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North Carolina

Hubert Davis shares importance of coaching in Greensboro

Screen Shot 2024-05-28 at 9.09.17 AMby:Kaiden Smith•03/09/23•

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(Williams/UNC/Getty Images)

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.

The Tar Heels were the No. 3 seed in last year’s conference tournament, losing in the semifinals to the eventual tournament champion Virginia Tech. This season has been a little bit of a disappointment for the Tar Heels following their National Championship appearance in Davis’ first season as head coach. North Carolina finished the regular season with a 20-12 record, going 11-9 in conference play.

They entered the ACC Tournament as the No. 7 seed, defeating Boston College in their first matchup 85-61 in the second round Wednesday. But now they have a tall task ahead of them, as they face the No. 2 seed in the tournament and No. 12 ranked team in the country Virginia. The Cavaliers defeated the Tar Heels just two weeks ago, as UNC will seek revenge on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET in a matchup airing on ESPN.