FORT WORTH, TX – North Carolina’s starting five plus head coach Hubert Davis met with the media Friday afternoon inside Dickies Arena to discuss their matchup with Baylor, which takes place here Saturday at 12:10 PM.

The eighth-seeded Tar Heels and top-seeded Bears will battle for a spot in the Sweet 16 of the East Region, which will be played next week in Philadelphia.

UNC is coming off a 95-63 victory over Marquette in the first round, which is the largest margin of victory ever in an NCAA Tournament game between eight and nine seeds. The defending national champion, Baylor is coming off an 85-49 victory over Norfolk State in the first round.

Below is the full transcript and video of the press conference:

THE MODERATOR: Welcome the student-athletes from North Carolina. Closest to me, Mr. Black, followed by Mr. Love, Mr. Davis, Mr. Bacot, and Mr. Manek.

Take questions here in the room and also from Zoom, if there any. Be sure to raise your hand virtually and we will get to you in a bit.

Start on the left-hand side, in the middle.

Q. Brady, you have considerable experience going up Coach Drew's teams. What is a common thread that, even though the personnel may have changed, that they always apply it on the court?

BRADY MANEK: Yeah, they're always defensively sound. They're a really good basketball team. And he does a good job, whether it's defense or offense, getting his guys to play together. They're going to be a tough opponent for us.

Q. This question's also for Brady. Just wondering what's it meant for you to just be embraced by the Carolina community fans, program after just one year here?

BRADY MANEK: Yeah, it's special. It's very different than what I've been used to. And, you know, it's just awesome to be able to know -- knowing that when I came in I only had one year. But just being accepted by everybody and just having an awesome year. It's been unbelievable.

Q. This is for any of you guys. You've been deemed the iron five on Twitter just with the minutes you've put in. What does that mean to you, to your toughness, and how have you been gel altogether as a starting five?

LEAKY BLACK: Yeah, I feel like it just shows how mentally tough this group is. Being able to play every minute of every game if we need to, it really shows how tough we are.

CALEB LOVE: Yeah, just like Leaky said, us being out there, we got a lot of good chemistry with our five and just us being out there. It just shows how gelled we are and how, you know, how defensively sound and offensively our chemistry is there and stuff like that.

THE MODERATOR: Mr. Davis, your thoughts.

RJ DAVIS: I just think our ability to stick together through thick and thin when things don't go our way, or when things do go our way. We just always talk about staying together. We're all we got. And our ability to, like Leaky said, play every minute from first half to second half, it just shows our toughness.

ARMANDO BACOT: I think it's a lot of fun, being able to play all those minutes. I like being on the court.

THE MODERATOR: Mr. Manek, you want to finish the thought?

BRADY MANEK: Yeah, it's a really good group of guys. We play well together and have had a good year. I don't want it to end yet.

Q. This message is for -- this question is for RJ. You guys were considered a borderline NCAA team following that home loss to Pitt. Since then, you've won seven of eight, including the big win at Duke. What do you think changed in this stretch for you guys to put yourselves in the position so that you're playing and you're beating Baylor tomorrow?

RJ DAVIS: I would say our preparation and mindset, going to practice, into the games. We knew the potential of this team coming into this season. And we just wanted to turned it around. We knew after the loss to Pitt, that wasn't the way we wanted to play.

So from that point on, I think we just turned it around and started to compete. And everyone bought into their roles and that's kind of what we've been buying into.

THE MODERATOR: Next-to-last row on the right.

Q. This is for Armando. Mando, you've been systemically erasing Bryce's name from several records recently. Just wondering, you know, it's kind of you to do that. But have you had a chance to connect with Bryce about the double-double record or the rebounding record?

ARMANDO BACOT: No, I haven't had a chance to talk to him yet. But we see a lot of guys like are Bryce, and they come back during the summer. So I'm pretty sure when he'll come back in the summer there will be some trash talk and I'll mess with him a little bit about it.

Q. This question is for Caleb. You've talked to us all season long just with the emphasis that shooters shoot. But how important is it for you seeing that first one go down? And how much confidence does that give you against kind of a tough start?

