PHILADELPHIA – North Carolina’s starting five was at the dais Thursday afternoon to discuss their Sweet 16 game versus UCLA, which will be played here at Wells Fargo Center on Friday night. The game is set to tip at approximately 9:40 PM EST.
The players fielded questions about the Bruins, finally getting a chance to play them after the December game didn’t happen, turning points in their season, each others’ games, and much more.
The winner between the eighth-seeded Tar Heels (26-9) and fourth-seeded Bruins (27-7) will meet either No. 15 St. Peter’s or No. 3 Purdue in the East Region final here on Sunday.
Note: We will add the video of the press conference once the NCAA has moved it into the media hub.
Below is the complete transcript of what Armando Bacot, Brady Manek, RJ Davis, Caleb Love, and Leaky Black had to say:
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Q. Armando, what has motivated you even after the transfer to IMG to remain close with Coach Hamlin and the Trinity community back in Richmond?
ARMANDO BACOT: Yeah, I mean, I can kind of attribute a lot of my success and just how my whole life shifted going to Trinity Episcopal school. I learned so much from going there and just was fortunate to be in such a great environment like that.
Q. Leaky and RJ, over the last nine games you guys have held your opponents to below 40 percent shooting. That's since the Pittsburgh game. Can you attribute anything to that specifically?
RJ DAVIS: Yeah, I think we all bought into the defensive mentality. Leaky was able to go there and lock down the best defender and then we tie into that. I feel like we feed off his energy and what he brings to the table.
Q. Brady, what to you was the difference between once Dawson left and you knew you were going to have to play a whole lot of minutes and what you were doing when he was still on the team and you were coming off the bench at one point and that kind of stuff? Because your scoring average has gone up, obviously your minutes have had to go up?
BRADY MANEK: Yeah, I think I'm doing the same thing as I was before, just getting more opportunities, playing longer. Really stepping into that 4 man role and just been playing well, playing a lot more.
Q. Armando, one of the reasons you said you came back this season was to have the big games, big moments, the Carolina experience. I wonder if you've felt like you've achieved that, accomplished that, and then your emotions regarding that?
ARMANDO BACOT: Yeah, I would say overall this season has been a success just so far where we're at, and just specifically just these last few weeks just winning these big games. And I mean, the fans and everything, the school, it just seems alive again and getting back to where it was kind of before my freshman year. I feel like it's been a great experience and been good for us all just to be a part of it.
Q. Brady, they like to play with four guards a lot. Do you see that as a stretch 4, something that you look forward to seeing as a guard on you and do you feel like that's something that plays to your advantage?
BRADY MANEK: I'd say throughout the year and throughout college I've had guys that I haven't guarded guard me. I've had small guys, I've had big guys. Throughout the years I've had more 2, 3s match up on me if the team has got a couple bigs. Yeah, definitely something that we've gone against this year and I've gone against in the past of having a guard-like player on me.
Q. Armando and Leaky, you guys almost played UCLA back in December and I remember talking to you guys a couple days before that, you were pretty excited about the opportunity to play them. Now you finally get that opportunity. Just kind of discuss the idea of playing a program like UCLA, not playing them in December but getting them now.
ARMANDO BACOT: I would say I'm very excited because I remember my freshman year we kind of had a lot of the same guys. They added a few different pieces. It was an up tempo game and a lot of fun. Just UNC versus UCLA is two big-time programs, and just for us to be able to meet in the Sweet 16 especially with all the history we have with that program, it's a great opportunity and we know a lot of people will be watching, too.
LEAKY BLACK: Pretty much what he said, two big-time programs meeting in the Sweet 16 on this stage, it will be a fun game.
Q. Leaky, you were on the 2019 team that went to the Sweet 16. How have you used that experience to help the rest of the group?
LEAKY BLACK: You know, just being in tough moments, trying to keep our guys poised, like the game against Baylor there was a couple moments where we were getting rattled. Just being in that position before, you know, just trying to get everyone settled down kind of thing and just being a leader.
Q. Armando and RJ, Hubert played in the NBA, he's one of a couple coaches in the tournament who played in the NBA, Penny Hardaway, Juwan Howard. How appealing is it to guys like you and recruits coming to the schools to be coached by a guy who played in the NBA and any specific examples of stuff he does that can help you pursue your future goals?
