Hubert Davis states North Carolina is focused on 'what is real' amid NCAA Tournament bubble talk

North Carolina arrived in Charlotte on the bubble in the NCAA Tournament, and delivered in its conference tournament opener against Notre Dame. Defeating the Fighting Irish 76-56, they’ve earned a spot in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

With their spot in March Madness not yet guaranteed, every win goes a long way in helping their argument. After the victory, Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis revealed his pitch to the selection committee after the convincing opening win.

“The pitch is we are focused,” Davis explained. “We were very fortunate to be successful against a really good Notre Dame team that was a one-point game earlier in the year in South Bend. Our eyes and our preparation is on what is real, and what is real is our preparation in regards to our play tomorrow against a very good Wake Forest team.”

Presenting this fact to the committee, it does appear on paper that the Tar Heels have improved since the 74-73 win over Notre Dame. North Carolina was 9-6 after the victory on Jan. 4, and have won 12 of their 18 matchups since.

North Carolina was led in scoring by Jae’Lyn Withers, who totaled 21 points during the afternoon. All of Withers’ scoring came from the 3-point line, cashing in on 7 of his 10 attempts from beyond the arc. Ven-Allen Lubin scored 17 points and hauled in 10 rebounds during the contest as well.

The Tar Heels’ leading scorer during the regular season, R.J. Davis, who averages 17.2 points per game coming into the ACC Tournament, scored 13 points during the winning effort. Davis, who is playing in his fifth ACC Tournament with UNC, expressed his excitement to move on in the tournament as they continue to make their case to the selection committee.

“It’s a quick turnaround,” Davis said. “… But that’s the great thing about the tournament, to have these quick turnarounds and be able to play the next game.”

North Carolina is currently Joe Lunardi’s last team into the NCAA Tournament. That makes Thursday’s quick turnaround a must-win for the Tar Heels.

Tip-off between the Tar Heels and Demon Deacons is set for 2:30 p.m. ET, or roughly 30 minutes following Duke vs. Georgia Tech in Thursday’s quarterfinal opener. The winners of those two will play each other in the first semifinal game on Friday, making the possibility of a Duke-UNC ACC Tournament one step closer to a reality.