0:11
cell phones. Also provide your name and
0:14
media affiliation for every question
0:17
that you ask. And uh if you're joining
0:20
us on Zoom, you can use the hand
0:21
feature. We'll try to get you. And uh
0:24
recording the press conferences on cell
0:26
phones or cameras is prohibited. Thank
0:41
you. Very excited to to welcome to the
0:44
stage RJ Davis who had 26 points to lead
0:48
the Tarheelss here tonight. Was a
0:50
perfect six for six from three. Just the
0:53
second player ever in Carolina history
0:55
to do that in a game. and Jason Cable
0:58
being the first in 2001. And Seth
1:00
Trimble also up here in 16 points as
1:06
North Carolina wins
1:07
95-68. Hubert Davis also joining us,
1:10
head coach at North Carolina. We will
1:13
start with our student athletes. We'll
1:14
get right into it. Uh questions for R.J.
1:18
and Seth. A second row.
1:22
R.J. and Seth. Uh Michael Co. WCHL
1:24
chapel.com. San Diego State came into
1:26
this game, they hadn't allowed more than
1:28
80 points in a game all season. Tonight,
1:30
you guys scored 95. What was working for
1:32
you guys so well on offense?
1:35
I think we did a good job of of sticking
1:37
to our game plan and um playing Carolina
1:39
basketball. We got out in transition. Um
1:41
we shared the ball and uh that's what
1:43
got us going. Um we shared the wealth
1:45
around the ball. Everyone contributed in
1:47
so many ways and I just think our
1:48
defense really set the tone for the
1:50
remainder of the game. the way we was
1:51
able to um get into passing lanes, you
1:53
know, help guys were there uh and
1:55
defensive rebounding was key key for us.
1:57
So that allowed us to get easier looks.
1:59
Um Elliot was phenomenal today. He had
2:01
12 assists and he was able to find guys
2:03
with pitch aheads. Um Seth was amazing
2:05
at attacking the rim. So that's just
2:07
like little plays like that allowed us
2:09
to go into a run.
2:12
Other questions for our student
2:13
athletes? We'll go to the end third row.
2:16
Marcus Hartman, Dayton Daily News. What
2:17
did you guys think of the crowd and the
2:19
atmosphere here tonight? It looked like
2:20
you you had some friendly faces out
2:22
there. How did that help you? The
2:24
atmosphere was amazing. Uh North
2:26
Carolina fan base, the family, they
2:27
always come through no matter where we
2:29
go. Uh so we we kind of know when it
2:31
comes to March. We feel like we always
2:34
have a homec court advantage no matter
2:35
where we're at. So I mean they're
2:36
amazing. They're always our sixman. They
2:38
give us the extra boost. So we'll need
2:40
the same thing in Milwaukee from him.
2:42
Let's go to the fourth row on the aisle.
2:44
Michael Preston instead.com. It has been
2:47
a very noisy last three or four days. Do
2:50
you guys think you sent a unmistakable
2:53
message tonight about North Carolina
2:55
deserving to be here? Seth, we know we
2:58
deserve to be here. Uh we're not looking
3:00
to send a message to anybody else. We're
3:02
just looking to compete as a team and be
3:05
the team that we're we know that we're
3:06
capable of being. And I think we did
3:08
that tonight. We won't do that when we
3:09
get to Milwaukee and uh and go from
3:11
there. But I mean, we hear what people
3:13
say. We don't really care about it. Is
3:15
what it is. We're focused on us. RJ,
3:18
yeah, I mean, I think just to pick up
3:20
what what Seth said, I think one thing
3:22
about us, like, yes, we hear the noise,
3:24
but we don't really pay attention to it.
