Up next in 10
#UNC coach Hubert Davis press conference ahead of Saturday's game at No. 2 Duke
Jan 30, 2025
#UNC coach Hubert Davis press conference ahead of Saturday's game at No. 2 Duke
View Video Transcript
0:00
size I think like Kim pom has in the the
0:02
country their rotation is everybody in
0:04
their rotation is 6'5 or taller you you
0:07
gone up against bigger teams before we
0:09
have but how challenging is that when
0:11
you're playing a group that is sort of
0:12
tall across the board it isn't just like
0:14
two guys up front yeah I mean you're
0:17
right they have tremendous length at
0:19
every size and so um I think that's a
0:23
huge determining factor of you know why
0:25
they've been so good defensively because
0:27
of their length they can they're
0:29
athletic they're long they can cover a
0:31
lot of space and so to be able to punch
0:34
gaps get to the get to the rim get two
0:36
on the ball create open shots from the
0:39
perimeter um you have to have tremendous
0:41
spacing you have to have ball movement
0:43
you have to run your offense with Pace
0:46
you've got to take care of the
0:47
basketball in order to get consistent
0:49
good shots and you know they also have
0:52
the ability to switch everything you
0:53
know one through five and so when teams
0:55
do that just like pit did Us in the
0:58
second half um you've gotta your your
1:01
spacing your your your ball and player
1:04
movement has to be on point um you have
1:09
to find advantages and be able to take
1:12
advantage of those um mismatches and
1:15
those are things from an offensive
1:17
standpoint that we're going to have to
1:18
do um on Saturday night um got to play
1:21
with tremendous Pace one of the things
1:24
that has been consistent with us has
1:26
been our pace and so when we do get a
1:29
rebound and our transitioning from
1:31
defense to offense it's been at a high
1:33
level and it's it's going to have to be
1:35
on a high level consistently on Saturday
1:37
night Hubert with so many Playmakers on
1:40
the floor and obviously guys who want to
1:41
make game changing plays how much have
1:44
you had to reemphasize emphasize making
1:46
the easy play making those routine plays
1:48
routinely like you like to say yeah uh
1:51
yesterday I you know we've had gosh I
1:54
can't remember
1:55
it's 78 79 practices and 70 and I told
2:01
him this yesterday
2:03
72% of the practices the offensive
2:06
emphasis has make the easy play I've
2:08
said everything make the easy play uh
2:10
simple Works make routine plays
2:12
routinely you we don't need home runs we
2:14
just need singles and you know that's
2:18
what's going to have to happen um this
2:20
Saturday you know in our last game we
2:22
had 14
2:24
turnovers and it resulted in 22 points
2:28
and
2:30
just very
2:31
difficult to come on the successful side
2:35
when not only you're turning the
2:37
basketball over but the opposing team is
2:40
converting at such a high percentage can
2:42
you can you beat D the singles or you
2:44
need home runs in there get how good
2:47
they are playing it
2:52
on I focus on
2:56
us and
3:07
we'll be ready to go on Saturday Hubert
3:10
I know the the we've been over what went
3:12
wrong at at pit uh in detail but I was
3:15
wondering if the the fight that you all
3:18
showed on the boards I mean you out
3:19
rebounded by Tim the other night up
3:21
there yeah like can you take that and
3:24
sort of make that how you have to play I
3:27
I know the roster the roster is what the
3:30
is um but is that the sort of fight that
3:33
that you just sort of is this group is
3:35
going to have to have for the rest of
3:37
the season well I I I think there's
3:40
two competitions or battles that we have
3:43
to win in regardless of whomever we play
3:46
one is a rebounding battle and I really
3:49
think you know the free throw battle as
3:52
well yeah that's just huge for us you
3:55
know when we have the ability to get to
3:57
the basket and draw fouls and get to the
4:00
free throw
4:01
line that's a game changer for us so I
4:04
would say rebounding and being able to
4:06
dominate points in the paint through
4:07
post and penetration and what that
4:09
allows us to do is be able to to be able
4:12
to get to the free throw line and the
4:13
free the free throws I guess have been
4:15
sort of an indicator too in some of the
4:17
losses it has it really has we lost the
4:20
free throw battle against uh Pittsburgh
4:24
and there's a number of factors but I
4:26
mean you talk about the turnovers and
4:28
their ability to get to the free throw
4:29
line compared to us that was that was a
