Tag: Hubert Davis

2024 top-25 prospect says UNC among three prioritizing him

The Tar Heels are actively pursuing 2024 high end four-star Jason Asemota and should be receiving a visit in the ‘near future’.

With a few commitments already in the class of 2023, and holding the second best class in the country, [autotag]Hubert Davis[/autotag] and the UNC basketball program are starting to prioritize some key 2024 targets.

The Tar Heels have been tied to 2024 top-25 prospect [autotag]Jason Asemota[/autotag] for a few months, but over the weekend it was verbalized as Asemota named the three schools making him a priority.

According to Rivals national basketball analyst Travis Graf, Asemota listed the Tar Heels as one of the three.

Four-star 2024 prospect Jason Asemota told Rivals that the three main schools in the mix to land his services are Baylor, North Carolina and Oregon. He’s taken an unofficial to Baylor already and is looking to take visits to Oregon and North Carolina in the near future.

The 6-foot-9 and 207-pound wing is ranked No. 25 in the Rivals150 class of 2024 rankings.

Another Rivals national analyst in Rob Cassidy touched on Asemota’s game and trajectory earlier this spring.

Asemota has long been a high-profile prospect with a bright future. There’s a reason he currently ranks No. 25 in the Rivals150, after all. After two live periods, however, it’s clear that 25 isn’t nearly high enough for the 6-foot-9 forward who plays the circuit with The Syndicate grassroots organization. Asemota has long had the build and the agility to impress college coaches, but he’s shooting the ball incredibly well from distance lately and is slowly becoming more aggressive when it comes to getting to the basket. He knocked down six three-pointers on his way to 36 points on 14-for-19 shooting in an EYBL game over the weekend and continues to make his case to move into striking distance of the top five.

Asemota averaged 21 points and 10 rebounds per game last season as he helped lead Hillcrest to a 31-3 record.

Last weekend during Session III of the Nike EYBL circuit he averaged 16.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.

With UNC now striving to have extreme versatility with its wings and a lot of combo forwards on the floor, Asemota should be someone to keep an eye on as his recruitment continues to develop.

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Hubert Davis is ahead of Jon Scheyer in these rankings

UNC Basketball head coach Hubert Davis received some praise in the 247Sports coaching rankings that were just released.

In his first year as head coach, [autotag]Hubert Davis[/autotag] took the UNC basketball program to the national championship game. Even though they fell to Kansas, it was an impressive feat to be there, especially where the team was in February.

Davis managed to get his team off the bubble and into the tournament, securing two wins over Duke, a win over Baylor, and a win over UCLA along the way. Now, going into his second season Davis and the team has high expectations and the coach is being praised.

Isaac Trotter of 247Sports released his rankings of the top coaches in college basketball and not only did Davis crack the Top 10 but he beat out new head coach Jon Scheyer as well. Here is what 247Sports said about Davis and the No. 9 ranking he received:

This is a big swing, but we’re buying high on Hubert Davis. Stepping in for an all-timer like Roy Williams is no easy task, but Davis steadied the ship for North Carolina. He never got too low when the Tar Heels scuffled. Davis then engineered one of the all-time, late-season resurgences, guiding North Carolina all the way to the national championship game as a No. 8 seed. Davis had Kansas in a 15-point hole at halftime and was 20 minutes away from winning it all in Year 1 before the Jayhawks came alive in the second half. But we do not believe that Year 1 was a fluke for Davis. His guys absolutely love him. He has the perfect temperament for the ever-changing collegiate game. Davis has helped North Carolina recruit at a super high level, so it’s obvious college basketball’s next studs are buying into his mission. Davis could skyrocket up this list if North Carolina runs it back in 2022-23.

The ranking is well-deserved for Davis who proved he is the right man for the job and overcame adversity in his first year.

But as for Scheyer, a top 10 ranking before even coaching a game seems like a stretch, right?