3:26
Um, we stay within ourselves. And, uh, I
3:28
think coach Davis, he sets a good
3:30
example of, you know, for us, in order
3:32
to, you know, play at this level, you
3:34
have to, he always uses reference, you
3:35
know, put on, you know, horse, horses
3:37
have blinders when they're going to
3:38
races. And, um, that's to, you know,
3:41
avoid any distraction that doesn't allow
3:43
them to be their best in the race. So, I
3:46
think that reference, you know, sits
3:47
well with the team. Um, we're just, you
3:49
know, focused on what we have to do. Um,
3:51
not really paying too much attention to
3:53
what's being said about us and whatnot.
3:54
Um, just our preparation lead up to the
3:56
games. Second row on the end. Adam
4:00
Renberg with ESPN. Just following up on
4:01
that question. What have the last few
4:03
days just been like? You know, not
4:04
knowing if you're going to make it, you
4:06
make it. Get in late here. You said all
4:08
the noise that you're hearing but trying
4:10
to block out and then obviously playing
4:11
as well as you played. What's that
4:13
experience just like to go through the
4:15
last couple of days both you guys? RJ, I
4:17
it's a whirlwind of emotions. Uh you
4:19
know, especially leading up to the
4:20
selection. So, um we're watching as a
4:23
team in the lounge and we don't know
4:25
where we're going to land at as a team.
4:27
Um just praying that we hopefully, you
4:29
know, we're just in the playin and
4:30
whatnot. And then obviously just getting
4:32
here just a lot of traveling and um it's
4:35
a quick turnaround from you know,
4:37
Saturday, Sunday all the way up to
4:38
Tuesday. So, uh, but I think one thing
4:41
about the team, we're all grateful for
4:42
the opportunity. Yes. Um, there's a lot
4:45
of emotions on the Sunday. Um, and then
4:47
just traveling, getting here, and, uh,
4:49
but I think at the same time, we were
4:51
ready, um, mentally and physically. So,
4:53
uh, it was a quick turnaround, but, uh,
4:56
we were ready and I think we showed that
4:58
tonight. Seth, uh, kind of going off
5:00
what RJ said, just a lot of
5:01
anticipation, especially from, you know,
5:04
Friday night after Duke to, uh, Sunday
5:07
around 6:00. Uh, we just had no idea,
5:11
but we knew we had to have the mindset
5:12
of, you know, staying ready and, uh,
5:14
being in the moment and just thinking
5:16
we're in the tournament cuz, you know,
5:18
you sit around waiting, doing nothing,
5:20
come tournament time, you're going to
5:22
fall behind. So, uh, Coach Davis and the
5:24
rest of the coaching staff, they did a
5:26
great job of just ensuring and allowing
5:29
us to stay ready. Uh, and we just had to
5:31
fight through the anticipation, but I
5:32
mean, once we found out that we were in,
5:34
it it was go time. Simple as that. Let's
5:37
go to the back row. Mark Ziggler, Sanio
5:39
Union Tribune. Um, San Diego State
5:41
ranked number one in the nation in
5:43
defensive field goal percentage, 37.8%
5:45
coming in the game, 13th overall. And
5:47
Ken Palm defense efficiency. Were you
5:49
surprised they did not put up more
5:51
resistance tonight against you?
5:54
I mean,
5:56
yeah.
5:58
I mean, we know who we are on the
6:00
offensive end. Uh, we know what we're
6:01
capable of. This doesn't surprise me.
6:04
You know what we did tonight, man. This
6:06
is what I expect every single night. So,
6:10
one more question for us today, please.
6:14
No. Uh, Seth R.J., congratulations. Uh,
6:18
best of luck and safe travels to
6:20
Milwaukee.
6:21
It was fun watching you tonight. Thank
6:22
you, sir.
6:25
All right. Now, we'll open up the floor
6:28
uh for head coach and and Hubert Davis.
6:30
Let's go to the front row uh in the
6:33
middle.
6:35
Okay.
6:37
Hey, Hubert. Uh Caroline with the Daily
6:39
Tarill. I just want you to take me
6:42
through what the very brief practices
6:44
you've been able to have with the team.
6:46
what was just your advice to them and
6:48
what were the things you really wanted
6:49
to hammer down before playing today?
