After a reset, UNC men’s basketball turns the page to ACC play against FSU
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- UNC used an eight-day holiday reset, returns refreshed and 12-1 into ACC play
- Davis demands defensive discipline: fewer fouls, protect paint, force turnovers
- Coaching shifts emphasize shot selection, rebounding by guards, and iPad film
Hubert Davis fervently believes that, sometimes, the best thing for you is to take a deep breath and get away.
The Tar Heels did exactly that after their Dec. 22 win over East Carolina, taking several days off for the holidays before returning to practice ahead of their ACC opener. North Carolina (12-1) opens league play Tuesday night at the Dean E. Smith Center against Florida State (7-6) after an eight-day break that Davis said left his team refreshed and juiced.
“I’m juiced up, so they better be juiced up,” he said on Monday with a chuckle.
UNC enters conference play coming off its best nonconference start under Davis, a markedly different position than last season, when the Tar Heels spent much of their ACC play chasing the wins needed to keep their postseason hopes afloat.
Here are five takeaways from Davis’ Monday afternoon press conference as North Carolina turns the page to the ACC.
1. Fewer ACC games, higher stakes in each contest
The ACC slate is down to 18 games instead of 20, something Davis acknowledged changes the math and importance of each matchup.
The conference made the scheduling shift after several down seasons. The move aims to improve NCAA Tournament resumes by allowing stronger nonconference scheduling, following a year in which only four ACC teams made the field.
But Davis said neither the condensed slate nor UNC’s hot start has impacted his approach.
“Every year, you’re just always looking for ways to get better and ways to improve,” Davis said. “I don’t focus on the record, I don’t focus on the destination. For me, it’s always been having a clear focus on the preparation, the practice, the journey, and just the growth of this team.”
2. Progress, but not satisfaction on defense
UNC’s defensive numbers have trended upward through its first 13 games, but Davis made clear where he wants improvement.
“Just get better at defending without fouling, and better at keeping teams out of the paint, better at boxing out, not allowing second-chance opportunities,” he said. “Trying to find ways to create more turnovers.”
Finishing possessions also remains a major emphasis — particularly on the glass.
North Carolina’s frontcourt duo of Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar have been dominating the boards — both recorded double-doubles for the sixth time this season in UNC’s win over ECU — but Davis said he expects more rebounding from his guards.
“I always tell them, it’s not a Caleb, Henri and Jarin (Stevenson) rebounding game, it’s a UNC rebounding game… we’ve got good positional size,” Davis said. “And our guards consistently need to get five, six rebounds to be able to help out. If we can start finishing our possessions, I think it also will take us to a different level defensively.
3. Shot selection and shot-making
The Tar Heels rank outside the top 190 nationally in 3-point shooting at 33.64%.
While UNC hasn’t shot the ball from deep as consistently as Davis believes it can, the coach pointed less to mechanics and more to decision-making.
Davis said the Tar Heels have improved in their shot selection, but are still learning the difference between a good shot and a great one.
“Even if I can get off a shot, man, there’s Caleb and Henri right down underneath the basket,” he said, offering examples. “Or, man, I have a good shot, but if I make one more pass … he has an even more open shot. It’s just different stuff like that.”
Davis framed that growth as a teaching point for the modern game, saying shot selection hasn’t been emphasized enough to “this generation” of players.
“I think we’re talented enough to get a great shot every possession,” Davis said, “whether in transition, half-court… whatever it is, so (we’re) just continuing the process of understanding and teaching them.”
4. Scouting Florida State: Seminoles bring pressure and chaos
Davis didn’t mince words about the challenge ahead with Florida State.
“They put a lot of pressure on you,” he said. “They play at a tremendous pace. I think their average possession is around 14, 15 seconds.”
The Seminoles also fire at will from deep, averaging just over 36 attempts from 3-point range per game. That mark, as Davis pointed out Monday, is second in the nation.
On the defensive end, Davis expects constant variation.
“We expect to see everything — man, zone, full-court press, three-quarter-court press, traps out of the press… what they do is a really good job of creating chaos and getting deflections and steals,” Davis said.
UNC must respond with discipline to be successful on Tuesday night, Davis said.
“One of the things I always tell the team is never let a defensive team decide how efficient we play on the offensive end,” Davis said. “And so for us, irregardless of what Florida State does, we need to do a terrific job of being able to stay within our principles, of being able to execute and just hit singles.”
5. Technology as a tool for the Tar Heels
One of the more notable changes in approach this season has been UNC’s increased use of iPads for in-game teaching, particularly at halftime.
“At the beginning of the year, I talked to the staff and said, ‘This is something that I want to use,’” Davis said. “I’m a visual learner, and I think a lot of our guys are. When they see it, I think they can process it better than just telling them.”
Against ECU, for instance, Wilson struggled against double teams early and committed four first-half turnovers. A halftime film review session with assistant coach Sean May helped Wilson shore up.
“Just being able to show him where the double team was coming from made a big difference for him,” Davis said. “It really helped him not have any turnovers in the second half.”