4:32
game changer think of the rebounding
4:34
Seth has had 12 each in the last two
4:36
games what yeah he's our leading
4:37
rebounder yeah what's been the
4:38
difference for him I don't know if it's
4:40
a difference he's always been a really
4:42
good rebounding guard you know he's just
4:45
because of his athletic ability does a
4:48
great job of boxing out and so you know
4:51
for this team you know everybody has to
4:55
box out everybody has to rebound it's
4:58
it's a UNCC rebound in game it's not a
5:01
Harrison Orondo rebounding game
5:03
everybody has to get involved and Seth
5:05
has
5:05
done um a great job of uh helping us
5:09
limit teams and one shot every every
5:11
possession and uh we'll need them to do
5:14
that for the remainder of the Season we
5:15
piggy back in on what Adam asked about
5:17
the fight that you need on the boards do
5:18
you use Seth as an example of the guys
5:20
and 63 said 12 in the last two games
5:23
that's what we need non-stop from you
5:25
guys yeah I mean I always tell the guys
5:27
that you know you talk about the size
5:29
yeah size is a factor but it's not the
5:31
deciding factor to me especially in
5:33
regards to rebounding uh rebounding
5:35
whether it's defense or offense has
5:37
everything to do about the size of your
5:39
heart your will and you're want to and
5:41
so uh from an offensive standpoint if if
5:45
if you go to the offensive glass you
5:46
give yourself a chance to be able to get
5:48
Second Chance opportunities and if you
5:50
box out and rebound I don't care if
5:52
you're a one foot one or 7 foot one
5:54
you're going to get a chance to put
5:56
yourself in a position to get that
5:57
defensive
5:58
rebound update on JH at all um I don't
6:03
uh other than I don't right now U you
6:07
know yesterday we had off today we
6:08
practiced at 3:30 um he's planning to
6:11
practice how much he's going to practice
6:14
I do not know but that is the plan for
6:16
today did you look back to to 2022 and
6:20
how you guys kind of clicked at the end
6:22
and C caught fire do you see any
6:24
similarities in where you're at now in
6:26
this team's potential and could a game
6:29
Cameron against Duke you know could that
6:31
be a springboard to to kind of get that
6:33
going yeah I don't really draw back to
6:36
any other year or specifically 2022 I
6:40
just I think the most important thing
6:43
is is to focus on what is in front of
6:46
you and what is in front of us is just
6:49
our Improvement we I I think just the
6:51
number one thing for
6:53
us is just the consistency to be able to
6:58
stay at a high level on both ends of the
7:01
floor and that's what I'm looking for I
7:03
just I want each guy on our team and and
7:06
and our team collectively just to reach
7:08
its full potential and just try to
7:10
become the best basketball team that we
7:11
can become and at the end of the day um
7:15
live with the results but you know the
7:17
way that we are preparing the way that
7:20
we're practicing for the game on
7:23
Saturday is no different than our
7:25
preparation for our game on Tuesday how
7:28
can you be confident in close games
7:30
talking about the players when they
7:32
haven't come through in a lot of close
7:33
games especially lately how do you kind
7:35
of find that confidence for them or
7:37
intill that in there we are five and
7:39
four in one possession
7:42
games I just throwing that out yeah fa I
7:45
guess just generally speaking the season
7:46
it has been it's been it keeps coming up
7:49
the close games they keep coming down to
7:51
that how do you find confidence yeah
7:52
well I I I would I would disagree from
7:54
the standpoint of it it it always comes
7:57
down to that I I I think I've talked to
7:59
some of you before that I I look at the
8:03
entire game the full body of work you
8:05
know you can very easily look at just
8:09
for example on Tuesday night and
8:14
say let's look at how we finish the game
8:17
on Tuesday but I I look at how do we
8:19
finish the first half we had a 10-point
8:21
lead and within a minute we go into the
8:24
halftime only up by two so I just um and
8:27
that goes back to the consistency of
8:31
um and and I've said this to the guys
8:33
you know obviously we have shown that on
8:36
both ends of the floor we can play at a
8:38
high in Elite level but you know C can
8:41
we do that can we stay there can we have
8:44
that consistency you know in terms of
8:46
man we're really good defensively and
8:48
then in the second half a team shoots
8:49
51% against us man we're really sharing
8:53
the ball we're efficient on the
