Hubert Davis considers how North Carolina can reach its best version

North Carolina has a lot of potential to win it all this basketball season. Beating rival Duke over the weekend showed head coach Hubert Davis what the Tar Heels can become.

Ranked No. 3 in the country, the Tar Heels are in the upper echelon to win a national title. So if Davis is talking about potential, just wait and see what this team can be at its peak.

That’s exactly what Davis expects down the line this winter.

“There’s a hunger and thirst with this group that individually and as a team to be the best that we can be,” Davis said. “I just think it comes from many different directions. Obviously the people, guys that have been here before there’s a hunger and thirst to continue to grow and be good. Then you have guys like Cormac … never run out of that tunnel and look at that type of crowd and get on this stage and so a thankfulness and appreciation for being here. 

“So there’s a hunger and thirst to be good, because this is the first time in their career they’ve been in this situation. And then the freshmen that I don’t know if they know what’s going on, but there’s a hunger and thirst for them to be a part of this and so it’s nice to see the the motivation in this team to be the best that they can be. Wherever it ends up, but all year this team has been connected and had a goal to reach their full potential.”

North Carolina could’ve folded anytime Duke made a run. Don’t forget, the Tar Heels were upset by Georgia Tech earlier last week.

But, Davis and crew turned the page.

“It doesn’t happen all the time, but this team, I think one of the characteristics of this team has been being able to handle a little bit of adversity and bounce back,” Davis said. “One of the things that we always talk about is, whether good things or bad things happen, the only thing you have control over is how you react and how you respond. And I feel like all year our guys have done a really good job reacting and responding, whether something’s going well for us or we’re struggling with it.

“Just the conversations in the huddle, the conversations on the floor with these guys. They’re locked in, they’re communicating, they’re talking, they’re all on the same page. It gives you great confidence as a coach that they can do the things they need to do to continue to win out there on the floor.”