THI TV: Hubert Davis Pre-Miami Press Conference & Report
CHAPEL HILL - North Carolina Basketball Coach Hubert Davis held his weekly press conference with the media Friday afternoon at the Smith Center, as the Tar Heels look to bounce back from their loss to Clemson with a Saturday game at Miami.
North Carolina, which experienced its fifth loss of the season Tuesday, will travel to Coral gables to take on the unranked Hurricanes at 4:00pm on ESPN.
The Tar Heels sit at 18-5 overall and possess a one game lead in the ACC with a 10-2 league record.
Davis’ presser can be found above and below are important notes ahead of the first of two matchups with Miami this season.
*North Carolina enters Saturday’s contest having dropped two of its last three games, including Tuesday’s 80-76 defeat at the hands of the Clemson Tigers in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels shot 36.9% from the field, their second-lowest output of the season.
*In the days since their first home loss of the season, Davis says the Tar Heels have been “much better’ in practice, highlighting their energy, enthusiasm, and attention to detail. He noted that the talking has been “back to normal in terms of communication on both ends of the floor.”
*Elliot Cadeau has struggled with his outside shot as of late, shooting just 23.5% (8-for-34) from the field over his last four games. He has also committed 14 fouls in that stretch, with no less than three per game. Davis spoke to Marcus Paige’s ability to help Cadeau throughout the course of the season and how impressed he is with the freshman guard’s ability to adapt to the college game.
*Defense for UNC had been the calling card, particularly during its 10-game winning streak, but Davis believes it has “not been as good as it was” over that stretch. He states that the Tar Heels have put together good defensive halves, but the consistency with the details of boxing out and guarding without fouling have had some “slippage.”
*Cormac Ryan finished Tuesday’s contest 1-for-10 from the field and 0-for-6 from three. He has shot just 17-for-59 from the floor and 25% from beyond the arc in the last six contests, but Davis reiterates how much more he brings to the table than his shooting ability. From his passing, rebounding, leadership, and effort, he impacts the game outside of the point column.
*Miami allows the fewest free throw attempts per game in the ACC and the fourth fewest in the country (12.8). UNC leads the league in that category, taking 24.5 per contest. In a matchup where something has to give, Davis expects this to be a key to success for the Tar Heels.