8:54
offensive end and then in the second
8:56
half we only scored 21 points in the
8:57
second half and we're turning the ball
8:59
over I think the overall consistency is
9:02
the thing that I've focused on and the
9:04
and the communication that I've had with
9:06
the
9:06
teamj the last like three games he's
9:09
been you know much more I guess
9:10
efficient when it comes to the shot um
9:12
he said that he initially this year
9:14
maybe put a lot of pressure on himself
9:15
he's had conversations with you about it
9:17
just I guess for a player like him uh
9:19
when he does get in those you know modes
9:21
how do you kind of help him I guess
9:23
alleviate some of the pressure that he
9:25
that he places on
9:26
himself well that's hard to alleviate
9:29
pressure that someone puts on themselves
9:32
um I don't I don't know how to do that
9:34
but I mean RJ and I have known each
9:36
other for seven years I mean I was the
9:40
lead recruiter and him in high school so
9:42
we've known each other a long time and
9:44
so we have a great relationship and we
9:46
talk all the time um I know
9:50
that and he knows and everyone knows
9:53
this is his last year and he
9:55
wants um to end his career not just
9:59
individually on a good note but also
10:01
team-wise and that's the most important
10:03
thing to him and and sometimes you do
10:05
put a little bit too much pressure on
10:07
yourself um I think one of the things is
10:09
that has added a little bit more burden
10:12
to him that I feel like has been lifted
10:15
is him feeling that he has to play so
10:18
many roles you know in terms of like
10:21
leadership and always tell guys everyone
10:23
should be a leader but within their own
10:25
personality and so just um encouraging
10:29
RJ to lead with his personality not
10:33
anybody else's and um not only is that
10:36
good enough it's absolutely what this
10:38
team needs does it seem like the last
10:40
few games he's played like more free
10:42
would would that be like I guess you
10:44
watching it does he seem like he's
10:45
playing with more
10:46
freedom yeah I
10:51
mean RJ is RJ I just every time he
10:54
shoots I think it's going in every time
10:56
he passes I think it's going to go to a
10:58
team every time he's out there you know
11:02
defensively he's going to be in the
11:03
right spots
11:07
and obviously it's shown that I have
11:10
tremendous confidence in him because I
11:12
rarely take him
11:15
out
11:17
so hbert for you now being in year four
11:19
John Shire in year three has your
11:22
relationship changed at all since you
11:24
guys are a little more entrenched in
11:25
this now than maybe you were a few years
11:26
ago if it has changed how yeah I don't I
11:28
don't know if it's changed you
11:33
know you don't really get a
11:36
chance you say relationship in
11:39
relationship you got to spend time
11:41
together and it's really hard to do
11:46
that with other head coaches because
11:48
there's a lot on the
11:50
plate you know but I have tremendous
11:52
respect for John and um I think he's
11:54
done a terrific job in the three years
11:56
that he's been there and the time that
11:58
we do spend together um I really enjoy
12:02
um spending time with them what have you
12:05
seen from this team this year when you
12:07
when you watch watch the film and
12:09
prepare for yeah I mean just complete on
12:11
both ends of the floor obviously uh
12:13
defensively just their ability because
12:16
of their length and athleticism to
12:19
protect the paint to contest threes make
12:21
it hard to uh create gaps get offense um
12:27
I I think they're fueled and
12:30
to their defense and that's the thing
12:32
that allows them to be successful on the
12:34
offensive end um obviously they've
12:37
they've got you know Cooper who uh from
12:40
an offensive
12:41
standpoint um can do a number of things
12:44
there not many
12:46
people especially in college with his
12:49
size that can not
12:53
only create for himself but so easily
12:56
create for his teammates and um they
13:00
just have a lot of moving Parts on the
13:01
offensive end that that can hurt you
13:03
whether it's around the basket with lobs
13:06
and um post-ups or being able to shoot
13:09
the ball from three and so um obviously
13:13
they're playing extremely well with
13:15
tremendous confidence but you know we're
13:17
really excited about going over there
13:18
and excited about the challenge of
13:19
playing them on
13:22
Saturday parj was in earlier and asked
13:24
him like since he played over there
13:26
several times now won over there at Duke
13:29