CALEB LOVE: It gives me a lot of confidence, you know, seeing that first one go through. And just seeing it go through the hoop, just giving me a lot of confidence. And then it opens up the floor for everybody else.

If I'm hitting, then it opens up the floor for RJ or Leaky or Brady. And so, it just opens up the floor. So if I'm on -- like I said, it just opens up everything else.

THE MODERATOR: Stay on the left side on the back.

Q. This question is for any of you guys. Coach Davis is always talking about his stories and experiences, as well as the staff of playing at Carolina. I was curious if he's mentioned the game from 1990 when Carolina, as an eight seed, beat No. 1 seed, Oklahoma, if that has come up any time this week?

CALEB LOVE: No, he hasn't mentioned that.

RJ DAVIS: Coach Williams did last year, I think, though.

ARMANDO BACOT: He was just telling us that it's been done before, and it's something that can happen.

THE MODERATOR: On the right in the middle.

Q. Hey, Brady, I was just wondering: You know, last season, you went through some health issues with your lungs and getting COVID. What was that like going through that? And then as you sit here now, you know, how do you think about your decision to transfer here and how everything's gone?

BRADY MANEK: Yeah, actually I got hurt against Baylor. That one hurt a lot. That wasn't fun. But, yeah, you know, that didn't really have anything to do with my decision to leave or whatever. But, you know, just my decision to come to North Carolina has been awesome and it's been amazing, and it's been a great year.

THE MODERATOR: Staying on the right side, one row further back.

Q. This one is for Caleb and Brady. Of course, y'all had a strong outside shooting performance yesterday in Baylor and the game before did as well. So I wanted to ask: How much do you think the battle from downtown is going to impact the way tomorrow's game plays out?

CALEB LOVE: As far as on the defensive end for us, I just feel like we just got to contain their drive. They're more of a driving team than a shooting team. But also contain the three, as well. So we're going to do that.

But on the offensive end, we're just going to take what the defense gives us, do whatever the Coach tells us to do. As far as moving the ball, getting the ball inside to Armando and Brady and them. I just feel like we're going to stick to our game plan and everything else will work out.

BRADY MANEK: Yeah, I'd say our best offense comes from our defensive end, us getting stops leads to transition points, guys getting open. And I think a big part of our game tomorrow will be how do we play defensively.

THE MODERATOR: On the left side.

Q. Brady, Coach Drew kind of joked that the beard doesn't hide the player that you are, he knows what kind of player you are. And one of their players said that you're a lot more aggressive when they've watched you on film at Carolina. You're almost a year removed from last playing at Oklahoma. How are you different and what kind of differences will they see tomorrow that some of those guys hadn't seen from you before?

BRADY MANEK: I would say the confidence level of playing, making shots, having these guys trust me and throw me the ball. It's been fun. And, you know, I've been able to put the ball on the floor more. A little bit more -- I wouldn't say freedom, but just a little bit more confidence of being able to put the ball on the floor.

Q. This question is for RJ and Leaky. With your guys' assist numbers that you guys had yesterday, how can you try to replicate that performance tomorrow against an equally, if not more athletic team in Baylor?

LEAKY BLACK: I feel like just getting the ball down low to Armando first, you know, letting them sink in. They're going to have to double them off, I feel like, and that will free up Caleb and RJ and Brady to hit the outside shots.

And just starting low and starting at the rim, and then being able to kick it out, that will give Caleb and RJ more time to shoot the ball.

RJ DAVIS: I would say just playing off instincts, letting the flow of the game work itself on out, whether that's getting the ball down low to Armando, finding Brady, Caleb open for three, or Leaky in transition. Just continue with our game plan and continue doing what works for us.

Q. Building off of Gregory's question, Leaky, I know given everything you're asked to do defensively and shouldering that offensive load, how do you work at balancing both sides of the court?

LEAKY BLACK: I don't think it's hard. You know, these guys are very gifted offensively. So I feel like, you know, it makes my job simple. You know, I don't get to rest on offense. But, so to speak, I feel like I do get to rest on offense and have to pick it up more so on the defensive end. And it just makes my job easy.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for the student-athletes? One more on the left, and then another on the right after that.

