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First Basket Provides Special Father-Son Moment for Elijah & Hubert Davis

SpencerHaskellby: Spencer Haskell12/24/25sdhaskell68

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The topic was brought up several minutes into Hubert Davis‘ postgame press conference Monday night. The head coach’s son, Elijah, had scored the final basket in North Carolina’s blowout win over East Carolina. They were Elijah’s first points as a Tar Heel.

Hubert Davis — who until that moment had fielded questions about his superstar frontcourt and his team’s offensive efficiency — leaned back in his chair and stared at the box score on the podium for 13 seconds, fighting back tears.

“I’m the head coach, so I try to be ‘head coach’ and not ‘dad,’” Hubert Davis said with a soft smile. “It was a really awesome, cool moment.”

Coached by Dean Smith from 1988-92 before playing 12 seasons in the NBA, Hubert Davis still holds the UNC record for career 3-point percentage at 43.5%.

With 30 seconds left in Monday’s win over the Pirates, Evan Smith handed the ball to Elijah Davis, who, without hesitation — or even a dribble — knocked down a right-wing three with his dad — or rather, his head coach — no more than 10 feet behind him, etching his name into the North Carolina basketball scoring book.

“Super crazy moment when it went in,” Elijah Davis said. “I didn’t know what to do. I don’t know what celebration I did. I really don’t know, but I was just super happy, just filled with joy.” 

Elijah Davis, a senior captain on this year’s North Carolina squad, spent his first three seasons at Division III University of Lynchburg, before transferring to Chapel Hill to be a part of his father’s squad. 

If not for Hilliary Scott, Elijah Davis’ head coach at Lynchburg, Monday night’s special family moment in the Smith Center would not have happened. 

“It’s crazy looking at this box score and seeing my name on here even playing,” Davis said. “Just a couple years ago I thought I was gonna quit basketball. Battling an injury, kind of fell out of love with the game. I tried to quit and I’m thankful that my coach at Lynchburg didn’t allow me to quit.”

Tar Heel center Henri Veesaar added another double-double against ECU, but the seven-footer made one request before addressing the media afterward: Elijah got to speak, too. 

“It just speaks to the chemistry of this team, and for them to adopt him as their teammate — and not the head coach’s son — has been something that I can’t put into words and how special it’s been,” Hubert Davis said. 

The closing moments of Monday night’s win over ECU were a fitting way to put a bow on UNC’s nonconference schedule this holiday season. Davis knocked down the Tar Heels’ 12th 3-pointer of the game, a season high, eclipsing the 11 they made against NC Central.

“I’m super glad I came here,” Elijah Davis said. “Nothing beats putting on this jersey. Nothing beats going on this floor.”