like if he had to list off what some of
13:31
the more important items are for a team
13:33
to have going in there the first thing
13:35
he said was like the mental makeup um as
13:38
often as you as you've played over there
13:41
coached over there is like I mean would
13:42
you agree with that that like the
13:44
mentality has to be there from the start
13:46
in terms of just going into that
13:48
place yeah but I also
13:52
think for us we've played so many games
13:55
on the road I mean we've been at Kansas
13:58
at Memphis at Hawaii that's just
14:01
non-conference and
14:04
so um you know we've been
14:08
in um spirited environments before sure
14:13
yeah and so I
14:15
think that really helps us you know in
14:18
being able to um compete on Saturday but
14:23
you know the same type of
14:26
uh consistency in terms of the
14:28
discipline details the
14:32
Poise it's the saying that you needed on
14:35
this past Tuesday in regards to you know
14:38
on Saturday as well time for a couple
14:40
more you mentioned being focused on
14:42
what's directly ahead of you but do you
14:44
at at all think about the NCAA
14:46
tournament you're positioning you know
14:48
regarding that tournament or you're
14:49
positioning on the bubble or anything
14:51
like that or you know we need to win a
14:53
couple of these quad One games or
14:54
anything like that yeah I just don't
14:56
really think about that you know and and
14:57
the reason I don't is
15:01
um you know coach schmith always you
15:04
know he never when I played for him here
15:06
he he never talked about stats and he
15:09
never talked about winning um he always
15:12
preached uh preparation and and practice
15:15
and play and he just he just felt like
15:18
if you focused on what you had control
15:21
over and that's how you prepared how you
15:23
practiced and how you played at the end
15:25
of the day you'll be happy with the
15:28
result results I mean we never even had
15:30
scouting reports when I was here at
15:32
Carolina he just said if you just do
15:34
what I've told you and taught you in
15:36
practice whatever they do you should be
15:37
in the right position and so I think the
15:40
most important thing for us is to become
15:42
the best team that we can possibly
15:43
become and at the end of the
15:46
day um not only live but be happy with
15:49
the results I just I think you should
15:51
focus on what you have control over what
15:53
what is real and what is real is we play
15:56
on Saturday and what we have control
15:58
over is how good we can become as a team
16:01
did you try recruiting coer all like
16:03
even way early like years ago or was it
16:06
just clear he was to end up that's a
16:09
question that you would have to ask or
16:12
you know Cooper or you know one of the
16:14
things I try to stay away from is making
16:16
comments on another player that playing
16:18
for I was asking did you try did you try
16:20
to recruit like early on
16:26
before that that would be a question
16:28
that you would have to ask
16:32
him go um this team is obviously no
16:35
Strang but he's really
16:42
good this team is no stranger to
16:44
adversity considering how the last four
16:46
games EV been difficult for sure how do
16:48
you I guess adjust your message or
16:51
emphasize certain points you P couple
16:53
days for Saturday I don't adjust the the
16:56
message at all you know I've been
16:59
straightforward and direct that you know
17:01
for us to be the best that we can be
17:02
we've got to defend rebound take care of
17:04
the basketball I've talked about the
17:07
importance of uh discipline and details
17:09
and the consistency of doing the little
17:11
things that make big things happen like
17:13
box outs don't turn the ball over um
17:17
shot
17:17
selection um boxing out getting to the
17:21
free throw line making our free throws
17:24
those are things that I've consistently
17:27
communicated to them
17:29
throughout the entire season you know I
17:32
told you the percentage of offensive
17:34
emphasis that I said taking care of the
17:36
basketball it was even a higher
17:37
percentage on everyone box out and
17:39
rebound and it's even a higher
17:41
percentage of giving them discipline and
17:44
details the little things make big
17:46
things happen just all different types
17:48
of stuff and with this team and with
17:51
this group I think the consistency of
17:53
the same message is a thing that will
17:56
help us um be the best that we could be
18:00
thank you coach yeah thank you
18:01
appreciate everybody
#College Sports
#Sports
#Sports Coaching & Training