Q. This is for any of you guys. Last week after you lost to Virginia Tech, Coach Davis said that he thought that you were physically tired. You've had some time off for yesterday's game, but you have to play a quick one again tomorrow. How much did the margin yesterday in some of you guys be able to come out a little bit early help the legs? And are legs a concern at all at this point?

ARMANDO BACOT: I mean, I would say for most of us, especially with it being tournament time, like, there's no time for us to be tired and make excuses for ourselves. I mean, we get a day of rest in between, and then we get a few days off, and then you get to play again. So I don't think that will be a problem.

THE MODERATOR: On the right side.

CALEB LOVE: Yeah, just to build off of what Armando said as far as tournament time, it's win or go home. If Coach needs us out there for 40 minutes, then that's what we're going to do. We don't care how long we're out there.

Q. You know, Coach Davis' first season here, first win in the NCAA tournament for him, as well as some of you guys. What do you think it meant to get that for him, and do you feel like he's proven that he can be the Carolina coach for however many years now here on out?

RJ DAVIS: It meant a lot. I think Coach Davis wants the best for us and he wants us to experience the things that he experienced.

You know, for us last year, for the returning players, the first round, first game, it wasn't the way we expected it. So coming into this tournament this year, we wanted a different outcome.

And we're going to continue to improve and progress in the ways that we know we can. And so far, I'm enjoying the experience.

ARMANDO BACOT: Yeah, I would say, too, Coach Davis, I think, just with this group and us turning around kind of our season after the two losses versus Miami and Wake Forest, he's done a great job.

And also with losing -- who was a huge piece to our team, and definitely a guy, a veteran that we could have used towards this time. And Dawson, too, not being here. That's like them two combined like 20 points off the board that we didn't have. And for us to figure it all out and get to this point through Coach Davis, I feel like he did a tremendous job on the first year.

Q. Anybody who feels inclined. What are those Wilson basketballs -- how much of an adjustment was it for you? What is it like playing with those? Is it a major difference, subtle differences?

RJ DAVIS: I mean, they feel good. It's easy to pass, easy to make shots with. So the feel of the Wilson basketball is nothing -- not much of a difference.

CALEB LOVE: Yeah, I mean, they got a good grip to them. They do feel good.

Q. This is for any of you guys. Armando just talked about Dawson, I was curious if any of you guys had a chance to chat with him before or after the game yesterday?

ARMANDO BACOT: (Laughing)

Q. All right. Enough said. Cool.

THE MODERATOR: Anything else for the student-athletes? Two more. All right, inside.

Q. This is for RJ and Leaky. Armando had referenced the Miami and Wake Forest games. Sometimes it takes some adversity to see what people are made of. I'm just wondering about Coach Davis with this being his first year, after those games, was there anything that he did that maybe surprised you and maybe how he changed his approach with you guys, you know, over the past two months?

LEAKY BLACK: Yeah, I think it was after the -- was it the Wake Forest -- I want to say the Wake Forest game, he came into the locker room the next day and we were all thinking we were going to get chewed out. But he just came in super positive, saying we could accomplish all our goals. And I feel like that was a turning point in our season, seeing how positive he was.

RJ DAVIS: I mean, definitely. It was after the Wake Forest game. He definitely came in with some positive words and the practice was positive. You know, we came in ready to work. And we all had a mindset of turning this whole thing around.

It was a long season ahead. We still had a lot of games left. So he didn't want us to get too down on ourselves. It was just more about locking in and focusing on what we had to accomplish, not what everyone else was saying about us.

THE MODERATOR: Anything else for the student-athletes? Go to the right, and then to the left for the last question.

Q. This one is for Armando. You talked a lot about packing this week, packing ahead, the clothes for four or five days. Have you thought about the next round of packing here? I know I'm kind of running out here after the tournament and getting here.

ARMANDO BACOT: No, not at all. I feel like that was a lot of our problems in the beginning of the year, just looking ahead and looking forward. But you can ask me that after tomorrow and then I'll have an answer for that.

