North Carolina
Davis: We wanted to dominate points in the paint
Hubert Davis speaks to the media after a 96-81 win over Virginia Tech
In the second half. RJ said every time he looked in the pain that II I see he did. How was he able to get all the different defensively and get all sealed and to the point where he had the piece, I have to work. I mean, it, it is what it is. I, you know, you can call whatever play, you can design whatever half court set. If, if the player is not going to work hard to catch the ball where we want them to catch it in order to be able to do something, it's just, just a waste of time. And so, you know, one of the things that Armando did really well is in transition, his ability just to seal his man, like in the middle of the paint, it's a perfect place to get on the ball because they can't double team him. It's in transition and he just did a really good job of getting good low position ceiling. Um It was a really nice job by our players to get him the ball when he was open, uh near the basket. And so, um we felt like it was an advantage for us to dominate points in the paint. It was an emphasis. It's been an emphasis every day since the beginning of the year. But, you know, we talked about getting back to that, you know, because over the last, you know, four or five games, you know, we were shooting, you know, more threes than we were getting to the free throw line. And so that was a huge emphasis for us and Armando was fantastic offensively. You, you guys have been playing two times a week for basically the last month and a half, two years. Now. Now you have a seven day break before going to Virginia next Saturday. Does it feel kind of weird to have that? You know, it feels good, it feels good. I think it's a great time for us to have a week off to, um, catch our breath. I think it's a great week for us to physically, um, just have a rest. But I think it's also, and this is the most important thing. It's, it's a week of practice where we can practice, not necessarily prepare. And I think the games, you know, our schedule, we've been practicing, but we've been practicing, preparing for a game. Obviously, we need to do that for Virginia next week. But at the beginning of next week, we can actually have a practice and we can work on things that we need to improve on, on both ends of the floor and just sharpen the discipline and details that allow, you know, those little things that allow us to experience big things so that this week is really big for us. On that note is a kind of a break in the schedule given how different the path line can be to have those extra practices leading up to Virginia. Well, uh no, not necessarily. I just think it comes at a really good time, you know, it just, yeah, as I said before, you know, it's hard, you know, you have to find the joy and how hard it is to be successful individually. And as a team and, you know, the middle of the late February, it's, it's a long season and it's nice to have this semi break to be able to, to rest physically mentally, but also work on us as opposed to working on us in preparation to play this particular team. And I think for us, I think that's really good and I feel like that's really good in preparation to play a really good Virginia team. Do you feel like you guys were able to, to dictate the way this game was played? And, and if so why I wouldn't use those words? I, I just, you know, from an offensive standpoint, we knew we wanted to dominate points in the paint and so we do post penetration or offensive rebounding. I mean, we got 14 offensive rebounds, uh uh if we didn't get the rebound I felt like we did a nice job of keeping the ball alive. Um, we shot more free throws than we did three pointers. So that's something that we talked about and we did really well. Um, you know, and, and defensively, I thought the first half we did well, the second half, you know, percentage wise, it was fine. I just, you know, there were times where because of couture and there are other guards really good get coming off screens. I felt like they were able to get into the paint and, you know, we put him on the free throw line for 20 free throws. So those are things that we can clean up overall. I felt really good about our performance. Adam's next before the 54 points in the paint of the second most all year. The only time more was the big one or here over Syracuse H with, with Harrison, his, his knack for offensive rebounding. We talked about it all season but maybe the appetite there, like, who does he remind you of in terms of just his offensive rebounding? Is there anybody that, that comes to your arm? I mean, he, he like, he doesn't do anything special what he does. He goes every time. I mean, there's no technique. I mean, rebounding is will want to desire toughness and every time the ball goes up, yes, you can look at the shot and you can anticipate where if it's a miss where it would go. But it, it's all about pursuit and willingness to go get the ball. He goes every time, e every time there's a shot goes up, he goes and so he puts himself in a position, either tip out, loose balls, the