Tag: Hubert Davis

UNC sets team-best points total under Hubert Davis in blowout win over American

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The UNC men’s basketball program is one of the country’s best at executing the up-tempo offense – and turning that into extremely-high point totals.

Particularly since Hubert Davis took over for the legendary Roy Williams as North Carolina’s (2-1) head coach, it seems like the offense is even more dangerous.

Under Hubert, the Tar Heels have now scored 100 points in a game eight times, most recently reaching 107 in Friday night’s blowout victory over American. Elliot Cadeau and Jalen Washington scored 18 points apiece to lead UNC, Seth Trimble and RJ Davis each added 13, while Cade Tyson rounded out the double-figure scoring with 11 points.

North Carolina led the visiting Eagles (1-3) just 43-34 at the half – and its defense was susceptible to hot shooting early – but North Carolina made a quick imprint on its victory with 64 second-half points.

Not only was the Tar Heels’ second-half scoring output its most in a half under Hubert, but its 107 total was also the most in a game during the Hubert era.

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Defensively, UNC limited American to just 21 points and 14.7 percent shooting in the second half.

“For this team to play at that pace, it is all tied to defense,” Hubert said. “I mean, it was the same way in the second half against Kansas. I mean, we got stops, and when you get stops and you finish it with the rebound, we’re pretty good in transition. I said at the beginning of the year, in order for us to be good in transition, one, you’ve got to be in the best shape of your life. And, two, there needs to be a full commitment. And there’s been a full commitment with these guys in regards to sprinting to offense and just the unselfishness of pitching the ball ahead, seeing the open guy and having multiple guys when you pitch the ball ahead that actually can attack the basket and do something with it. I just think it’s a huge benefit for us.”

North Carolina was clearly the better team in every area Friday night, but like Hubert alluded to, the game was largely decided offensively in fast break points. The Tar Heels held a whopping 23-0 advantage over the Eagles, who entered Friday’s non-conference matchup as one of the country’s slowest teams.

UNC’s previous points high under Hubert was 105, when it beat Charleston Southern, 105-60, two days before New Year’s Eve last year. They also beat Syracuse 103-67 on Jan. 13 this year, College of Charleston 102-86 on Veteran’s Day in 2022, lost 103-101 to Alabama on Nov. 27, 2022, beat Tennessee 100-92 in Chapel Hill on Nov. 29 last year, dominated rival NC State 100-80 on Jan. 29, 2022 and The Citadel 100-67 on Dec. 13, 2022.

Just how many more times can North Carolina reach the century-point threshold this season?

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Hubert Davis praises rebounding from freshmen in first game

How did Ian Jackson and Drake Powell fare in their first collegiate basketball game?

The North Carolina Tar Heels barely avoided a massive upset in their 2024-2025 college basketball opener, thanks to their top returners and some needed defense late.

RJ Davis showed why he is the country’s best player, draining the tying jumper and, moments later, giving UNC the lead for good on one of his three 3-pointers. To no one’s surprise, Davis led all scorers with 24 points.

One of North Carolina’s key storylines entering the season was how much playing time their star freshmen: Drake Powell, Ian Jackson and James Brown, would get. Preseason predictions had Jackson in the starting lineup, with Powell playing plentiful minutes off the bench.

In Monday’s victory against Elon, Powell and Jackson didn’t have a massive impact on the scoresheet. They did, however, impress head coach Hubert Davis in their collegiate debut.

“I thought they did some really good things, both Ian and Drake,” Hubert said in the postgame press conference. “You know, one of the things that they just keep getting better every practice and every game. One of the things that I think people lose sight of is just to transition from high school to this level is real. And so you can be a McDonald’s All-American and still playing at this level, it takes time. I really love how they have bought in defensively. They do a good job, not particularly on the stat sheet, but they do a really good job of rebounding the basketball. And then on the offensive end, they can create, make shots, and so they’re going to play a ton of minutes this year. We need them to step up and be big. And I’m so glad that they’re here.”

Both Powell and Jackson came off the bench, with Powell seeing 17 minutes of action and Jackson seeing just 12.

Powell scored five points (2-of-8 shooting), recorded two rebounds, dished out two assists, stole the ball once and blocked a shot. Jackson also scored five points (2-of-7), plus he recorded a singular rebound.