THE MODERATOR: All right. Back on left, second row.

Q. This question is for all of you guys. You guys have had some early games this year. I'm wondering what you think about the 11:00 o'clock start here, Central. And when's the last time you played this early, probably AU?

ARMANDO BACOT: I love playing this early. 12:00 o'clock games, that's, like, my favorite game to play. There's not much of a build up to the game. You're not sitting around all day. You can just wake up, eat, and then go straight to the game. So I love an early start.

THE MODERATOR: Anybody else want to add to that? No? Okay. If not, guys, we'll see you tomorrow. Thank you.

THE MODERATOR: With Head Coach Hubert Davis of the North Carolina Tar Heels. No opening statement today. We'll just go straight to questions. Back right.

HUBERT DAVIS: (laughing).

Q. Hey, Hubert, you've had a limited rotation all season long. It's kind of something you've adjusted to early on. Baylor has had more of a limited rotation down the stretch due to injuries. Do you think that's maybe a facet of tomorrow's game, you might be able to take advantage of them adjusting to that?

HUBERT DAVIS: Baylor is such a good basketball team. You know, they -- they're outstanding defensively. For two reasons: One, team defense-wise, their togetherness on the defensive end is really good. And then they also have good individual defenders.

Offensively, they've got a number of guys, dynamic scorers that can create shots for themselves and for their teammates in a one-on-one situation.

So, yeah, our rotation has been limited pretty much for the majority of the season. But I really felt like Dontrez and Puff came in yesterday and they gave us some valuable minutes off the bench. And so whether you play one minute or 30 minutes, you can do something out there on the floor that can be a huge benefit for our team.

And I feel like guys off the bench, whether they do get one or 30 minutes, they've always come in and been able to make an impact. And my hope is that they'll make an impact tomorrow against Baylor.

Q. Hey, Hubert. Have you gotten a chance to wrap your mind around the things that happened last night? It's, obviously, a historic program and a lot of program records were broken. So have you gotten a chance to think about what you guys were able to accomplished on that front?

HUBERT DAVIS: Not really. I haven't had much time to think about anything over the last 11 and a half months. But I was very happy and very proud of the guys.

You know, Armando, he's been here three years and that was his first NCAA tournament win. RJ and Caleb and Kerwin are sophomores. And last year, we lost to Wisconsin in the first round. So just to see their smiles, to see their reactions of putting North Carolina to the next round, that was something that was a great joy to me.

And so, that's the only thing from last night's game that I thought about, was I was just really happy for the guys and just to see their smiles and how much they enjoyed the moment was something that put a smile on my face.

THE MODERATOR: Right-hand side in the middle.

Q. I remember before the season we would ask you about what your plans were for the job. And you were, like, I played, I coached, I was in the media. I think it's going to be okay. But, I mean, first NCAA tournament win, even given all that, how much validation or, I don't know, knowing that things are working did you feel after last night?

HUBERT DAVIS: I don't feel that way at all. You know, I -- as I said before, I look at this job as missionary work. I've been given an opportunity to be the head coach for this program and be a part of this program for the last 10 years, and having a chance to play here.

Every day I get a front-row seat to be able to help out these kids. And it puts me in a place of humbleness and thankfulness and appreciation to be a part of their lives.

And I don't feel any personal validation at all. This is 100 percent, absolutely nothing about me. This is 100 percent giving back to each one of those players, everything Coach Smith and Coach Guthridge gave to me while I was at North Carolina, and everything that Coach Williams gave to all the players the last 18 years that he was head coach.

It has nothing personal about me.

Q. Hubert, both teams like to value the transition game so much --

HUBERT DAVIS: Yeah.

Q. -- as a part of their offense. And so, I asked Scott about this, but from your perspective, what's going to be key for you guys to maybe try and limit what Baylor can do when it gets into transition, since that's part of what's both team's DNA?

HUBERT DAVIS: Well, there's a number of factors that can keep a team out of transition. No. 1, we got to take care of the basketball. Baylor does a great job of creating turnovers. And earlier in the year, that was an area where we really struggled. And teams were being able to score consistently in transition because we weren't taking care of the basketball.

