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Hubert Davis talks 2022-2023 season outlook
UNC's Hubert Davis looks ahead to a much-anticipated 2022-2023 season and reflects on an unexpected run to the national championship game that concluded a memorable first year as head coach.
accident. Yeah, that's right, yeah. Yeah, that's good stuff. Oh my God, so bad. Sure, aye sir. Yeah. Thanks. Yeah. Right 26 just take out Yeah, that's it. Right, that looks record back. Yes. Mhm Okay, remember the 30? Yeah. Hello? Mhm ST right audio. I'm sick. Yeah, wow. No, you can work here for a little bit is awesome. I'm sorry. Three. We don't do that. We will do this at least one other time with other players. They just today is the last day of camp. Of the first session of camps. Just so we you don't think so. Thanks. What? No problem. Second session fantasy. That's facebook because I'm getting kills me last year on the show doesn't show up here. Let's record that They are 3rd floor committed. Some people find them left. Yeah, please pull it right off here. Geographic question mike your message to tell I didn't see anything through channel one very famous. I was like, I didn't get anything Mhm Yeah, that's right, powerful. Okay, Right sacrifice. Yeah. Mhm No, because of every year. Yeah, when we move I didn't see it after that. Yes. Um Yeah, You have a longer one first time using this like okay. Joint. This is one that like one of these days is using and uh want me to get out more. I o yeah, good morning round only, wow. Not moving. Should I switch it to line you wanna because I remember remember. Okay. Yeah, because it was just working before we did it still not getting anything. Is that a mike Come on Channel one some No. So everything's here. Million. I don't know, manual, manual channel one mess with this button right here. Okay. That's got you something. Yeah. There you go. Okay. You here, Are you here? You got yeah, yeah, it looks great. Uh bike check 123456 70. Okay. No, I'm controlling. I got on manual over here. Six photos. Yeah. Right. Yeah, pardon me, Go around. Yeah. Yeah. Mhm. You know the great charlie was there too. Now we're looking for my head out from behind my long time. No. See girl racial terry behind humor, humor question. I know. I'm just gonna say that artist adam, you're showing your age to that reference. Look it it's not it's not good. It's everything. Are you trying to Right? No. You know something. Okay. I did that. You see that was I thought this was like a private like situation. I'm not sure. This is, it's not a job, it's there. I'm gonna need a How many questions can you recycle? Yeah. On the spot. We'll get what we have an hour. So we get three questions. Uh we have two years going into kindergarten way. Congratulations. Congratulations. Way I can handle that bro. That's my boyfriend. Huh? I'm not about it. I wouldn't be able to handle it. Uh do it knucklehead of my own. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's gonna be weird having a couple of weeks off during football hasn't been like, we're late to the party. so we're only getting to Yeah, they literally just implemented two weeks this year because before they didn't have anything, you have to just take your PTO super super super. I brought that up to management one time they were like, I feel like this is competitive. Yeah. Like uh We do six fathers fathers get six months competitive. Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. And just to take pressure off of my life. So she she said she wanted to be done after two. But it's funny because like right now she's like, I don't think I wouldn't I wouldn't mind that. So I think we're gonna assess, I let this happen and then see where we're at because we're also getting old too. Period man. Good. Working on my tan. Wait, good to see you guys. Uh 12 scholarships. Open spot possible. What are you looking for? You are going to make a move like that is possible. What you doing? Well, I've answered two ways number one. We're always actively looking to make our team better. And so not just this summer, always we're always prove our team but on the other. And I really like where our team is right now. We got our full team here on campus. Obviously the returning players because they're in the first session of summer school, but our freshmen are now on campus jail in Washington. Tyler sub tremble here tomorrow. He was competing in under 19 under 18 Usa basketball games in Tijuana Mexico and I actually last week was in Tijuana to watch him uh play a couple games and so he'll be here on thursday. So there is the thing that I like about our team right now is there's there is a hunger and a thirst and a desire and it's coming from the returning players from what they experienced last year and then the newness of the freshman that are really excited and so combining that together. Uh we're in a good spot but we're always actively looking uh to improve our team. It's not just about basketball and one of the things that we have, we have great chemistry. So it also, you know, one of the things I always say is that one good basketball players, but they gotta be good people, good from good families and so yes, you have to be a good basketball player but it has to fit in our locker room because we have tremendous chemistry and um I never want to try to disrupt that. How much would realize. Yeah, no, it's just that they've been terrific. You know, R. J. Caleb leaky Armando the older guys. Um all the returning guys, you know, they, what they experienced last year has little fire inside of all of them to have more experiences like that. It just hasn't been the upperclassmen Caleb and RJ and Caleb. He has been terrific. But I've also seen tremendous leadership from doctors and puff. Oh um, just really excited about the leadership of this team. Yeah. Okay. Well I've said, you know, all last year