Hubert Davis on bouncing back after Duke loss: ‘This is life’

North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis was at a loss for words for how the Tar Heels bounce back after a disappointing loss to Duke over the weekend. The Tar Heels had one of their worst shooting performances of the season, finishing with a season-low shooting percentage of 34.3%.

“I don’t know what else to tell the team,” Davis said after the game. “‘We gotta play Wake on Tuesday. Crap.’ No, this is basketball. This is life. Let’s go back to work tomorrow. Let’s get back to work. Let’s work hard. Let’s do it with energy and effort and passion and enthusiasm. Let’s go show up on Monday. Let’s work hard. Energy. Effort. Passion. Enthusiasm. Togetherness. Closeness. Hunger and thirst. Then let’s play on Tuesday against a great, unbelievable Wake Forest team.”

The Blue Devils won the game, 63-57, behind 20 points from Jeremy Roach. Four North Carolina players finished in double-figures but none of them did it with a shooting percentage over 50%. Pete Nance finished 1 of 10 from the field. R.J. Davis was 5 of 16 and Caleb Love was 5 of 15 from the floor.

The Tar Heels are now 15-8 on the season and 2-5 in true road games. Their only road victories are at Louisville and at Syracuse.

North Carolina will enter Winston-Salem, N.C., to face a Wake Forest team currently sitting at 15-9 on the season and 7-6 in ACC play.

The Demon Deacons are coming off an 81-64 victory over Notre Dame over the weekend. Damari Monsanto led the way with 28 points on 9-for-15 shooting, including 8 of 13 from beyond the arc.

Hubert Davis on what the locker room message was after Duke loss

Despite the approach-based response to how to bounce back from the Duke defeat, Hubert Davis did share what he said to his team after the game itself.

“That I was proud of their effort and that I love being their coach and I love these kids,” Davis said. “It’s a blessing and an honor to be with them every day and … that for us this year, consistently it’s been the discipline and the details. The little things — a box out, a defensive assignment, execution on the offensive end that has been up and down in late-game situations. Once we get better and more consistent at that, I think it’ll be a happier locker room than a sad locker room.”