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Projected UNC basketball starter named to Karl Malone Award Watch List

Cade Tyson, arguably UNC’s greatest addition from the college basketball transfer portal, earned some major preseason recognition on Halloween.

I was a little concerned when the college basketball offseason started, as the North Carolina Tar Heels struck out on several, high-profile transfer portal targets to replace production from last year’s veterans.

With the regular season starting in just a couple days, though, that concern is no longer.

Not even a month after the NCAA Tournament ended, UNC head coach Hubert Davis landed sharp-shooting power forward Cade Tyson, the in-state junior who played his first two seasons of college ball at Belmont University.

Tyson hasn’t played a game yet in Carolina Blue, but he’s already gaining some well-deserved preseason recognition.

On Halloween (Thursday, Oct. 31), Tyson was named to the Karl Malone Award Watch List. Tyson is one of 20 total honorees, plus just one of two from the ACC (Clemson’s Ian Schieffelin)

If you’re a fan of the Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Lakers or simply just basketball in general, you’re likely familiar with the Award’s namesake, as Malone is one of the best power forwards to ever play the game.

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Tyson is exactly the kind of player who fits the Tar Heels’ roster. He’s 6’7″ and can play at either the 3 or 4, possibly even the 5 in smaller lineups, sort of like a Brady Manek-type star.

More importantly for UNC, Tyson can shoot – and make – 3-pointers. His numbers at Belmont were unconscious: a career 44.6 percent mark from beyond the arc, highlighted by a season-high of 46.5% last year.

North Carolina isn’t always known for its perimeter shooting, so Tyson fills an immediate void. Tyson’s also the type of Stretch 4 that helped the Tar Heels to their surprise, 2022 NCAA Title Game run, with the only difference being his name isn’t Brady Manek.

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Hubert Davis earns spot in Top 25 coach rankings

Where does UNC basketball head coach Hubert Davis rank in the CBS Sports coach rankings?

North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis is heading into his fourth season in charge of the Tar Heels, making two Sweet 16 appearances, a Final Four appearance and has won an Atlantic Coast Conference regular season title.

As Davis goes into his fourth year, the expectations are high again for the program. And he’s considered as a top 25 coach for the upcoming season.

David Cobb of CBS Sports ranked his Top 25 and 1 coaches for the upcoming season, and after not being on the list last year, Davis is No. 22 this season. Here is what Cobb said about Davis as he’s going into his fourth year:

North Carolina won the ACC outright by two games in 2024, marking Davis’ first league title in three seasons on the job. With All-American guard RJ Davis back for a fifth season, the Tar Heels are poised to challenge for league supremacy again. Succeeding a legend like Roy Williams is a tall task, but Davis is handling it with a deft touch. (N/A)

The notable coaches that Davis is behind in the rankings include No. 1 Dan Hurley, No. 2 Bill Self, No. 5 Nate Oats, No. 9 Rick Pitino, and No. 17 Jon Scheyer. You can see the full list here.

Davis still has a lot to prove going into this season but he has a talented roster again that is motivated by a Sweet 16 loss a year ago.

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Hubert Davis praises closeness and passion of this year’s team at ACC Tipoff

Despite UNC having a roster filled with underclassmen and transfers, head coach Hubert Davis is ecstatic about who he has to work with this coming season.

Entering his fourth season as head coach of the UNC men’s basketball team, Hubert Davis will have one of his youngest rosters to work with.

North Carolina welcomes freshmen James Brown, Drake Powell and Ian Jackson. Powell and Jackson are expected to have multiple starts between them, while Brown is part of a suddenly-deep rotation at center with juniors Jalen Washington and Ven-Allen Lubin.

Other underclassmen on the Tar Heels also have sophomore guard Elliot Cadeau, freshman guard Dante Mayo Jr., sophomore Russell Hawkins and freshman John Holbrook.

Rounding out UNC’s roster is reigning ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis, defensive ace Seth Trimble, junior transfer Cade Tyson, fifth-year Jae’Lyn Withers and senior Elijah Davis, who is Hubert’s son.

Despite North Carolina’s new look, Hubert spoke highly of his players – both old and new – at the ACC Tipoff event on Thursday in Charlotte, N.C.