that, you know, they were really talented, you know, that I felt like no, the type of players that they are, um, they can really help out our team out there on the floor and that throughout the season and continue to get more playing time during the season because they just continue to get better. That's what I want from. They've got to take the next step. Doctor is not a freshman anymore puff. It has been healthy. I want them to build on their um, on the things that they did well last year and so they could put them in position to have a bigger role next year. You talked about brady, he's gone and no, but we're not looking for, huh? For don trees or anyone to replace brady, brady, brady. Everybody specifically puff in trees to be themselves to be the best version of themselves in the way that they have approached, Oh, their workouts in the weight room, individual workouts that we've done throughout throughout the summer pick up. Um, put them in a really good position that, that, that they're gonna be in a good spot next year to really help out this team, the transfer portal. You think success of brady and the guys you got last year, um, which will enter one to enter with a scholarship in the pocket just in case. How are you going to approach that now kind of seeing that it's it's here to stay. You really helped. Well you can help your team through the transfer portal. You know I I couldn't imagine where our team would be without brady. You know he just fit. Not only was his game was the perfect thing that we needed out there on the floor. His personality in the locker room was was awesome. So I one of the things that I think is beneficial like last year we're talking to recruits, you were telling them how we were gonna play on both ends of the floor and what it was gonna look like. But we couldn't give them an actual picture of it because it was my first year, we hadn't gone through a year. The great thing about it now is you have a full body of of work throughout the year to see how we play and so whether you're whatever position you are now you understand that you know from an offensive standpoint, you know we're bound by spacing and balance and movement. We love guys to use their gifts and talents out there on the perimeters to be able to attack the basket ball screens and all different types of stuff, the D. H. O. S. To be able to get our guys full steam ahead attack the basket and people have seen how especially towards the end of the year. Our commitment to the defensive end really helped us and put us in a position. So now there's a body of work to be able to show, not just tell to show the crews and that's always a lot better than the way it was last time he was my father, Hey, what you're approached by people, you might go a little easier on trying to bring them along and even more. So when you have a group that's now been through the body of work in the tourney, do you think? No, I would have, you know, one of the things that I told them last year was always to block out the noise and you know, I felt like it was um, you know, the negative noise, whether it's from the phone in the family and friends and, and that's something that I felt like that our team did a much better job either turning it off, turning it down last year. And so when they came back on campus, we had a meeting and I just wanted to set the tone and let them know where I'm coming. And I told them this year, a huge determining factor. The biggest key for us is, is now both is normal, announced positive. Oh, you guys are great. You guys are, you know, you guys are In this way too early, top 25, you're ranked number one, which you absolutely you guys going back to the final four, you got all got four starters coming back, that's noise for us to focus on what is real and that's our preparation, our practice and how we can get better this summer possibly put us in a position where we were last year and see what happens. But I'm not taking it easy on them, I'm coming harder. You push advances, I'm just that type of guy, I'm ready to go and so I just, you know, this isn't returning players, you know, new players, I'm ready to compete. Did you have an indication that all those guys would end up coming back or did any of them take by surprise. Now that you're sitting here with four returning starters, Is that something that you well, it was something during the year that I never thought about. Um, is it, is it a surprise to me? No, it is a surprise to other people, but it is not a surprise to me. And the reason why it's not a surprise to me is is I knew that when they would have those type of experiences that all of us as coaches and former players have have had, that they would want continue to have those type of experiences. I know I just, I got picked first round in the NBA draft Number 20 and if somebody said you want to go to New York Knicks go to the NBA, would you like to have another year in North Carolina. There's just no hesitation. I wish I could have taken 1/5 year and so for Caleb and RJ um, Armando and leaky, they finally got to a point where they taste the type of success that all of us says former players have experienced and they didn't want to give it up. Like it really makes me feel really good that they had a good time, enjoy being here. I've always wanted that. I wanted guys that want to be here. I wanted talented basketball players. But I want people that want to be here and RJ and Caleb and like your Mondo because of what they have experienced, they want to be here and that brings a lot of jewelry tomorrow. I think it's awesome. To what extent is there, is there a challenge in terms now and players maybe he is outside of school work court into that realm. Is there, would that okay? The focus is still basketball and that's what got you the deal I have. You know, I started it off last year and I've continued to um just talk to