THI TV: Davis Pre-BC Presser & Report | Poise, Withers, Eagles & More
CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina Basketball Coach Hubert Davis met with the media Friday at the Smith Center in advance of the No. 4 Tar Heels’ game at Boston College on Saturday.
UNC and the Eagles tip at 2:15 at Conte Forum, and the game will air on The CW.
Above is video of Davis’ presser, and below are some notes from what he had to say:
*One of the things Davis spoke a lot about was the stretch Wednesday night in which Louisville cut a 20-point UNC lead to five. Why it happened and what can be learned. Davis said it is a very useful teaching tool for his team.
“It is. In the huddle, I said I was not upset that we’re in this situation, I’m upset about how we got to this situation. This is good for us, we’ve been in this situation before. That’s not the reason I’m disappointed, I’m disappointed how we got there.
“I felt like defensively, we were sloppy in our rotations the way we were playing ball-screen defense, getting over screens, talking on defense. And because of that, that gave life to Louisville to be able to cut it to single digits.
“So, I specifically said that during the huddle.”
*An important takeaway from that sequence is that the Tar Heels responded. They did it early in the season against Radford and Lehigh, indications it was in their DNA. ACC teams are a different animal, but the Heels embraced Davis’ mandate nonetheless and pulled away for the 86-70 victory.
“They have, and that’s something I’ve been proud about. And also, their poise. They just don’t seem like they panic out there. There’s a sense of urgency and awareness (to) tightening things up and making sure that we’re making the right plays in the right places.
“But there’s also a poise about it, a calmness that we know what we need to do, and we need to change it.”
*Another prong to the above is that the Heels played one of the toughest nonconference schedules in the nation. So, Davis says that fortified his team for those situations.
“I really think our nonconference and the diversity of games and teams we played, and the level in which we played, I do think it has helped us because one, we had success, and two, in terms of style, there’s really not much out there we haven’t seen before…
“Going into conference season, it does give us confidence that we’ve gone against whatever we’re trying to face whatever particular night.”
*Boston College is 11-6 overall and 2-4 in the ACC. The Eagles are coming off a 63-59 win at home over Notre Dame. Their most noteworthy wins have been over Richmond, St. John’s, at Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech, and the Fighting Irish.
BC’s best player is 7-footer Quinten Post, who averages 16.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 3.2apg, 2.1 bpg, and is shooting 50.2 FG%, including 44.4% from three (24-for-54), 82.7 from the free throw line (43-for-52).
“He’s a big that can score consistently around the paint, but he can shoot the ball from the outside. It’s not just maybe one three a game. For example, the Notre Dame game, they don’t win without Quinten Post; he hit three threes in the last four or five minutes of the game. Game’s over.
“His ability off of ball screens, DHOs, be able to pop and shoot a three, that’s different. We just don’t play many guys at that size that can shoot the ball from the outside and be that effective. It stretches you out defensively. There are things that we’re going to have to tweak, pivot, alter and change to be able to defend that.
“But he can also score consistently down low in the paint. That’s what makes him one of the better players in our conference.”
*This will be a similar matchup for Armando Bacot as Clemson’s P.J. Hall was.
“That’s a very good comparison. P.J. can really shoot the ball from the outside as well. It will be for Armando, for JWash (Jalen Washington), for James (Okonkwo), just their ability to be able to guard him in the post, but also be in position to contest the three…
“And also, Quinten Post can pass, too. They put him at the high post and he’s a terrific passer. (Jaeden) Zachery’s the leading assist getter, but second is Post. That’s pretty cool. It’s going to stretch us defensively.”
*Davis is also a big fan of veteran BC point guard Jaeden Zachery. His numbers: 12.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 4.3 apg, 1.7 spg, 48.5& from the field, 29.7% from three (11-for-37), 82.6 from the FT line (38-for-46).
“He’s tough. He’s physical and is very confident. He’s a terrific driver and draws fouls and is a guard that can post up. He can also knock it down from three. So, he’s been there before. That’s going to be a challenge for us.
“He’s the guy that starts the offense and finishes the defense. So, we’ve got to find a way to disrupt that so he doesn’t feel comfortable out there.”