Bill Self took the top spot followed by John Calipari (who lost to Saint Peters in the first round), Scott Drew (Baylor), Mark Few (Gonzaga) and Tom Izzo (Michigan State).

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Scott Forbes credits Hubert Davis for Diamond Heels’ turnaround

UNC baseball manager Scott Forbes revealed he talked to Hubert Davis about dealing with a losing skid.

The UNC baseball program wrapped up the regular season with a three-game sweep of No. 20 Florida State this weekend. And they are entering the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament this week playing some of their best baseball of the season.

After getting off to a good start this year, the Diamond Heels hit a road block and stumbled mid-season. At one point, it looked like their chances to reach the postseason were fading. But manager [autotag]Scott Forbes[/autotag] didn’t get down on his team and he looked to someone for some advice.

That someone was [autotag]Hubert Davis[/autotag].

Forbes and Davis have a close friendship and the manager talked to the UNC head basketball coach about the team’s struggles and what to do. Here is what he said via the Tar Heel Tribune:

“I’m lucky that I’m close with Hubert,” Forbes said after his team’s 11–0 Saturday win over Florida State in the regular-season finale to finish off its first ACC series sweep since February. “So, I’ve talked to him a lot about it. His saying the whole time was keep your eyes forward; eliminate the distractions.

“I’ve talked to our guys about it; don’t get on your phones. Don’t look at Twitter,” Forbes said. “Don’t look at what people are saying. And just focus on each other and what’s in front of them. Because you can’t do anything about what’s behind you.”

Davis’ team had their struggles mid-season before turning it around and making a run to the Final Four. So he certainly knows something about getting hot at the right time.

And for UNC fans, the hope is that the baseball team can go on a run in the coming weeks as well.

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UNC Basketball: What the Tar Heels plan in the transfer portal means

The UNC basketball program is playing the ‘wait and see’ game in the transfer portal but is in a good spot to land its key targets.

The college basketball transfer portal has taken over the offseason the past two seasons and that has translated into not only spending a great deal of time recruiting from high school, but also out of the portal in order to get an instant impact player.

For the UNC basketball program, the addition of Brady Manek last season proved just that and is an example of how to use the portal correctly. But, not every team uses it the same way.

Some teams load up on transfers while others pick and choose very specific pieces to finish the roster puzzle. Either way, every team is active in the portal.

247Sports Isaac Trotter took a look at all of the Power Six teams and how they have attacked the portal. For the Tar Heels, they are waiting on their ‘Brady Manek’ type player.

Patience is a virtue for [autotag]Hubert Davis[/autotag]. The UNC coach can count scholarships. He can see that four starters are running it back from a team that was seconds away from winning a National Championship. He also can see that UNC has a hole at the 4 now that [autotag]Brady Manek[/autotag] has departed. North Carolina will undoubtedly land an impact forward. They’re playing the waiting game very well and are positioned to land a big fish.

The Tar Heels have one scholarship available after the departure of [autotag]Kerwin Walton[/autotag] on the final day of the one-time transfer window. With the big loss of Manek, UNC has narrowed its search to two targets.

Former Northwestern forward [autotag]Pete Nance[/autotag] and former Baylor forward [autotag]Matthew Mayer[/autotag] are the two players that the Tar Heels are after. Both players entered their names into the NBA Draft but only Mayer was invited to the NBA Combine.

Nance participated in the G-League Elite Camp earlier this week, but didn’t receive a special invitation to the combine meaning he is most likely expected to return to the college level.

Nance, a 6-foot-10 forward, averaged 14.6 points per game, 6.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game a season ago. He also shot 45.2 percent from three on 3.1 attempts per game. For his career at Northwestern, he has a 9.6 point per game average and has added 5.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists.

Mayer, a 6-foot-9 forward, averaged 9.8 points per game last season. He also added 5.0 rebounds and shot 32.4 percent from three on 4.1 attempts. He has career averages of 6.9 points per game, 3.2 rebounds and shot 34.5 percent from three.

