CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina Basketball Coach Hubert Davis met with the media Wednesday afternoon in advance of the Tar Heels’ season beginning next Monday at home against Elon.

Initially, the presser was slated for Friday but with some media traveling to Tallahassee for football, and Davis unavailable Thursday, it was moved up to Wednesday.

The Tar Heels and Phoenix tip off at 9 PM and the game will air on the ACC Network. Four nights later, UNC visits Kansas. Davis will hold a pre-Kansas presser next Wednesday.

Above is video of Davis’ presser and below are some notes from what he had to say:

*Davis said on media day he wants his team to be the fastest in the nation, so after six weeks of practice and two exhibition games, and 63 of 132 shots at the rim in the two exhibition games, Davis is pleased with the team’s movement in that direction.

“I do like the pace but the number one thing I tell the guys is where we get our pace is on the defensive end getting stops and rebounds. That’s what allows us to get out onto the break and be efficient in transition from defense to offense.”

*An important lesson learned in the Johnson C. Smith game was that the pace the Heels want to play cannot happen if they don’t defend and don’t rebound, as the head coach preaches.

“I think that’s great. One of the things I tell them is rarely will I used stats but I will use stats to confirm what I already know. So, it’s great to be able to make that point with them that a change was made with 9 minutes and 12 seconds to go in the first half because we got after it defensive and started rebounding the basketball and that allowed us to get out in transition.

“So, to be able to talk about it and then show them actual examples of that working out in our favor for our benefit, I think it’s really huge.”

*Seth Trimble has averaged 24 points in the two exhibition games displaying an elevated game in all areas. Trimble says he’s took good of a player to hold his game back anymore, and he has let it loose on the floor. Davis says natural development and hard work are why Trimble’s game has gone to another level.

“To me, it’s the natural progression of getting more comfortable, getting more confidence, more mature in terms of (his) game… I think it’s two things: One, it’s a natural progression of growth, and then number two is his hard work over this summer.

“He’s put in the work to put himself in position to be playing the way he is right now.”

*When the Tar Heels picked it up defensively against JC Smith and Memphis, they played with a degree of intensity and passion that suggests they can be an outstanding on-ball defensive team, and also capable of overplaying more than past teams because they have the ability to recover. In other words, the athleticism and defensive want could be one of the team’s strengths.

“I think it’s a combination of both. I don’t think last year’s team fully bought into the importance of defending and rebounding until the Oklahoma game. I felt like that’s where they got it and that’s where we took off.

“Myhope is that it doesn’t take until the tenth game of the season, that we can fully commit to those two things and how important it is for the success of this team.”

*The early returns on Elliot Cadeau’s improved jump shot are positive. He’s 3-for-5 from the perimeter in the two exhibition games and the shot looks tweaked and the rotation on the ball is by design. Davis discussed the staff working with Cadeau in the offseason.

“Just being familiar and comfortable, the game has slowed down for him on both ends of the floor. He’s been fantastic defensively. His leadership off the court, his example, his hard work over the summer. But what he sees out there offensively (has) slowed down for him.”

*Jae’Lyn Withers has played 2,300 minutes in 118 college basketball games. He’s scored 807 points, grabbed 588 rebounds, has 76 steals, and 50 blocked shots. He has shot 47.0% from the field, including 33.3% from the perimeter, including a paltry 4-for-20 last season at UNC.

The 6-foot-9 Withers has also started 67 games in college, but he has embraced the idea of coming off the bench for the Tar Heels. Davis was glad he was asked about “JWit” because he does do so many little things and the rugged stuff, but the head coach says he’s also playing at a very high level.

“He obviously has a lot of experience, and I think experience goes a long way, especially during this time. You need guys that have been there before, been through different situations to allow them to be put in situations to where they can be successful.

“You talk about the growth of Seth and Elliot and talking about RJ and Cade, one of the guys that hasn’t been talked about is JWit. He’s been really good in practice. He’s been an encourager, the way that he has led in the locker room and on the court.

“But just what he’s doing on the court, we don’t have. We don’t have a 6-9, outside of him, athletic versatile defender that can run the floor, that can shoot threes, attack the basket at his length and athleticism. When he’s playing at a high level, he’s a game changer for us.”