Davis: 'I'm coming harder' to push Tar Heels in his 2nd season
Posted June 15, 2022
Chapel Hill, N.C. — You can now refer to Hubert Davis as a second-year coach.
With four returning starters from a team that caught fire in March, Davis' first calendar year replacing Roy Williams went better than just about anyone expected. That momentum figures to play into UNC's expectations and standing within college basketball, not that it needed a boost. Despite all that, Davis knows how to handle dismissing the hype and lofty predictions that type of excitement brings.
"I always say 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 this season," Davis said to the media on Wednesday at the Dean E. Smith Center.
Davis looked ahead to what might be the most-anticipated season in Chapel Hill in recent memory. From his seat, the shine, and possibility that comes with it, is still there.
"Everyone says the second year is different because you're more familiar with things," Davis said. "But I'm still in the newness of stuff. Everything is new and different. It's really exciting."
After reaching the national championship game in April following an unforeseen late-season resurgence, the Tar Heels will be a likely pick to win the national championship among local and national media members. Caleb Love and Armando Bacot are returning to likely preseason All-ACC selections while RJ Davis and Leaky Black also turned down NBA Draft prospects to come back.
"It is a surprise to me? No," Davis said of all the returning players. "The reason why it's not a surprise to me is I knew when they would have those type of experiences that all of us as coaches and former players have had, that they would want to continue those types of experiences."
Bacot was an All-ACC first-team selection before tweaking his ankle in the Final Four and visibly struggled to get through the final against Kansas. Bacot told Davis his ankle was at "77 percent" in its recovery on Tuesday, with Davis not sure of the math on that one.
"The percentages these kids give out are hilarious," Davis said of the ankle. "But it's getting a lot better."
Davis, who's working a basketball camp this week, likes where his squad is at, but he knows blocking out the noise from family, friends and social media is central to his job and his team's destiny for putting them in the same position as they were this spring. That message around avoiding what he calls "positive noise" was established in a recent meeting.
"I'm not taking it easy on them. I'm coming harder," Davis said.
Davis has toured through the NBA playoffs to support former Tar Heels such as Reggie Bullock and Danny Green. He said he's been in 13 cities since the season ended in April, also checking out Brady Manek during a workout for the Washington Wizards. Manek is the lone starter from the 21-22 team not coming back.
Freshmen Tyler Nickel, Seth Trimble and Jalen Washington are all consensus four-star recruits and figure to receive playing time.
The Tar Heels open the season in the PK85 invitational in Portland, Oregon with Alabama, Iowa State, Michigan State, Oregon, Portland, UConn and Villanova.