them about the importance of putting things in its proper place. You know, one of things that I talked to him about, N I L and I said like in order in which I am 100% in support of our players, I'm thankful that you know, they get an opportunity now to be able to be compensated for their name image and likeness and I think that's terrific. But I told them that, you know, in terms of N I L. Number one, there's three boxes that you have to check. Number one is you have to be in a great market. I said you can check that box. I said north Carolina is at the highest level. There's other programs that are at our level, but there's nobody higher than us. So you can check that box. I said, number two is you personally have to play well says, okay, so you have you're not you're not gonna benefit from your name image and likeness if you're not playing well. And I said number three, which is probably the most important thing. You have to have team success. And I said, you checked those three boxes, the N I O will come to you. And I told him the story, you know, it wasn't N I O when I was in the NBA boom, when I was playing with the new york knicks, I got everything. I was in new york city best mark, one of the best markets out there. I was getting all different types of deals because I was playing well personally. And as a team, we were always going to the Eastern Conference finals and got to the NBA finals. So with Patrick Ewing and doc Rivers, we were a good team. Then I got traded that deal left. This deal left and this deal left, you know, it wasn't a good market? I didn't play very well and our team was not very good. And so I gave them that picture of things that have to line up in terms to be able to benefit from that. Our guys have done a really good job of understanding what's important and making sure that they're doing the things that they need to do on the court in the classroom, in the community and then if you have time to do n I. O work, oh, you can do it. But probably the one that's most active is Armando. So, but he's been getting after it and he's getting a lot better and I'm very happy with what he's doing out there on the court. He's gonna take me to out of Banks. I never thought that I'd go to a player and ask, can you hook me up? My daughter wants to meet the cast. A lot of banks to a player. I mean things have changed. Gosh, I don't know what it is, but like this. So this is like a huge bonus points for me as a dad for my daughter if I didn't get her down charleston and meet the cats. So I, I don't know what it is. It would be a premiere. It could be a fly by. I don't know what it is, but I'm, I'm ready to go. So Mondo said he can make it happen. Uh, I wanted to pass after you were hired now a year later it's still rapidly changed. How much does that become part of your job description as a coach? To stay on top of it? What kids are thinking about about how it just changed so many things. You know kids are thinking about it and parents are thinking about it. Um Agents are thinking about it and it's something that I have to think about but it's something that I do not focus on at all. You know, personally as a coach, I'm not allowed to be involved in it. These are they're N. I. O. Deals based on their name, image and likeness. And I've been hired to be the head basketball coach for north Carolina. So that's where my focus is on. Yeah. I always say like to focus on the things that are real and what's real is trying to prepare this team to be the best they can be next season. You talked about of players. What about the body work for the culture staff going this year in particular, You what's different, what you learned? Okay. That's a great question. You know uh some of you guys have asked, you know, process all the things that I've gone through. I still haven't had a chance to really fully process everything. I talked to my wife last week and since the season's ended up been in 13 cities? No it was important to go support the U. N. C. Guys that were in the playoffs. So we went to Dallas to go see you know TheO and um and Reggie Bullock and then phoenix and went to go see cam and then went down to Miami to go see Danny Green and then talked about going to Tijuana and to support the sep tremble um playing international basketball. Last week I got on a plane and flew to Washington dc to go see brady workout. He was working out with the wizard. So I just wanted to give him a hug and tell him how proud I was of him. And so I've been all over the place and so I really haven't had a chance to kind of process what is gone this past season. But um everyone says the second year is different because it's you know you're more familiar with things but I'm still in the newness of stuff. We're just in the middle of camp. This is the first time that ran camp in two years, the first time we ran camp as me as head coach. And so it's just everything is new and different and um it's really exciting but I'm very very proud of what these guys have accomplished last year and um I'm really excited about the next season. You mentioned that ways where the holes are coming out of their own. I also know that around this time a lot of lists are released with the top 25 players returning to college basketball and Caleb has been a mainstay on those lists and just wanted to ask, how did you improve so much going from the freshman year to sophomore year and well, because of his hard working because of his play. You know, I said the best thing about Caleb compared to a freshman to sophomore, he's not freshman anymore. Now he's a sophomore, he's just, he improved dramatically on both ends of the floor. You know, he's a guy that um, obviously can can score anywhere on the floor whether, you know, it's off the catch of the dribble is extremely versatile and being able to score in many different ways. Um, I was really proud of the way that he was