Mar 8, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis reacts in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Hubert Davis Reflects on First Four Seasons as Head Coach

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Jeremiah Artacho | Last updated Sep 5, 2025 5:00 PM ET

Head Coach Hubert Davis and the North Carolina Tar Heels have faced plenty of ups and downs over the past four seasons. A national championship, not making the NCAAT entirely and getting bounced out in the first round all happened during that time span. It was special at times, but then it was also not good at others.

How does Davis feel?

"I feel the same way that I have felt the last four years. You know, there is a pressure and expectation for us to be good this year. But that pressure and that expectation for us to be good is no different than any other year."

"The standard is at the highest here. I always talk to the guys, the standard is the standard, and there is an expectation every year for us to reach that standard. You talked about the last four years, and I actually had a conversation with Kirsch last week. Yeah, there's a pressure and expectation to be good this year, but also, in some sense, to keep it there, if that makes sense."

"You know, the first year we were a rebound away from winning the national championship, but the next year we win 20 games and don't make it to the NCAA tournament. In the third year, we're a top-five team pretty much the whole season. Number one seed in the NCAA Tournament, won the regular season title. And then last year, we win 23 games and just made the NCAA tournament. And so there is a determination to get there and to stay there. If that makes sense to you."

If the Trend Continues, Then It Means Well or Does It?

All in all, if UNC's trend continues the way it has been going, then the 2025-2026 season will have a much better outcome than being an 11-seed in March. But for North Carolina's sake, and the future of the program, including Coach Davis', that's not necessarily a good thing. Consistency will be the program's best friend, if it can find any, needless to say.

Davis may not have had the best roster composition in the past (look at last year), but the Tar Heels' roster is built with a mixture of experience, talent and youth. Instead of Armando Bacot, it's now Caleb Wilson, and rather than RJ Davis, Seth Trimble takes his place as an upperclassman leader in his final orbit in Chapel Hill.

2025-2026 for UNC men's basketball have the instruments to play a good song, but the artist is in control of how the lyrics are formed.

Please

This article first appeared on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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