Hubert Davis on keeping North Carolina's confidence amid skid: 'What choice do you have?'

North Carolina has nothing to do besides keep at it this season, despite what’s happened in its last four games. After a 73-65 loss at Pittsburgh on Tuesday, Hubert Davis said keeping the Tar Heels upbeat is the easiest thing about what they’ll have to do moving forward.

“Oh, that’s easy. You know, that’s easy,” Davis said postgame. “I do (think so). I do.”

That’s simply so, though, because, as Davis said, UNC has no other option than to be positive right now and keep going into every game as such.

“I mean, what choice do you have? I mean, yeah. You do,” Davis said. “I really believe that there is no choice. The choice is to get back up and step forward and continue to competitively fight and prepare and continue to improve. I just don’t even think there is a choice.”

North Carolina is in a bad spot right now going into February at 13-9 overall while currently being 1-8 in Quad I matchups per the NET Rankings. The Tar Heels went 7-5 in the non-conference with losses to all of their quality competition besides a 16-point comeback against UCLA in the CBS Sports Classic. Then, after a 5-1 start in conference that was much of the same as far as strength of opponent, the Tar Heels have lost three of four with defeats to Stanford, Wake Forest, and Pitt while the one win came at home and required overtime against Boston College.

With that, UNC would presently project to be out of the tournament with only a few more chances left for good wins amidst multiple outings where they could take further losses.

Still, again, North Carolina has little to do but continue on with ten games left for them to decide how their season will end.

“I mean, um, I love these kids. I love this team,” said Davis. “It’s a great lesson for this group and this team. It’s a great lesson for life.”

Hubert Davis downplays impact of upcoming game against Duke

With North Carolina set to face Duke this weekend, Hubert Davis gave some typical coach speak in his preview of the game. Despite being an alumnus himself who understands the history of that rivalry, Davis didn’t say too much about the impact of the next edition of it on Saturday.

“We’ll prepare, we’ll practice, and we’ll play with the same type of competitive enthusiasm that we played with tonight,” Davis said. “I think every game is the Super Bowl. Whether it’s a preseason game or just any time you get a chance to step out there on the floor, you should be ready to go.”