I think another factor is taking good shots. I think when you take bad shots, to me, bad shots are the same as turnovers. And so, it's important for us to get quality shots.

And then the last thing is, it's important for us to make shots. You know, you start making shots, now they have to take the ball out of bounds and they're coming up against a set defense.

So taking care of the basketball, making shots, taking good shots, and also attacking the basket to post to penetration so that we can get fouled and to the free-throw line.

Statistically in ACC, we're the best free-throw shooting team in our conference. That's a big part of us from an offensive standpoint, buty it's also a huge part for us defensively to make sure teams are playing against our set defense.

THE MODERATOR: Second row on the right.

Q. Coach, with Baylor losing Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua and what he does inside and on the boards and what Armando's able to do rebounding-wise, what have you seen, at least on tape, how Baylor has adapted to having that one less big guy on the rebounding inside?

HUBERT DAVIS: Well, Baylor is the defending national champions and the No. 1 seed because they have more than one guy. They're an outstanding team.

And one of the areas that they are terrific at is rebounding the basketball on both ends of the floor. It's something that we have talked about, you know, yesterday, today, in terms of trying to limit Baylor to one shot every possession. Because we know that a huge part of their offense is getting second-chance opportunities.

For the same thing for us, you know, one of the things that -- a foundation piece for our program is getting second-chance opportunities. So I always say, let's get shots, let's get good shots. But if we get good shots, we're either going to make them. And if we miss, because of our pursuit of the offensive glass, we're going to get second-chance opportunities.

So it's a great matchup of two teams that -- talented teams that like to get out in transition, they like to get second-chance opportunities, that get after it on the defensive end.

And so it'll be a challenge for us, but we're really excited about the opportunity tomorrow morning.

Q. Coach, what kind of presence has Armando been for you guys? And just how has he opened up things for everybody else?

HUBERT DAVIS: Well, it's -- you know, it's having somebody that's consistently able to -- somebody thinks I need -- is this Sprite, water? Okay. Thank you. (Laughing)

Armando's just -- everybody wants somebody that, No. 1, can rebound the basketball consistently; and No. 2, can consistently score around the basket. And that's what he's been for us.

I mean, the numbers that he has put up has been historic, whether it's in our program or just in Division I. I mean, his ability to rebound on both ends, stay out of foul trouble, be able to score consistently around the basket. And he's also a rim protector.

So many times guards are trying to penetrate, get to the rim, and if he doesn't block it, he'll alter those shots. I'm really so proud of Armando.

The work that he -- that's the thing that you guys don't get an opportunity to see, is to see all the hard work that these kids put in the offseason, the things that they do before and after practice. The things that they do before class, you know, early mornings, late nights.

And to see all that hard work come out in the way that he has played, it's really a pleasure to watch.

THE MODERATOR: Right side.

Q. Coach, this was a regional field with the three teams that have won more national championships than anybody. You have Kansas playing on the same floor with multiple titles. Baylor is a defending champion. What do you know about Scott Drew and what he has done at Baylor? He's been there a long time, but he kind of developed it in the Big 12 and on the big stage. What do you think of Scott and what do you know about him?

HUBERT DAVIS: Well, I go to the a chance to know Scott, really, when I was with ESPN and spent so many times doing Big 12 games. And when I was on game day, we had one at Waco. And so, I was able to spend time with him there.

Not only is he, obviously, an outstanding coach, just the way that he relates to people and to his players, they love playing for him. Obviously, knows the game. But I think the foundation of what makes him such a great coach is his relationships with his players. And they play hard for him.

And the success that he's had at Baylor is something that is not a surprise to me. He's somebody that any kid would want to play for. And I'm excited that we have an opportunity to play against him tomorrow.

THE MODERATOR: On the left.

Q. Hubert, leaky has talked about the level of confidence that the team has now, even after the ACC tournament loss. In what tangible ways have you seen the conference level rise to make you better in certain areas?