“I’ve been really pleased with this group in terms of their commitment and wanting to be a team,” Hubert said at the Tar Heels’ press conference during ACC Tipoff. “It’s not just on the court, but off the court. Everyone goes to the meal room, where they will move individual tables together so everybody’s sitting at one table. I know that sounds small and insignificant, but it’s of tremendous significance for us – to become a team and having a desire, a passion and a thirst to be one – and to be the best that we can be. Also, something that sticks out is just the way that each one of the players has valued the gifts and talents that others have brought to the table. We always say you have to acknowledge it, you have to celebrate it and our guys do that every day, whether it’s practice or off the court. That’s just going to be huge for us.”

There’s just under a month until UNC’s first regular-season game, when it welcomes in-state opponent Elon to the Dean Dome on Monday, Nov. 4 for a 9 p.m. tip-off. Hubert still has plenty of time to figure out which rotations work best for him, but luckily for Hubert, he has the good issue of talent sprinkled across the roster.

North Carolina’s off-the-court actions might not seem like a big deal to fans, but trust me, it’ll help big-time on the court.

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UNC basketball sophomore praised highly of offseason work

Could a huge sophomore leap be in store for this UNC basketball player? Hubert Davis thinks so.

Elliot Cadeau heads into his sophomore season this year with UNC basketball. According to 247sports, Cadeau came out of high school at Link Academy with a 98 rating. He was the No. 12 player in the nation and No. 2 point guard in the Class of 2023.

In his freshman season, he didn’t come into North Carolina and start immediately. However, he grew into a starting role quickly with his ball-facilitating capabilities.

He averaged 7.3 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game in 37 games last season. He shot 41.7% from the field and 18.9% from beyond the arc.

It got to such a low point last year that teams were purposely leaving Cadeau alone outside the arc because he shot so poorly from the mid-range to the three. However, on top of passing, his ability to get to the rim was unmatched.

Heading into his second year with UNC basketball, Cadeau has been working hard to improve the weaker areas of his game.

Hubert Davis echoed this praise about Cadeau at the ACC Tipoff event yesterday.

“You will not recognize him this year,” said Davis, “He’s worked extremely hard this summer. He’s consistently knocking down threes, mid-range jump shots … the progression of the maturity and the leadership he brings is off the charts.”

If Cadeau can get his three-point shooting percentage up and keep defenders honest out wide, then it will not only allow him the opportunity to make threes, but it will also open up opportunities to drive to the basket more.

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Hubert Davis praises RJ Davis’ all-around leadership at ACC Tipoff

RJ Davis is the ultimate leader. According to UNC head coach Hubert Davis, RJ’s leadership started the second he stepped on campus.

Ever since he stepped on campus ahead of the COVID-altered, 2020-2021 college basketball season, RJ Davis has carved out a name for himself as one of the North Carolina Tar Heels’ all-time greats.

Davis is one of the best pure scorers I can ever remember playing at UNC. Davis averaged 8.4 points per game and started just 10 of North Carolina’s 29 games in his freshman year. Since then, Davis has started 108 of 109 games and is fresh off the best season of his career, averaging 21.1 points per game and winning ACC Player of the Year.

One could make the case that RJ didn’t become a leader until the 2023-2024 campaign, but according to Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis at ACC Tipoff on Thursday, RJ has been a leader since Day One.

“It’s not a transition from last year to this year,” Hubert said at UNC’s press conference during ACC Tipoff. “RJ has been a leader in the five years that he’s been here. One of the things that we talk at great length, with each of our players is for them to be elite in three areas: on the court, off the court, in the classroom. I can’t think of anybody better than RJ, he’s checked all three of those boxes for five straight years. He’s had a historic career: ACC Player of the Year, First Team All-American. For him to stay in that spot and be disconnected with the others, his ability to reach out and connect the three freshmen, the three transfers, the four walk-ons and being able to bind us together as a team, has been something that’s been really special to all of us.”

You can bet that this coming season, especially with no more Armando Bacot, Harrison Ingram or Cormac Ryan, RJ will become an even better leader. RJ is THE veteran – both on and off the court – and UNC is extremely lucky he decided to return for one final year.

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UNC head coach points to non-conference schedule to prepare team

Hubert Davis discusses the upcoming non-conference schedule for UNC basketball this season.

North Carolina basketball is at the ACC Tipoff media event presented by T. Rowe Price today and Hubert Davis stood in front of reporters to answer presented questions including his thoughts on the ACC and his schedule.