6:51
Yeah, I mean we did have um you know we
6:53
practiced on Sunday and then we got here
6:56
we were supposed to um have a earlier
6:59
practice uh before we came for the open
7:02
practice here and because of flight um
7:05
delays. This was the only practice that
7:07
we had but it was a really good 40minute
7:10
practice and look we've had 98 practices
7:14
in 35 games. We knew what we needed to
7:16
do. We knew what we were up against um
7:20
against San Diego State and what an
7:22
outstanding team, defensive team that
7:25
they were and um just the type of a
7:27
competitive fight that we needed to
7:29
bring tonight.
7:30
Let's go across the aisle second row.
7:34
Hubert Michael Cochl chapro.com. You
7:37
mentioned last week about how proud you
7:40
were of your team, dealing with all the
7:42
questions about if they will make the
7:43
NCAA tournament throughout the past
7:45
month and a half or so. Now that those
7:47
questions are out the window and you
7:49
guys are in, do you feel like you guys
7:50
have played looser free of that weight
7:54
uh tonight? No, I I I don't think it was
7:56
a weight on us to try to get into the
8:00
NCAA tournament. My communication with
8:02
them is to always focus on us. it's not
8:05
the noise on the outside um in terms of
8:08
comments and uh critics and um focusing
8:13
on on our preparation, our practice and
8:17
our play. And I just I I I consistently
8:20
send that message in a number of
8:22
different ways because that's the only
8:23
thing that we have control over that.
8:26
And so why waste time doing anything
8:28
else? And this
8:31
group has been one of the best at
8:35
staying connected and staying the
8:38
course
8:39
through windy and turbulent times and
8:44
also, you know, clear sky um days as
8:48
well. And um it doesn't surprise me that
8:52
they played one of their better games
8:53
today. Um it's been a real focus group
8:56
and
9:02
um you can just over the last two months
9:06
is just
9:09
um their commitment to team is just
9:11
continuing to grow. Um, I talked earlier
9:13
in the year about um how quiet this team
9:17
was and and the voices
9:19
um the volume of the voices is exactly
9:23
where it needs to be whether it's in the
9:24
huddle, on the bus, on the floor. Um
9:28
just a real connected group right now.
9:30
First row in the middle. Um hi Huber. Um
9:33
Emma Moon with the Daily Tarill. I mean,
9:35
just watching R.J. for the last 5 years,
9:38
what does it mean to see him perform
9:39
like this tonight in his um last run in
9:42
the NCAA tournament? Yeah, it's not
9:44
surprising and it's also comforting as a
9:46
head coach to have him out there on the
9:49
floor. Um as a head coach, I don't know
9:52
what it looks like to exist without him
9:55
on the sideline and on the floor, and I
9:57
don't want to think about it.
9:58
Um, and you think about uh not just his
10:02
game, but his character, who he is, the
10:05
type of person, the relationship that we
10:06
have and developed over the years, and
10:10
um to see him just have an outstanding
10:13
game tonight was was really fun to
10:15
watch. First roll on the end, Adam Smith
10:19
with Inside Carolina. Hey, what's up,
10:20
Adam? Um, just wanted to ask, do you
10:23
feel like, can you put your finger on
10:26
maybe the fact that it looks like this
10:27
team's confidence is continuing to grow
10:30
even at this time of the year, even
10:32
through like those heartbreaking losses
10:34
to Duke in the last 10, 12 games? It
10:36
seems like this group is like the
10:38
confidence continues to go up. It does.
10:40
You know, you asked me that question
10:43
after we lost to Duke at home and you
10:46
said you had a six-game win
10:50
streak. Are you could you asked if I was
10:53
concerned if we would be able to
10:56
continue that momentum? And I and I said
11:00
I said no. I said I I I just feel like
11:02
this group is getting better
11:03
irregardless of the outcome. I feel like
11:05
we're getting better and I feel like our
11:07
confidence is growing and it did during
11:10
the ACC tournament and then after having
11:13
a tough loss to Duke, it it just
11:16
continues to grow. I we're getting
11:19
better and over the last month and a
11:21
half, two months, we've we've just
11:23
gotten better and better and
11:26
um it's coming at the right time.