HUBERT DAVIS: Success. I think we've won 13 out of the last 16 games, something like that, the last seven out of the last eight.

And, you know, all the things that we had talked about and the things that we had worked on all year, for that to come out being successful in games, whether it's late game situations, execution throughout the game, it's really put ourselves in a position to be very confident about what we're doing out there on the floor.

I've said this a couple times, that I said, you know, this is the healthiest that this team has been all season, the most together that this team has been all season.

And I really think that togetherness and the health of this team is built on the confidence that we're building throughout the year.

You know, this year was a year of newness. You know, this is the first year that I was, you know, head coach and, you know, have Brady and so many new faces. It takes time to build those types of relationships.

And throughout the year, I just have felt us becoming closer together. And I think that is a huge reason why, us as a team, feel really confident about who we are and what we need to do out there on the floor.

THE MODERATOR: Far right side.

Q. Hubert, your team is 18-zero and it has at least 15 assists. So coming off the performance you guys had yesterday with 29, how can you try to replicate it and keep those assist numbers high with such an athletic Baylor team tomorrow?

HUBERT DAVIS: Yeah, I really like how many -- how we were sharing the basketball. One of the things I always say is, we want -- from an offensive standpoint, we want spacing and balance and we want a combination of player and ball movement. And that's what we had yesterday.

And when we're sharing the basketball and we're allowing everybody to play a part on the offensive end, I think we're very difficult to play. We've got a number of guys that can shoot the basketball. We've got guys that can penetrate and get to the lane and finish. And it stretches teams out.

And, you know, another stat that I even tell the team is that -- I think we're 14-0 when Caleb has five or more assists. Well, that's something that I reasoned him before every game, is that I love when you shoot the ball extremely well, but when you're making plays, not just for yourself, but for others, that takes us to a different level.

And then RJ, I think he set a tie or a record for assists in the NCAA tournament, not only 12 assists, but one turnover. It's just fantastic.

Q. Coach, you guys have said a few times in the last month plus or so the value of what they learned the week of the Miami and Wake Forest games. And Leaky reiterated it here a few minutes ago, the importance of how you approached them the next day, that being one of the turning points. Can there be something similar said about the Pitt loss at home about something that was learned from that experience, maybe a reminder?

HUBERT DAVIS: Yeah, I wasn't nice after the Pitt loss. After we lost to Miami and Wake, it was, like, guys, I love you. After the Pitt loss, it was, guys, get over here. (Laughing)

Q. Was there a similar amount of learning that they got from that, lessons they got from that, maybe a reminder about approaching things?

HUBERT DAVIS: Maybe. After we lost to Pitt, we watched tape the next day. And I just -- I put together 20 clips. And I showed them that 20 times from a defensive standpoint that we did something that wasn't drilled, wasn't coached, wasn't taught, and wasn't practiced.

And I just told them, I just -- it confused me that we would try to do something in a game that we had not taught, hadn't talked about, hadn't practiced, and hadn't drilled. And then we went out and practiced and we had probably our best practice of the season.

And after practice, I said, why would you guys play this hard against each other and not play against an opponent? And they -- for whatever reason, that seemed to resonate in them.

And when we went up to Virginia Tech, we were more together than any time during the season. And we were up there to compete.

And I really felt like that Pitt loss reminded us of the way that we felt on that bus ride coming back from Wake Forest, and that we didn't want to have that feeling again.

THE MODERATOR: All the way in the back on right.

Q. Hubert, Baylor plays that aggressive defense. How challenging is that to get ready for in a day and a half? Is there any team you've played you feel has a similar defensive style?

HUBERT DAVIS: Yeah, Marquette. They're very physical. Virginia Tech, very physical. Virginia, very physical. At Duke, very physical. And so, you know, we played athletic, talented, physical teams throughout the entire season.

And, obviously, Baylor's an unbelievable and awesome team. And it'll be a challenge for us tomorrow. But it's something that we're really excited about. It's something that we feel prepared for. And we're up for the challenge to be able to compete and see what we can do against Baylor tomorrow.

THE MODERATOR: Staying on the right side, third row.

