CHARLOTTE – North Carolina Coach Hubert Davis and three of his players represented the team at the annual ACC Tipoff on Wednesday at The Westin.
In addition to the formal press conference in the main ballroom, each team was available to the media in breakouts rooms. Joining Davis were Tar Heel players Armando Bacot, RJ Davis, and Caleb Love.
Above is video of the UNC coach’s Q&A session in the breakout room, and below are some notes and pulled quotes from what he had to say:
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*The players have made no mistake about it that they view this season as national championship or bust. They said it during availability in July, and they said it again today. Some coaches may not want their players saying things like that, especially in public. But not Davis, he’s actually okay with it.
“I’m okay with them saying that,” Davis said. “For me, I don’t look at it that way. For me, one of the many things that I loved about last year is I felt last year’s team reached its full potential. And I think everybody would say last year was a successful year. Last year, we didn’t win a national championship, but I felt like it was a very successful year.
“That is my determination, that is my hope this year, is that this year’s team reaches its full potential. My hope in reaching our full potential, puts us in a position to be where we were last year, and maybe change the narrative and be the last team standing on Monday night.”
*UNC returns four starters from last season plus it welcomed Pete Nance, who was honorable mention All-Big Ten at Northwestern, and four freshmen, three of whom are new. Does Davis’ message to his team change given what they accomplished and how much more experienced they are now perhaps he goes next-level with how he pushes them?
“I went next-level on them last year,” Davis said. “I only have one level, and that’s it’s on. So, there’s no difference in approach this year compared to last year. The attention to detail, the focus on our preparation, our practice, and letting our play speak for itself.
“Those are the things that I consistently talked about last year, and those are the things that I’ve consistently talked through the offseason and the beginning of practice.”
*Davis has a massive platform in college basketball as the head coach at North Carolina. In fact, it could be the biggest and most influential ones. Roy Williams occasionally used that platform to voice his thoughts on some issues facing college athletics, in particular college basketball. But Davis is only in year two and hasn’t given much thought to being one of the leading voices on his game.
“That’s something that I haven’t thought about at all,” Davis said. “I just haven’t. I think about two things: I think about how to do my job and why I do this job.”
*Now that Hubert Davis has seen Northwestern transfer Pete Nance up close for nearly four months, what has surprised him about the 6-foot-11 forward?
“I’m surprised that he’s not in the NBA,” Davis replied. “With where the NBA and the game of basketball has gone with mobile bigs, I’m surprised he’s not in the NBA. He’s a legit 6-10, 6-11, he can guard one-through-five, he’s an excellent shot blocker, alterer of shots, he can handle the basketball, he’s a gifted passer, he’s an unbelievable communicator and screener, and he shot 45 percent from three last year.
“I’m surprised, but I’m also happy that he’s not in the NBA and that he has a North Carolina uniform on. Very happy with that (laughter).”
*One of the many reasons Nance was a terrific pickup for the Tar Heels was because of the depth he gives them defensively in the paint. All anyone has to do is think back to the loss to Kansas as an example of the value in having two legitimate bigs who can defend in the post.
Armando Bacot was battling a bum ankle, and inside the final minute, injured it to where he had to leave the game. As much as Brady Manek did for UNC last season, he wasn’t the kind of interior defender Nance has proven he is through four years banging with big men in the Big Ten.
That aspect of what Nance gives the Tar Heels is huge, his coach says.
“We were limited with our depth, and it showed, for example, in the national championship game,’ Davis said. “Armando not being a hundred percent and (Kansas’ David) McCormack really doing a great job posting up down on the block.
“To have that depth down there, not just Pete Nance, but Will Shaver came in the middle of the year and having that half a year experience of getting crushed against Armando in practice every day allows him to have growth. And he’s in a great spot as well…
“I feel like we have more depth in that area, and that puts us in a better position to defend down low on the block.”
*Now that Armando Bacot delved into the acting world this offseason, Davis gave him high marks and says he has a future in that field.
“I think his acting is fantastic,” the coach said, smiling. “He’s somebody that is very charismatic, he loves to be in front of the camera. It’s something he’s always been interested in. So after he has a long, unbelievable NBA career, you could see him on a sit com or a Netflix series, and it wouldn’t surprise me for Armando to be the star of the show.”