11:29
Just a couple more co questions for
11:31
coach. Uh let's go to the third row on
11:34
the end.
11:36
Hubert Adam Renberg with ESPN. North
11:38
Carolina is a hard place to do something
11:40
for the first time given the program
11:41
history. You guys had a few of those
11:43
milestones tonight. What do you think
11:45
that means for for this game and then
11:48
obviously going forward whether it was
11:49
RJ's threes or the total number of
11:51
threes that you guys hit as a team?
11:53
Yeah, I you know I I know that we hit
11:55
you know a record number of threes here,
11:57
but
11:59
um you know made shots come and go. I I
12:02
think the thing that I was most proud of
12:05
is you know we started the game and had
12:07
six quick turnovers and then for the
12:11
rest of the game we only had five. And
12:14
you know, San Diego State is excellent
12:16
at getting steals and deflections, and
12:18
we did a really good job at taking care
12:20
of the basketball. And I thought our
12:21
defense was real, especially in the
12:23
first half. We did a great job of
12:25
protecting the paint, defending without
12:27
fouling, and finishing every possession
12:29
with a box out and rebound. That allowed
12:31
us to get out in transition. And all
12:33
year, transition's been our number one
12:35
way to score. And so, we did a number of
12:37
good things defensively to be able to
12:40
put us in position to score on the
12:42
offensive end. And it just helps that
12:44
you took care of the basketball. Second
12:46
row, Marcus. Marcus Hartman, Dayton
12:48
Daily News. After all the hustle to get
12:50
here and everything you had to go
12:51
through, just what did you feel about
12:52
the the setting and the crowd and and
12:54
everything that was kind of went in
12:56
tonight? No, this is my first time to
12:58
Dayton and obviously I've seen the first
13:02
four and over a number of years with the
13:04
NCAA tournament and um it it
13:09
really, you know, the the atmosphere
13:13
um everyone here from the hotels to the
13:16
buses to the people working here at this
13:18
facility have been so kind and nice and
13:22
um it's just been a great experience for
13:24
all of us.
13:26
Um, we have 15 guys on the team and
13:28
eight of them this is their first time
13:30
going to the NCAA tournament and I
13:33
couldn't think of a better way for them
13:34
to get their first taste of the
13:36
tournament than coming here to Dayton. A
13:38
last question for coach Mike Trale
13:41
clsinci.com Hubert. Uh, two-parter real
13:44
quick. Uh, what do you remember about
13:46
your five for five in the NCAA's back in
13:48
1991? I believe it was it was Eastern
13:50
Michigan. It was in the Medallands and
13:52
it was a tight game in the second half
13:53
and then somebody elbowed Eric Montro
13:57
and we got upset and then I think we
13:58
ended up winning by 20 or 30 and we
14:01
played Temple in the uh in the Eastern
14:03
Regional Final and can a game like
14:05
tonight when team is hot collectively
14:08
individually can that carry over? I what
14:11
I think can carry over is the defense
14:14
that taking care of the basketball and
14:16
the rebounding. I'm
14:18
not. Now, it would be great if we hit 14
14:21
threes on Friday. I'll take that. But
14:25
the reason why that I consistently tell
14:27
the team the three boxes that we have to
14:29
check is defense, rebounding, take care
14:31
of the basketball is because those are
14:32
things you that travel and those are the
14:34
things you can take care of. You're in
14:36
control of. Making missing shots, those
14:39
things go in and out. But if you defend,
14:42
you rebound, you take care of the
14:43
basketball. It doesn't matter who you
14:44
play, you're going to be in the game.
14:47
Coach, terrific showing tonight. Best of
14:50
luck Friday against Old Miss uh in
14:52
Milwaukee. Thank you. Thank you so much.
14:54
Thank you. Thank you.