What Hubert Davis Shared During UNC Basketball’s First Presser

He’s been great getting to know and also coaching him. He’s been fantastic in the classroom and also on the court. As a player, he’s somebody who can do a number of different things on both ends of the floor. He’s got great size, can handle it, and make plays with the ball in his hand.

Can shoot, score on many different levels, mid-range, get to the bucket, excellent passer, and somebody who had a burning desire to be here and to be a part of this program. And as soon as he walks into a room, it just brightens up. He just has that type of personality I’ve really enjoyed being around.

On building the roster ...

A couple of things, I thought we needed to be bigger in positional size. We needed more size. I think the number one determining factor of an outcome of the game is rebounding. I thought defensively we were okay — rebounding percentage-wise, but offensive rebounding was nowhere near where we needed to be. I wanted to become more versatile. You have different types of lineups, and I feel like with this roster, we’ve been able to identify both of those.

Approach with the transfer portal with new GM Jim Tanner ...

In regard to the transfer portal, the two boxes that need to be checked is: a want and a need. Obviously, you know, Jim is a part of our team and a part of our program, and I’m really thankful that he’s here. We were friends prior to him becoming the general manager; we work extremely well together… He just has a burning desire for this program and this university to be successful, and so we work extremely well together, and just like all of us on the staff, he wants us to be successful.

What He's Most Excited About with Caleb Wilson ...

From a basketball standpoint, I think you guys know he’s just uber-talented. I mean, his length and his athleticism, he can handle the basketball at that size, finish around the rim, shoot mid-range. Defensively, he can do a number of different things. As much as I can talk about how impressed I am of him on the court, I’m even more impressed of him as a kid and a teammate.

Everything that he talks about is never about him. And I mean that, like everything that he talks about is about the team, and it’s about North Carolina, everything. For someone highly ranked coming in here to not only talk about it, but only really be concerned about the welfare and the benefit of the team, is something that is rare, and it’s something that I really enjoy and love being around every day.

What He's Learned Going Into His Fifth Season as UNC's Head Coach

I feel the same way that I have felt the last four years. 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, and I always talk to the guys that the standard is the standard. And there’s an expectation every year for us to reach that standard.

You talked about the last four years, and I actually had a conversation with (team spokesman Steve Kirschner) last week, that there’s a pressure and expectation to be good this year. But also, in some sense, to keep it there, if that makes sense.

The first year, we were a rebound away from winning the national championship, but the next year, we win 20 games and we don’t make it to the NCAA Tournament. And then the third year, we’re a top-five team pretty much the whole season, No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and won the (ACC) regular-season title. Then last year, we won 23 games and just made the NCAA Tournament. And so there is a determination to get there and to stay there.”

On Pittsboro native Jarin Stephenson transferring to UNC from Alabama ...

I’ve known Jaron and his family for a very long time. So thankful that Jarin decided to come back here and to come back home. He’s a great kid. He’s someone else that you know had a burning desire to be a part of this program and a part of this team. Him being at 6–10, one of the things that really impressed me last year when we played him was his ability on the defensive end.

They put him on RJ [Davis], and he did a really good job getting around screens at 6–10, and so his versatility defensively, of being able to guard multiple positions. He’s a really good 3-point shooter, terrific size and so very hard to find that in your town. And so I’m glad. I’m so happy he’s here.

On Henri Veesaar's Defensive Versatility ...

He’ got tremendous size, and it’s not just blocking shots, but it’s altering shots as well. He’s a really good rebounder. Throughout his career, he’s been able to play a number of different defenses, whether it’s different coverages on ball screens or being able to switch. And guard guards out on the perimeter.

Teams and individuals that have the ability to do that make them a really good defensive team. That’s something that’s a high priority for us. I’ve talked about rebounding, but you’ve got to defend. We got to be a really good defensive team. And when you have someone like Henri, who also is older and he’s very vocal, which allows us to have really good communication, that’s something that’s a huge benefit for us.

The added height that we have in regards to defensively, but I’ll also say the versatility to be able to do different things on the defensive end. In order to be good, you got to defend and rebound and take care of basketball. But being in a position to be elite defensively on both ends of the floor. I’ve talked about, you know, defensive rebounding percentage.

But a huge staple of Carolina basketball, even before I was head coach with Coach [Roy] Williams, was offensive rebounding. And so that’s, that’s an area that’s a major emphasis for us. And, you know, having that positional height, having that height in the front court, just allows us to be able to do that and do the things that we want to do.”