Both players have one year of eligibility remaining. The deadline to return to college and maintain your eligibility is June 1.

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Tar Heels move up in latest ESPN Bracketology projections

The UNC basketball program is a top seed in the latest ESPN Bracketology projections released here on Tuesday by Joe Lunardi.

We are a long ways away from the 2023 NCAA Tournament but that hasn’t stopped ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi from releasing versions of his mock tournament.  The latest one comes here in May and UNC fans will love where they see the Tar Heels in Lunardi’s projections.

Lunardi has UNC as a No. 1 seed in the East Region playing in Greensboro for the opening weekend. Joining UNC on the number one seed line are Kentucky, Houston, and Baylor in their respective regions.

For UNC fans, this is no shocker. The Tar Heels return four of five starters from a team that made a run to the title game a year ago. Even though they lose Brady Manek, UNC has enough firepower returning to be warranted as a title favorite.

Plus, [autotag]Hubert Davis[/autotag] and his squad may not be done just yet as they could add another piece via the transfer portal.

These projections are going to change a lot from now until Selection Sunday in 2023 but it’s always fun to see where they have the Tar Heels listed. And right now, it’s hard arguing against it.

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LOOK: Hubert Davis in Dallas to watch former Tar Heels

UNC basketball head coach Hubert Davis was in Dallas to watch the Suns-Mavericks and met up with former players before the game.

The Western Conference playoff series between the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns shifted to Texas for Game 3 on Friday night, and before the Mavericks cut the series lead to 2-1, a few former UNC basketball standouts met with a special guest.

UNC basketball head coach [autotag]Hubert Davis[/autotag] was in town to watch the game and met with [autotag]Cameron Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Theo Pinson[/autotag] and [autotag]Reggie Bullock[/autotag] before the game. Davis made the trip down to Dallas to see a few former Tar Heels battle in a key game for the series. Check out the photo they took ahead of the game below:

Bullock came up big for the Mavericks in the win, scoring 15 points and grabbing 4 rebounds in 41 minutes. He also continued to play stellar defense in the series.

Johnson scored just 6 points in the loss while Pinson did not play.

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Hubert Davis to sound the siren for Carolina Hurricanes

UNC Basketball head coach Hubert Davis will appear at the Carolina Hurricanes’ first-round game against Boston.

The Carolina Hurricanes begin their Stanley Cup Playoff run on Monday night hosting the Boston Bruins in Game 1. But before the puck drops for the two teams, the siren must sound in the area as is tradition.

Among the four to sound the siren will be UNC basketball head coach [autotag]Hubert Davis[/autotag], the team announced on Monday. Davis will join Justin Williams and Kim and Penn Holderness in the pregame event.

Davis isn’t the first Tar Heel to sound the siren this season, either.

Brady Manek did it shortly after UNC’s Final Four run, being honored by the team as a fan favorite.

Hopefully, Davis can bring some good luck to the Canes tonight in what should be an exciting first-round series against Boston.

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UNC Basketball recruiting news: Latest on Tar Heels recruiting in early May

A look back at the past week’s news and notes surrounding UNC basketball recruiting.

We are nearly a month past the end of the 2021-22 college basketball season — one that ended on a high note for the UNC Basketball program. Despite losing in the National Championship game to Kansas, the Tar Heels went on a magical run over the final month of the season that very few saw coming.

Since then, the Tar Heels have been one of the hotter teams this offseason.

First it was All-ACC performer Armando Bacot who announced his return, then fifth-year senior Leaky Black. Shortly after it was third-year guard RJ Davis and then the final domino to fall in third-year guard Caleb Love retiring to Chapel Hill.

North Carolina and Hubert Davis have also been a presence on the recruiting trail. With AAU season in full swing and a few live evaluation periods come and gone, here are the latest updates on North Carolina recruiting.