Q. Hubert, Brady has a big game yesterday, obviously. What do you make from his story as a whole and the lessons that can be drawn from it?

HUBERT DAVIS: Well, he had, like, 45, 50 family members here yesterday. And I was just really happy for him. His brother, Kellen, this was the first time that he got to see Brady play in person yesterday because he was going through his season.

And so it's hard for me to talk about, to think about, and to put it into perspective what Brady has meant to this team, to this program, and to me.

For a kid that has never lived outside of the state of Oklahoma, for him, in five days, to commit to play for me my first year as head coach and to come to North Carolina, and for this relationship to fit as perfectly as it has, on and off the court, I just don't think it happens like that all the time. It just doesn't.

You know, I've said this 50,000 times, the only bad part about coaching Brady is, is that I only get to coach him this one year. I wish he would have a double COVID year or something that I could coach him again, because he's been fantastic. I love that dude to death.

THE MODERATOR: Don't wish another COVID year upon us, Coach.

HUBERT DAVIS: Well, not a COVID year. You know what I'm saying. No COVID year.

THE MODERATOR: All right. Stay on the right.

HUBERT DAVIS: (Laughing)

Q. Coach, staying with Brady. I know you as a staff will prepare the scout for them. But how much, if at all, do you guys rely on his on-court experience playing against Baylor the last several years?

HUBERT DAVIS: Well, Baylor is, you know, as the great as they are, they're a different team than they were last year. We don't really lean on that type of experience from him, in giving us insight into Baylor.

I know that he's played them a number of times, and I know that he enjoyed his experience at playing in the Big 12. And to say that we're playing Baylor in the NCAA tournament is pretty cool.

And so I'm really excited and happy for him. I know that he's had some battles with Baylor. And it'll be exciting to see him play against a familiar opponent.

THE MODERATOR: Time for two more on the left in the front row.

Q. Coach, sticking with Brady one more. Coach Drew mentioned that he said, you know, he can grow his beard out and try to hide, but we know who he is. Is there any magic in the beard? Have you encouraged it or what's going on there?

HUBERT DAVIS: I don't really care, as long as he hits, makes shots, and continues to be the person that he is. It is long. He needs to get it cut. But I've seen pictures of him when he's -- you know, when he is shaved and he looks 11.

And so I think he grows the beard to seem like he's a little bit older. But his beard is long. (Laughing.) But I do not mind, because the way that he plays, and just the type of kid and the person he is, he's a joy to be around.

THE MODERATOR: Last one on the right.

HUBERT DAVIS: That would be interesting. Because when I played at Carolina, I wondered what Coach Smith would do. You weren't allowed to have facial hair.

So when I was in college, like, if you wanted to have a beard, you needed to go to Coach Smith and give him a note from a doctor to say you had a skin condition in order that you couldn't shave.

So I wonder if Coach Smith would allow Brady to play. I would think he would. He would change that rule just a smidge for Brady to be out there. (Laughing.)

Q. I wanted to actually ask you about Kendall at Baylor, of course, he's not much of an outside shooter, but he's good at getting the rest of the offense involved over there. So what have you noticed from his game in preparation for tomorrow and what kind of challenges do you think that he presents in that backcourt matchup?

HUBERT DAVIS: Well, you know, it presents a number of problems. You know, his athleticism, his ability to understand how to make plays, not just for himself, but for others.

His quickness, his ability defensively to create plays and create havoc on the defensive end that allow them to be able to get out in transition. He's a fantastic player.

But there's a number of fantastic players there. It's not about individuals for Baylor. They're great because they have a collection of great players. They're a terrific team.

And so -- and they're used to winning. They have a culture of winning. They're addicted to success. And that's why they're defending national champions and that's why they're a No. 1 seed.

As I said before, it'll be a challenge for us tomorrow. But we feel like that we have put ourselves in a position to step up to that challenge and to be able to compete and enjoy being in that stage and competing, as well.

THE MODERATOR: Coach, we have exhausted our time with you. Thank you very much.

HUBERT DAVIS: Okay. No more COVID years. Apologies. (Laughing.)