CALEB LOVE: Well, it's just great. He has that experience, and he's been up there, and so just him having that experience and that knowledge of the game, we're listening to everything he tells us to do, and we go as he goes.
RJ DAVIS: Like what Caleb said, he's been in big moments. He's had stories that he's told us, and we just basically listen to him. We like to pick his brain a lot and just to learn from him because he's been in our position and he knows what we want to accomplish, our dreams and goals. Just being able to pick up what he teaches us is a great thing to have.
ARMANDO BACOT: I would just say for all recruits, I don't know why they wouldn't look at the way we play and not want to go here or consider going here. We've got Coach Sullivan, too, who was in the NBA for 20 years and then Coach Lebo who coached in the NBA. A lot of things we do best defensively, icing the ball screens, the offense kind of free form and shooting a lot of threes, spacing the floor out. It's a lot of opportunities to show those type of things that NBA teams like. It's just great and fun to be able to do, and yeah, we enjoy it.
Q. RJ, is there any specific story he told you or something that stands out that really sticks with you?
RJ DAVIS: Just like he told us, he was like in the NBA Finals just those moments that he was in and playing with the New York Knicks. I kind of feel like the way he plays with his passion, he carries that over into his pregame speeches and it gets us fired up, so I really appreciate that.
Q. Over the years, Carolina with the tradition of Dean Smith and Roy Williams have been a favorite in these tournaments. How is it that you guys, especially when you guys beat Baylor, how do you like playing that underdog role? We don't normally see Carolina as the underdog in this situation.
ARMANDO BACOT: I don't think we really pay attention to that. I don't think we really go into any game thinking that any team we're playing are better than us. I guess that's just more for y'all and people to really see it as. But I don't think we're going in the game thinking that we're the underdog or embracing like an underdog role or whatnot.
Q. RJ and Caleb, I was curious, what do you guys like about each other's game from the perspective of the other when you guys watch each other out there on the court?
CALEB LOVE: We just play off of each other. I find him, he finds me. I know where he likes the ball on the court, and I'm always looking for him when we're in transition. In the half court I always know where he's at because he can come off the ball, and when he's got a mismatch he always hears me saying go at him. So if he's got a big on him, it's your world. I'm just playing off him, he's playing off me, and we play together.
RJ DAVIS: We complement each other well, I know both of us can score the ball at a high level. And what I like about his game is he doesn't fear anyone. He'll take it at you. He's very confident. I know when he's in that mode and I tell him keep going. I think that's something that we both have in common. We both have confidence in each other which is why we can gel so well together on the court.
Q. Caleb and Brady, specifically how last game ended for you, Hubert said in the presser earlier that you guys would play today. How anxious are you to get back out there?
CALEB LOVE: Yeah, it was kind of different to watch from the bench, those games that you couldn't really do nothing to get out there. I am hyped to play this game and I am ready for the next game.
I'm just going to go out there, do what my teammates want me to do, and do whatever we've got to do to get the win.
BRADY MANEK: I'd say I'm more excited just to be here. I've never made it this far. This is a new experience for me, and I'm just going to enjoy it.
Q. Could each of you just go down the line one by one and tell me what you thought the turning point of this season was, what game or what moment?
LEAKY BLACK: For me it was the tough week after we played Miami and Wake Forest. It was a disappointing week. The next practice Coach Davis came in super positive and we were not expecting that at all. We were expecting him to come in hot and chew us out kind of thing, but I feel like he was super positive and that was a turning point for us.
CALEB LOVE: Same thing. Miami and Wake Forest. We came back -- when we got back, we just got right back to work. There wasn't no feeling sorry for ourselves. We had a full season ahead of us so we didn't get down on ourselves. We just got back to work, did what we had to do.
I also think when we beat Syracuse, we gutted that win out, I feel like that brought us together more, and ever since then we've just been on a roll.
Q. Hubert Davis said he's talked to you guys about not being tough, not being resilient, things along those lines. When he has those conversations with you, what's going through your mind?
ARMANDO BACOT: Me, I hear but I kind of think that's BS because I know deep down that all of us we've got that in us, and it's just kind of something we've got to just display all the time. I feel like we've kind of been showing that as of recently.