Davis was asked by a reporter about how the ACC play prepares teams for March [Madness]. Including in his question a statement made by Jim Phillips on the state of the ACC being “undervalued.”

“Obviously, I’m extremely biased,” Davis said. “I understand the history and significance of being a member of this conference. For us to be successful, one of the things we talk about is our non-conference schedule. And being challenged in that area to prepare us for our conference and prepares us when we get to the NCAA Tournament … It puts all of us in a position to be successful in the postseason.”

In a graphic shown during the event, the ACC has a .731 winning percentage in NCAA Tournaments since 2000. That ranks No. 1 ahead of the Big Ten at .728. The ACC has also won a total of eight national championships in that period compared to four total from the Big Ten, Pac 12, and Big 12 combined.

The UNC basketball non-conference schedule includes a road game at Kansas on November 8th, a reunion at home against Alabama in the ACC/SEC Challenge on December 4th, and a possible game against UConn on November 27th in Hawaii.

The Tar Heels will kick off their season at the Smith Center in Chapel Hill against Elon on November 4th at 9:00 p.m. ET.

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Coaches and teammates gives high praise to UNC freshman

Jalen Washington and Hubert Davis had some high praise on impact of this freshman.

With basketball season just around the corner, reporters got an opportunity today to sit down with Tar Heel basketball players and discuss each other, the team, and the upcoming season from their perspective.

Specifically one of the interviews that stood out was Jalen Washington. With Armando Bacot out the door, there is a gaping hole in the middle of the paint that will need to be filled, and Washington is the perfect person for the job.

However, during his interview and among the questions about him stepping up and playing a bigger role, he was asked about his impression of freshman Drake Powell. Washington was quick to give Powell high praise saying “I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone with as much raw talent as him.”

Washington went on to tell of a story of Powell playing defensive back on a defensive fast break shutting down the opposite team’s capabilities.

It wasn’t only Washington that was impressed with Powell’s presence. Head coach Hubert Davis had this to say about the freshman.

For a guy to be as talented as he is, he is equally and probably even more humble. Just enjoys and loves being a part of a team. His athleticism and length from a defensive standpoint, is just off the chart. And talking about making impact plays on a number of different areas, he’s somebody who checks boxes all over the place. And so when you bring that type of level of player here, but brings in a team first, humble attitude, that’s something that you always want. And I’m so glad that Drake is here.

The team is shaping up to be one that can make a serious run at winning an ACC and NCAA title this season. Complete with veteran leadership, talented shooters, and young playmakers, North Carolina is poised for a big year.

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UNC basketball preparing for BIG official visit this weekend

The North Carolina Tar Heels are welcoming AJ Dybantsa to town for a historic basketball recruiting visit Friday. Can UNC land a commitment?

The AJ Dybantsa sweepstakes are alive and well in Chapel Hill, as the North Carolina Tar Heels are one of seven lucky programs vying for a commitment from the Class of 2025’s top-ranked recruit.

And this weekend, the Tar Heels have the chance to impress the talented recruit.

Dybantsa will be visiting Chapel Hill for an official visit this weekend, starting on Friday. It’s one of a few visits set for Dybantsa this fall and it could be an impactful one.

This isn’t just any visit. Not only does Dybantsa coming to North Carolina give Hubert Davis a chance to earn his greatest recruiting victory, but Dybantsa is also the first top overall recruit to visit the Tar Heels since Andrew Wiggins in 2013.

Let’s see what Dybantsa, the 6’9″ wing who averaged nearly 23 points per game on the Nike EYBL circuit this summer, has to say about UNC ahead of his official visit.

“I like it a lot – Chapel Hill,” Dybantsa told InsideCarolina’s Sherrell McMillan. “They have a lot of (professional) wings… He (Hubert Davis) was telling me I’ll play the wing role there. I’ll play on-ball and off-ball, I’ll be a two-way player – I’ll be a do-it-all wing.”

There’s no word yet on what Hubert has in store for Dybantsa’s visit, but I bet it’ll include practice time with current players, a tour of every single basketball facility and some time at the UNC-James Madison football game on Saturday afternoon.

Can the Tar Heels, who are competing for Dybantsa with Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, BYU, Kansas and Kansas State, deliver an unforgettable experience that’ll get Dybantsa to commit before he flies back to Utah?

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