Hubert Davis calls for players to capitalize on opportunities

The North Carolina Tar Heels got a big win over the Syracuse Orange on Saturday. After the game, head coach Hubert Davis shared that it was an opportunity that his players took advantage of and that the ability to capitalize on opportunities is incredibly important.

Davis emphasized that every time players have the chance to put on the North Carolina uniform and play is a great opportunity. The Syracuse game was one of those opportunities that they took advantage of.

“Anytime you get an opportunity to play basketball and to compete, to do something that you love, I just, you have to play this game with emotion,” Hubert Davis. “And so I’m an emotional person and emotional coach, and the two days in terms of preparation for Syracuse was real. It was an opportunity to be back at home and compete against a really good Syracuse team that was playing extremely well.”

Prior to his coaching career, Hubert Davis was a standout player at North Carolina before playing more than a decade in the NBA. As he explained, he wishes he still had the opportunity to play.

“I always talk to them about moments and the joy of how hard it is to be successful out there. How much, you know, these things go by quick and I tried to tell them outside of my wife and my kids, like I would do anything to put that uniform back on again,” Davis said.

“And so they have that chance and it’s special to put on that uniform and run through that tunnel and play on that floor and play in front of those fans and they played with a lot of emotion today coming off an emotional win on Wednesday against NC State. I was really proud of their effort.”

Next up, North Carolina will have the chance to play Louisville on Wednesday.

Hubert Davis on North Carolina’s identity in the trenches

After a recent win over a tough Clemson team, Hubert Davis shared how North Carolina has built its identity in the trenches.

“One of the things that we talk about for us to be successful is you have to win the battle in the trenches. That’s the loose balls or rebounds, setting of screens, making free throws. Especially down the stretch, the discipline, the details have to be tight,” Davis said.

“That’s something that we practice, something that we talk about, something that we watch on film, and hold ourselves accountable and things that we want to get better at and be consistent in. I feel like today, we were really good at that.”