Hubert Davis reacts to increased player-led leadership amid struggles

It’s been a roller coaster season for North Carolina, but Hubert Davis has kept his veteran Tar Heels squad from losing sight of their goal.

After a couple of tough losses, UNC got back on track on Saturday, defeating Clemson in a statement victory. Afterwards, Davis explained how some player-only meetings and unique practice tactics helped the Tar Heels find their footing once again.

“That doesn’t surprise me at all,” Davis responded, regarding his players’ response to recent troubles. “I mean, we’re a team. This is a program. We’re in this together. All year I’ve talked to them about a hunger and thirst. All year I’ve talked to them about discipline and details. All year I’ve talked to them about having a love for the game. For your teammates and for themselves.

“Yesterday at practice, at times I made some of the guys put on a 15-pound heavy vest. So throughout all of practice, they were trying to figure out why I was singling out certain players to practice with a 15-pound weighted vest. I said I told you before, one of the things I do is I require players to stop by the office. In the summer, three times. During the year, because of school and stuff, at least once. So they thought that these guys forgot to stop by the office. They were like, ‘What’s up with the weighted vest?’ I told them, this is what we’re playing with. You’ve got to put that stuff down. All the noise, from the phone. The family. The friends. The fans. Just put the weight down. I would like you to play a game without this weighted vest. Just allow you to be able to play freely. Have fun. The guys met another of times since we’ve played Wake Forest. It showed in the way that they played together today.”

Evidently, the weighted vest tactic worked wonders for Davis, which begged the question from reporters, was it a Hubert Davis original, or something he borrowed from one of the legendary coaches he played with?

“Coach [Pat] Riley did a lot of stuff. That could be a Coach Riley. That’s also a Coach [Dean] Smith, too. I just — I don’t know. I’m a visual learner,” added Davis. “I was just thinking about something to kind of give them a picture of what they were playing with.

“Whether it’s the beginning of the year, the expectations. The comments from the phone, the family and the friends. You can’t play with that weight. You can, but you can’t jump as high. Run as fast. You can’t be as efficient. I just wanted them to play free. They played free tonight. I’m just so proud of them.”

Alas, Hubert Davis and North Carolina may have turned over a new leaf. Weighted vest sales are about to go through the roof, as struggling college basketball powerhouses look for ways to turn their season around.