Pete Nance shares North Carolina's approach to Virginia matchup

North Carolina took care of business in their first game of the ACC Tournament, defeating Boston College 85-61 in their second round matchup Wednesday. Now the Tar Heels will face the co-conference champions and No. 12 ranked Virginia Cavaliers, who split the regular series with them 1-1. After the game Wednesday, UNC forward Pete Nance spoke about the mindset of himself and his team heading into part three of Heels versus Cavs.

“I think tonight and tomorrow we’ll do a lot of rehab, a lot of stretching, things like that to stay loose,” Nance said.

Tar Heels’ star center Armando Bacot will definitely need a heavy dose of rehab, as he injured his ankle in the first half versus Boston College. He was in and out of the lineup when necessary, playing just 18 minutes for North Carolina Wednesday.

Bacot injured his ankle in the first minute of the team’s first meeting with the Cavaliers, not returning in a game Virginia would go on to win 65-58.

“Virginia’s a really good team, and I think this team is just excited for any opportunity and any challenge,” Nance said. “So I think definitely looking forward to tomorrow night and I think we’ll just be ready to go.”

Nance was the highlight of the Tar Heels’ second game versus the Cavaliers, scoring a team-high 22 points on their way to a 71-63 victory. He was also efficient in his last game, scoring 10 points on an efficient 80% from the field, also locking down he paint in Bacot’s absence with four blocks.

Nance may just have to step up again for the Tar Heels, as North Carolina faces Virginia on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. ET in a highly anticipated quarterfinal matchup airing on ESPN.

Hubert Davis shares importance of coaching in Greensboro

After being held in Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York last season, the men’s ACC Basketball Tournament has returned to Greensboro, North Carolina in 2023. This will be North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis’ first even tournament in Greensboro as the Tar Heels headman, recently speaking about its significance.

“It means a lot to me, this is what I remember in terms of ACC basketball,” Davis said. “Just remembering my uncle Walter Davis play here in Greensboro.”

Davis is a North Carolina native born in Winston-Salem, and like his uncle, had a collegiate basketball career at UNC that propelled into a career at the NBA level. But before Davis made his ascension up the basketball ranks as a player and as a coach, he was just another North Carolina kid who learned to love the ACC Tournament.

“I just remember, they don’t understand this,” Davis said referring to his players alongside him. “But when I was growing up for the ACC Tournament you could have an excused absence to stay at home and watch the 12 o’clock game or the teacher would put the game on in the classroom. That’s how big the ACC Tournament was.”

There aren’t many states that take the sport of basketball as seriously as North Carolina does, making the ACC Tournament particularly special for Davis and his squad.

“And so to be a part of it as a player, to be a part of it as an assistant coach, and to be a part of it as a head coach is very special to me,” Davis said.