'Win The Moment' - Hubert Davis Pre-NCAA Tournament Press Conference

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Ahead of No. 6 seed North Carolina’s matchup with 11th-seeded VCU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament tomorrow evening, Hubert Davis previewed the matchup as he fielded questions from reporters on Wednesday afternoon at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

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Watch Davis’ press conference in full below, and scroll to read some of his noteworthy excerpts.

What was it like to deliver the news to Caleb Wilson that he was Second-Team All-American yesterday?

“Yeah, it was nice. Obviously it was great being able to give him that news, and getting that news, what that meant for him in terms of being remembered in North Carolina and being able to have his jersey up in the rafters. I’ve said before that just my heart is broken for him.

“He’s somebody who obviously people have seen how gifted and talented he is on the basketball court, but he’s just as gifted as a person and as a teammate. He had a burning desire and a dream to play in the NCAA Tournament, and he’s not being able to do that. So being able to give him that news doesn’t replace not being able to play in the NCAA Tournament, but it did put a smile on his face, and that’s something that brightens up our room every time he smiles like that.”

Do you feel like this team has now finally had time to digest the news of Caleb Wilson not coming back, and does it help them refocus for what is ahead?

“I actually feel like this team and this group has done a nice job of dealing with different circumstances and still going out there and playing their best. You talk about the nine games that Caleb has missed, well, Seth missed nine games at the beginning of the year, Henri missed two, so that’s over half of our
season we’ve been without our top three scorers.

“That’s one of the many reasons why I’m proud of this team, just the toughness, the resiliency to with those circumstances still find a way to be successful. It’s something that has given us confidence moving forward heading into the NCAA Tournament.”

What are some of your early scouting impressions of VCU?

“Just a really versatile, talented team, athletic. Because of their versatility and athleticism, they can do a number of things and guard a number of positions out there on the floor, which allows them to get in the passing lanes and steals and get into the open court. Obviously they can shoot 3s, but they also do an excellent job of getting into the paint, putting max pressure on the rim, and finding a way to get to the free-throw line. They lead the Atlantic 10 in free throw attempts and made.

“So for us defending, defending without fouling, and finishing every possession with a box-out rebound obviously is key in every game but even more important in this game.”

Derek Dixon has already delivered in some big moments for UNC this season. How do you see him continuing to elevate in the NCAA Tournament?

“He’s just never been scared or tentative or afraid of the moment. He just walks towards it, and that’s something that you just never know about a player until he’s actually in that situation. Obviously he’s very gifted. He can shoot the ball. He can handle. He’s done a really nice job of taking care of the basketball. I feel like every day he’s gotten better defensively, competes, rebounds the basketball.

“He’s a big guard, but in pressure situations, he’s not tentative at all at taking a big shot or making the pass. That’s what you want out there. You want guys who are confident to be able to make plays, whether it’s successful or not.”

How do you take your experience of the NCAA Tournament, as both a player and coach, and inject it into this locker room?

“One of the things we found out on Selection Sunday, I had the guys to come over to the house to find out where we would be, what seed and who our opponent would be, I told them something that I learned from Coach Smith and Coach Guthridge and Coach Williams and something that I really believe in is not looking at the NCAA Tournament as, wow, we’ve got to win six games in order to win a National Championship, it’s just focus on what is right in front of you…

“That’s consistent with the things that I talk about during the game about playing in four-minute stretches. Let’s put strings together where we’re getting multiple stops and scores and not looking at the score, not looking at the entire game or the half, but just trying to win the moment. So those are things that have been communicated to the team leading into the NCAA Tournament.”