Hubert Davis calls out North Carolina doubters in halftime interview

After a an energetic interview midway through the first half, North Carolina coach Hubert Davis spoke once again with sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson at halftime. His Tar Heels found themselves leading Kansas 40-25 at the end of the first half of the national championship Monday, and he explained his energy from the first interview.

“This is fun,” Davis said. “I was upset with some of the suggestions that we wouldn’t be excited about playing in a national championship game. That’s our goal. We’re playing with a lot of passion, fire and intensity, but we’re gonna have to do it for the second half. Kansas is an unbelievable basketball team.”

At the time of the first interview, the Tar Heels were clinging to a narrow 22-18 lead over the Jayhawks. Davis’ energy translated directly to his team, as North Carolina put together a 16-1 run to blow open the game and entered the half with a 40-25 lead. The Tar Heels led by as many as 16 points in the first half against a Kansas team that had never trailed by even seven points all tournament long. R.J. Davis and Armando Bacot led the way for North Carolina with double digit points, as Brady Manek contributed nine points on three made 3-pointers.

Bacot, who entered the game nursing a right ankle injury, finished the first half with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

The Tar Heels held Kansas to just 30% from the floor in the first half and outrebounded the Jayhawks by nine. North Carolina’s offensive rebounds proved to be the difference early, as they scored on each of their first six offensive boards for 14 points.

“Pretty fun game, isn’t it?! We’re competing out there,” shouted an animated Davis in the first interview. “It’s live action, Tracy. It’s live action out there. I thought we were nervous at the beginning then we started to settle in. We got better defensively, now we’re attacking the basket — we’re ready to go.”