distributing the basketball and taking care of the basketball and then towards the second half of the year, just really taking pride defensively and trying to get after it on that end. The great thing about Caleb is, is like he's such a great player, but he has so much more to improve on. And um, I'm just really proud of him, You know, he came in as a freshman, she was on those mock draft things and so many times kids focus on that. Yeah, don't allow the process just to naturally happen. And so everybody has a type, like a time frame when they wanted, where they wanted, how they wanted in the manner in which they wanted, but sometimes, you know, you have to tweak and pivot and change and very easily Caleb could have left after his freshman year or last year. He would be playing his desires be definitive first round draft pick and just like the maturity and the confidence in him and his family to be able to come back, able to be a part of this, be a part of the team but also put himself in a position where not only does he get into And this is what we talked about the guys all the time. Like I want them to go to NBA two but I don't I'm not consumed when you get to the what I want from them is we may get to the NBA. I want them good enough to stay the way that he is doing it is putting them himself in a position. Understand I'm very very proud of him. You mentioned brady. I mean he's had a couple of workouts and went to the camp. How do you think he can go about finding a place I can't understand, I mean, you know, I don't know does NBA teams keep All 15 roster spots. I just, it's very hard for me to imagine. There's not a place for brady B. A. With his size, his ability to shoot him, you guys saw it, it's not, he's more than he could chew. He's elite. There's guys that can make shots, there's guys that can make open shots and there's guys that can also make contested shots and brady can do it all, especially where the game is. And then you combine that with the character and the way that he carries himself, the type of person he is, the family that he comes from. He will be playing next year. I'm really, really proud of him and I'm really excited about this process and draft coming up in the next couple weeks just to follow like, you know what he says. You have you got any, have you guys gotten any feedback from teams on him? What they think? Yeah, we have, but it was great just flying up there and uh, just hanging out before the workout and then we ended up talking for almost an hour after the workout. But it was really neat because the guys that he was working out with from Kansas, he came up to me and I was like Almost had you and he smiled and then coal spider was there and he's got 37 on you almost had to and so, but it was great, you know, seeing those guys and I had played for the Washington wizards. So I've known a number of people that are still involved in the front office and the really cool thing is when I got back home and I didn't tell brady's parents that I was going, but brady told his parents and as soon as I got home I got a text from his mom and his dad and just thanked all of us for coming to go see him and it's just um, I really miss him a lot. He's great. He's awesome with what's your return next year? The Iron five, they played a lot pretty heavily with death. Now he's talking about about freshman. How do you see depth the way you handle rotation, depth changing? Maybe next year I don't have practice. No, no. What, what, what determines the depth chart is dead? I don't determine. I'm not going into the season saying I want to play 10 or I want an eight man rotation. They did the five that I've played a lot last year, especially towards the end of the year. They determined by their playing practice every day and it was confirmed by their playing the game. And so if everybody right now we have 12 on the team, All 12 practice really well And confirm the way that they played in practice in the games, I'll play a rotation of 12. So I don't, I don't go predetermined the players determine what the rotation is and how much time did they get? And so, um, personally, I don't like playing five. I really believe when we played Kansas, it was the first time all year that I thought they were tired, we were in the huddle in the second half. RJ is using a thumper on both calves and I just, I felt like they were tired. Yeah that gave this team everything that they have in, I don't want to play five, I want to have a bigger rotation but I'm not gonna give people playing time and I'm not gonna give I'm gonna give everyone an opportunity 100% every day of practice. You have an opportunity to play plain and simple period the end but the players were determined the rotation and so when we get into practice, uh whatever the rotation is, that's what has been determined by the guys out there more. So something in a coach I would imagine your goal is your players to be there every year. So given the year that Armando gave you last year, what more do you expect out of him and how much, you know, what areas do you expect him to be better at one of the things that you know that you can improve and get better is consistency. So it's not necessarily okay, average blank rebound again has an average or rebounded him that he's gotten better, you know, from a defensive standpoint and rebound and what you do it again. And one of the things that I've, in terms of Armando that I've been trying to push and prod is for him because I really believe that he has incredible ability at the high post to be able to shoot the ball from the outside. I know that's something that he can do and I know that's something that oh because he wants to play in the N. B. A. He's gonna have to show that he can do that. And so um I'm really excited to see Armando's improvement from last year to this year, but one way that you can determine that is the