North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis met with the media on Thursday ahead of No. 4 Duke 's visit to Chapel Hill on Saturday.
He previewed the game and provided insight on the mood around the building. He also shared his thoughts on Duke and its star player, Cameron Boozer .
Here are some notable things he said in the press conference:
The main thing I've tried to communicate to the guys is that our preparation, our process, the way we practice and the way we play is no different. The only difference is the circus is coming to town. Other than that, it's another game for us to compete and another opportunity for us to grow as a team. And leading up to a game, there's absolutely nothing different.
I want them to understand that what we've done for the 22 games prior to this is the same thing we're doing this week, next week and for the remainder of the season.
"You guys have been here when I've referenced that Bible verse and tried to get them to understand to keep their eyes straight ahead and ignore all sideshow distractions. I also believe it has to be player-led as well. So, in regard to Seth communicating to the guys about our practice, our process, our preparation, how we play — that nothing changes — that has to come from the players, too. But also, playing here at North Carolina, there's always a bit of a circus. So it's nothing different. It's just another game."
I feel like our guys have a clear understanding of that because, in some sense, there's, there's a lot that goes to being and playing here, you know. You know, the games against Kansas, on the road against Kentucky, Virginia, everywhere we go. And so our guys understand that, you know, with every step, every move, the spotlight is on them, and it comes with, you know, criticism, critique, praise on every step. And I think our guys understand that.
Cameron is an amazing player. And you're right. You know, he's you know, his ability to be able to score in many different ways, you know, obviously, around the basket, getting foul, getting to the free throw line, threes, he's an excellent passer. Um, so he's one of the best basketball players in the country.
But I'll, I will say this. It's not just him. There's a reason why they are 21-1. There's a reason because they're a really good basketball team and extremely well-coached. And they've got a number of pieces that play at an extremely high level. And so it's not a matchup between one person. It's a matchup against Duke. We're very excited about the challenge.
Well, I mean, he's, um, a terrific coach. Um, his teams are really sound, uh, disciplined, uh, defensively. Um, on the offensive end, they share the basketball. They take care of the basketball. They have the ability to be able to score in a paint, also be able to shoot from three. And so irregardless of the personnel, um, it's, it's, it's a team that, um, plays both sides of the floor at a high level and, um, can score in many different ways.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Basketball: What Hubert Davis said ahead of Carolina–Duke showdown