ball. I really believe this. Uh, the ball finds effort. Uh, it just does and he goes to the offensive glass every time. It's not surprising that the ball ends up in his hands. How do you feel about getting the lead and finishing up the whole game closing out the whole game? It was good, you know, but II, I think I saw some stat when I was watching one of our games and just in review, that was it six of the seven or seven of eight games. We, we were either tied or down at half and, you know, it was just, it was really important for us to get off to a good start, you know, and, and then one of the things that I thought that I was really proud of him was, we, we ended the first half on, it was a five point game. We ended up 60 and then we went in a half at 11 points and then I thought we started off the second half really well. And so those are things that we can, you know, continue and things that we need to move forward. Um, how I guess important has it been getting set back. I know he did play. Obviously, Syracuse had like 20 more minutes today. How big has it been, you know, getting him back in the lineup? It seemed like he was a little bit. Yeah. I mean, we just, just doesn't work without him. You know, he's just, um, his defense, um, on the ball, his athleticism on the defensive end to help us rebound. Um, you know, you can put him on any guard, whether he likes to come off screens or you saw him pick up, you know, 94 ft. And so he's really disruptive there on the offensive end. Um, he's shooting the ball much better this year, but his ability to attack the basket, I, I just think he can get to the basket, gets in the paint any time he wants to and I thought his passing was really good. A lot of times, you know, the skip passes or out of the double team, we always talked about good, great. And he did a really, he should get, you know, I don't know how many assists he had. Like he had four, he should, he, he had hockey assists, you know, he had like four or five hockey assists and so like just his energy and effort and his ability, you know, we just need it out there and he's really good today. He's claiming six and has asked for a review. So he's claiming six. Ok. Ok. Or as, or as a season high, we actually say about co I get everything that you were saying about the whole of this game. It's not just shooting, but it's nice. Yeah, but we started 21 the last three games from three. What does it do? Something in that consistent realm? And I agree with you and, and it, it does, you know, to, you know, in combination with Harrison and, and, and RJ, Now you've got three guys that I shoot the ball at a high level. And what that does is that gives us even more space. It gives space to Armando. I was just asking that that yes, it gives space to Armando, it gives space to our guards. Elliott being able to get into the gaps, it gives us spacing, you know, everyone, you know, from an offensive standpoint, they talk about spacing. Yeah, you could be, you know, corner, corner, you know, spread everybody out, but if they can't shoot, people are still gonna be in the lane, you got to have guys that can shoot. And so mccormack, um being more in rhythm from three now that adds another, you know, in combination with his reputation and elite shooter and it just opens up our offense even more. He with RJ like I don't know, his, his patience maybe become one of the overlooked qualities with him. I think he only had two shots the 1st 15 minutes of the game. He still ends up with 20 points, you know, like I is that, that's a good player that I'm, I'm telling you, that's just a good player when you look at, you know, 13 shots and 20 points off of 13 shots. That's a good player, you know, and, um, five assists. I mean, I just gets to the free throw line defends that, that, that's a good player and you're right, you know, he had limited points and you know, starting the game and then, and his patience of understanding that, you know, he's gonna get his go, gonna get his looks. And under also understanding that, you know, we wanted to feature Armando and just dominate points in the paint us being able to do that opens him up out there on the perimeter. And so, um he has my vote for AC C player of the year. I don't have a vote. No, it almost did fewer than vote that way fewer. I'm sure you saw. But uh your uncle was named a finalist for the Naismith Hall of Fame this week. What does it mean to you to see him get that on? But this should be in the Hall of fame 16 years in the NBA seven time all star rookie of the year in 78 all American here. He should be in the Hall of fame. It's about time and that's my uncle. That's his vote. That's my vote. Anybody have a vote, vote. I know that the schedule for next week. How are you? Uh, tomorrow we have a special Olympics event tomorrow and then, um, Monday, we'll have, uh, we'll, um, have run and shoot, um, on, uh, Monday and then practice on Tuesday. Um, we'll do some film work or, and some light stuff on Wednesday and then Thursday and Friday get ready to go. All right, thanks everybody. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah. Is he already?