UNC basketball lands commitment from prized 2023 recruit GG Jackson

GG Jackson, a consensus top-5 prospect in the 2023 class, announced his commitment to UNC basketball on Wednesday afternoon.

The great UNC basketball offseason continued on Wednesday as it received a commitment from a prized class of 2023 prospect, [autotag]GG Jackson[/autotag].

The 6-foot-9 forward committed to UNC over Duke, South Carolina, Auburn, Georgetown and professional options.

Jackson is ranked as the No. 1 player in the Rivals150 class of 2023 rankings and the No. 8 prospect in the 247Sports rankings.

Jackson broke down his decision with 247Sports.

I chose them because they showed how I was the No. 1 priority in the class of 2023 and because coach [Hubert] Davis is an African American coach who knows what he is doing… I knew I wanted to go there for sure when before the Final Four game the coaching staff came down to watch me play normal pick up basketball,

They were always calling and checking up on me and it wasn’t all about basketball and I loved that because with coach Davis, I can joke and laugh but also have serious talk with him and that’s what separated UNC from the rest.

The South Carolina native led the Ridge View Blazers to a 20-11 record and state championship while averaging 22.1 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game this season.

Jackson joins five-star point guard Simeon Wilcher as the two commitments in North Carolina’s class of 2023.

Below is the scouting profile and analysis of G.G. Jackson from 247Sports National Recruiting Director Eric Bossi:

Pushing 6-foot-9, Jackson has an ideal basketball frame. He’s got long arms and a wiry build that will allow him to add needed strength without costing him athleticism and make no mistake, athleticism is a big part of his game. Jackson is able to fly around the court thanks to his ability to accelerate, change directions and get off the floor in a hurry in tight spaces. Though he still has to get stronger, his athleticism is all functional and he’s able to play through contact and doesn’t need a runway in order to take off. While his athleticism is an important part of his game and what helps to separate him from the pack, he doesn’t have to rely on it.

Over the last year, Jackson has made significant improvements when it comes to his skill level. He is a more than capable jump shooter, has a nice jump hook and he’s become a real threat to face up and attack off the dribble. His passing has some room for growth but he’s improved greatly when it comes to recognizing double teams and finding an open teammate. On the block he has an advantage because of his quickness and while his perimeter ability is what may allow him to create distance between himself and other big men in the class, he has to be careful not to float around out there too much.

When he’s got an even mix of inside and outside to go along with what he’s able to do running the floor in transition, Jackson is a major problem on the offensive end. Defensively, he’s ahead of the curve as well. He’s got great anticipation, moves well laterally and uses his athleticism to his advantage so that he’s an above average rim protector who can also defend in space if he gets caught on a switch and has to defend a smaller player.

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Hubert Davis comments on the return of UNC guard Caleb Love

UNC basketball head coach Hubert Davis speaks on what it means to have Caleb Love returning to Chapel Hill for another season.

The UNC basketball program received news on Sunday that it would be returning a fourth starter from the 2021-22 season that ended in a National Championship runner-up appearance.

That starter was [autotag]Caleb Love[/autotag], the final piece to the puzzle this offseason for the Tar Heels. North Carolina had already received news that [autotag]Leaky Black[/autotag], [autotag]Armando Bacot[/autotag] and [autotag]RJ Davis[/autotag] would all be returning to Chapel Hill, and Love ended the rumors about his future as well.

On Monday, head coach Hubert Davis commented on what Love means to this program and his excitement to have him back for another season.

Caleb’s passion for this team and program are what motivates and drives him to win a National Championship and eventually have a long, successful career in the NBA. Nobody is better at taking and making big shots in pressure situations. He’s one of the most gifted players I’ve ever been around and I’m excited to coach him another season.

The St. Louis native averaged 15.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game in his second year at UNC. He also shot 36 percent from three on the season.

Love’s return makes North Carolina one of the top teams, if not the preseason favorite, to cut down the nets next season.

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