The UNC basketball leader’s lessons learned as a player and coach could be inspiring the current Tar Heels.
Hubert Davis understands what it takes to reach the Final Four, both as a former UNC player and now as the program’s head coach. The 54-year-old has experience orchestrating late-season turnarounds—most notably in 2022 when the Tar Heels, sitting at 18-8 at a similar point in the season, made a run to the national title game.
Following North Carolina’s hard-fought 67-66 home victory over Pitt, Davis reflected on the message he shared with his players before the game, one that seemed to fuel their performance at the Dean E. Smith Center.
“I always tell them that there are only two things they can control: how they react and how they respond,” Davis said. “But before the game, I told them, ‘That’s not the whole story.’
“I said, ‘In certain situations, you don’t have a choice. When you chose to come here, when you put on that uniform, step onto that court, and represent this program, certain things are non-negotiable.
“‘You don’t have a choice when it comes to playing with energy and effort on both ends of the floor. You have to box out. You have to communicate on defense. You have to make the extra pass, crash the offensive glass, and set solid, legal screens.
“‘You put on this uniform, and with that comes the responsibility to give everything you have—every single day.’”
Back in the win column. pic.twitter.com/ssAzlY0JJy
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) February 8, 2025
UNC sophomore guard Elliot Cadeau, coming off a five-point, seven-assist performance in 28 minutes on Saturday, is now preparing for the Tar Heels’ road matchup against Clemson at 7 p.m. ET on Monday (ESPN). Reflecting on the team’s hard-fought win, Cadeau shared his thoughts on finally being able to celebrate a victory:
“It felt great because we’ve been in that situation so many times but ended up on the wrong side of it. So, it’s a relief to come out on top this time.”
Highlights from yesterday's 67-66 victory 🆚 Pitt pic.twitter.com/3NrrO5DnOk
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) February 9, 2025
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