CHARLOTTE- Basketball season is around the corner, so the ACC held its annual ACC Tipoff on Wednesday at The Westin Hotel. Every school in the league was at the event, so that means North Carolina was in attendance. Tar Heel junior guard RJ Davis was one of three players representing the Heels in the Queen City.
In addition to the formal group press conference in the main ballroom, each team was available for individual sessions with the players and coaches in breakout rooms. Above is a video of Davis’ Q&A, and below are some notes and pulled quotes from what he had to say.
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*UNC head coach Hubert Davis was adamant about his team creating positive memories at Carolina. After overcoming adversity to make the championship game, the Heels created new memories and a bond that will be with the players far beyond their playing careers.
“We have definitely grown a lot closer," said RJ Davis. "We created a bond that will last a lifetime. Those are my friends, my brothers forever. That’s something that can't be taken away from us. We became a lot closer.”
*As magical a run as UNC had last March, the pain of losing in the championship game to Kansas is a memory that sticks with Davis. And though the thought of coming so close and losing hurts, it serves as a reminder that the 2022-2023 season is championship or bust for the Tar Heels.
“I remember that feeling," he said. "That feeling of walking off the final four stage. Just walking out, seeing that confetti drop, my head was down, but then I picked it up to look around and say, ‘hey I'll be back here again.’”
*Last season, in an effort to improve on pedestrian freshman years, UNC guards Caleb Love and Davis started waking up early to work out with Carolina assistant coach Jackie Manuel, and they called it “The Breakfast Club.”
During UNC’s NCAA tournament run, Manuel reminded the duo of the offseason work and pointed out how the extra time was paying off.
“After we won to go to the Final Four against St. Peter’s, he came up to us and was like,’ you see why we started the breakfast club,’” Davis recalled. “To this day, we still do that.”
*After turning its season around last year, the outside criticism has turned into outside praise, but Davis and the Tar Heels are keeping the same mentality that helped them beat Duke in the final four last April, blocking out all the noise.
“Just taking it one day at a time," he said. "Not getting too ahead of ourselves... I think my favorite quote is, ‘Ignore all sideshow distractions.' Don’t worry about what is being said about us and the expectations.”
*With four out of five starters returning, a lot looks the same with the Tar Heels, but after a productive offseason, Davis believes depth will be a noticeable difference between this season and last.
“I think the depth that we have," said Davis. "That’s the main difference right there. We don’t have to play five guys. We can bring in Puff (Johnson), Trez (Dontrez Styles), D’Marco (Dunn), and some of the new freshmen.”