consistency from year to year and I really believe all of our players will be able to do that. Don't say anymore. The consistency of thanks, you know, one of the things not just specifically for him, you know, just from an offensive standpoint basically as a team, You know, I want to get better in transition. I know we had, you know, averaged 17 points a game, I like End of the year, I told him I wanted the average in the mid 80's faster, you know, and our half court sets, it was it was generated a lot by ball screens and that allowed us to attack the basket, Get spacing three different stuff, you know, Armando rolled into the basket. One of the things that we didn't do much of, and I'd like to do more this year is there's more screens off the ball down screens and flare screens and just different stuff like that. Post some different guys up, the only person that we really posted up consistently was Armando but I really think puff and and leaky are really good post up players and so trying to use some of the talents that they have out there on floor and then just try to tweak and pivot defensively, you know, we were really good in the half court but trying some different things um to maybe take teams out of their offense is something that that I've been looking at a lot and uh looking forward to put in for next year. What areas? Well, first of all I'm glad that you know, I love having full shaver here and I think coming into, there's two things, one coming in the middle of the year, it gives him a head start on the other freshman and he's been a part of practice. Obviously he was with us during our run. So he has a clear picture of how hard you have to work just to put yourself in a position to be a player and have a chance to be in the rotation to be out there on the floor Also, I think it was, I think it was very hard. I won't ever do that again. Um football does it, but they're not in season and it was just really different middle of the season and we were in a sprint and then we'll coming in in the middle of the year, join the sprint. He did a terrific job. Mhm chemistry of him and the rest of the team was absolutely fantastic. It was just, it was, it was, it was a little difficult, it was hard and but um the benefit that will personally got from having that experience, I'm very happy with he is, he is in a great spot now because he came early just in terms of, you know, the season, how busy it was coming in as a freshman um in the middle of the year, I think it's very difficult. It's not something that it was a failure. It wasn't bad. I just future, I will not do that again, wow, will has been great and I'm looking forward to him being out there on the floor and I know it was hard for him just to sit there on the bench and now he has an opportunity to fight for minutes and I'm glad he's here. What important having these players Current Guys four house one. Um well it's always been a foundation point for Carolina basketball to have former players come back in the summer and play pickup with their guys, but not only that, but also hang out with guys, you know, that's that's the thing that binds us together, it's our shared relationships even though if you didn't play with a particular person and so you know when I was in the N. B. A. In the summertime, I bought a house here and this is where I used to train and get ready for the upcoming season and there was no better place in the train here and to be around the guys, better competition, the best pick up and so um just before I came in here, Kay Williams and Marcus page were out there and just being able to give them a huge hug, it's just really neat having them back, I can tell them what this place is about and what it means to be a part of this program, but I also think it's even more coming from the former players and so having older guys like Wayne, Ellington and cole, Anthony and Kobe, white, Marcus and Kenny here, oh, is a huge benefit for our guys. Just really is right and yeah, yeah, I did um, in regards to um, in regards to, you know, a lot of, oh, prior to last year has been like rehab and so this is the first full summer that puff work out and that we could be out there on the floor, you know, individual workouts and work on different things, um not from a rehab standpoint. And so that was the same thing for lead. Like last summer was the first time all summer in his entire career that he could, he worked out healthy, look at the year that he had and so um it's just a huge benefit for puff. Finally being healthy and us just being able to get out there on the floor, let's just get better you saw last year, I just, oh he's gonna build off the performance that he had in the national championship game, he's just gonna continue to get better and better. Armando, He told me yesterday he was 77% in terms of his ankle. The percentages these kids that give out are hilarious how they went to those percentages, how they can self diagnose himself, but um it's getting a lot better and me personally having gone through ankle springs, you're better, but you don't feel like 100% five months or so. And so every day he's playing pick up, he's doing individual workouts. Um But the overall strength, what is it? 33% of the strength is missing for Armando. And so, but he's continuing to get better and doing all the things and Jalen can do everything except 515. And so he's He's doing all individual workouts 5000 no, and um doing running, doing strength and conditioning and he'll be able to do five on five right at the beginning when everyone comes back for the fall semester. And so I'm really excited about him. I know he got to miss his senior year of high school, but he's a really, really talented player and uh I'm really excited about playing him there on the floor, He's gonna be free coach. Thank you everybody. Thank you. We'll let you know. Uh Okay super right, yeah, right, a