Jan 3, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Kyan Evans (0) and center Henri Veesaar (13) and guard Derek Dixon (3) and forward Caleb Wilson (8) and guard Seth Trimble (7) come back on the court during the second half against the SMU Mustangs at Moody Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

UNC Can Accomplish This Impressive Program Milestone Saturday

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Justin Backer | Last updated Jan 10, 2026 1:00 PM ET

After having some time off since their blowout loss to the SMU Mustangs, the North Carolina Tar Heels will be back in action to try and get back on track against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

On the surface, a regular season conference game against Wake Forest may not seem incredibly significant, but Saturday’s matchup will hold even more meaning that many games this season will.

A win over the Demon Deacons would mark the 500th in the history of the Dean E. Smith Center, dating back to 1986. Head coach Hubert Davis has been a part of plenty of those wins, being a player for UNC from 1988-1992, an assistant coach from 2012-2021, and the head coach of the program ever since. Davis also spent time in the NBA from 1992-2004 in between his tenures with the Tar Heels. Davis has earned a National Championship as an assistant in 2017, and has been to the Final Four as a head coach in 2022.

Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Ahead of their game against Wake Forest, Davis took a moment to acknowledge the potential historic achievement that he could earn with a win, citing all the personal experiences he has had in North Carolina on, and off the court.

“When I look at the Smith Center, it’s not just about the experiences as a player, as a coach, this is home plate for me. The most significant things that have happened in my life has been because of this place. It’s not just basketball, this is where I fell in love with my wife, we got married, where I became a Christian, where I bought our first house. After I retired from the NBA, we decided to raise our kids here, so the Smith Center is home plate for all of that.”

“When I come into this building, yeah, I think about a number of different experiences on the court as a player, and as a coach, but I can also automatically every day that I come into work, I can remember every conversation that I had with coach Smith, coach Guthridge, and coach Williams. I think my comments are pretty much consistent with any former player.”

Having been a part of the program in some facet over multiple decades, Davis will be looking to put a stamp on his legacy with the Tar Heels by earning the 500th win in one of the most storied venues in all of college basketball.