Hubert Davis reveals what UNC will focus on this week with no midweek game

For the first time in a long time North Carolina does not have a weekday game, giving them an entire week to rest and prepare for their next opponent as they visit Virginia this Saturday.

The Tar Heels still sit atop the ACC rankings, but now share the top spot with rival Duke. With both teams possessing a 12-3 record in conference play after North Carolina’s 3-3 stretch in their last six games.

Head coach Hubert Davis was asked what the point of emphasis will be this week at practice, as the Tar Heels now have some more time to focus on themselves versus an opponent. Making it clear that the defensive end of the floor would be the team’s top priority.

“One-on-one defense, just winning our individual one-on-one matchup,” Davis said. “You don’t get into rotations if you can guard the ball and one of the things I’ve always said is the ball is the problem. If you take care of the ball whether it’s one-on-one, transition, ball screen action, Chicago, DHO, if you take care of the ball everything else will take care of itself.”

Defense has not been the strength of the Tar Heels this season, tied for seventh in the ACC allowing 71.4 points per game this season while also allowing 81 points per game in their last six matchups.

Historically it’s harder than ever in the game of basketball to stop an opponent from scoring given the rules of the game and the overall offensive skills of today’s players. Throw in the amount of action and plays that coaches have at their disposal and guarding someone one-on-one can seem nearly impossible.

But Davis also understands the importance of rotations and help when his players do get beat one-on-one, as the Tar Heels will look to stay sharp on their help defense this week as well to go along with their emphasis on shutting down opposing players individually.

“And then also when those drives come, whether it’s a slot drive or a baseline drive, just going over the rotations in terms of where the help is coming from and helping the helper,” Davis explained. “I feel like at times that has broken down a little bit and just to reinforce our rotations. First of all not getting into rotations, but if we do, what it looks like on the backside and just being more sound defensively.”

Virginia boasts the top-scoring defense in the conference and the third-ranked unit in the entire country holding teams to just 58.6 points per game, as the Tar Heels will look to take a page out of the Cavaliers’ book this Saturday at 4:00 p.m. in a marquee ACC matchup airing on ESPN.