Members of the UNC men’s basketball team met with the media Friday afternoon at the Smith Center to preview the 2024-25 season. Notable returners R.J. Davis and Elliot Cadeau are joined by highly-touted newcomers such as freshmen Ian Jackson and Drake Powell. The Tar Heels are looking to improve upon a 2023-24 season which saw them win the ACC regular-season title but fall in the Sweet 16 to Alabama.
Here are highlights from selected players and head coach Hubert Davis:
Jalen Washington
On the increased expectations for him in the absence of Armando Bacot: There’s a lot of minutes available. So I had to work a lot harder in the preseason, be a lot more active in practice and take my whole game to another level… with the work I’m putting in, I’m pretty confident.
On bringing energy to the floor: The biggest thing was everything dealing with conditioning. Just being in the best shape possible to be able to give that energy. Once you get past being tired, you can really fall in love with playing the game. That’s when my competitive spirit comes out the most.
Jae’Lyn Withers
On moving past his late missed three-pointer against Alabama: The biggest thing that really stuck with me was taking in the doubt, the hate [from fans], building on it, focusing on those things they’re critiquing and making it so they can’t say that anymore.
On his improvement in the offseason: From three, I’ve been really efficient. I’ve been efficient in a lot of categories, whether that be guarding the ball, knocking down open shots, finishing around the rim, free throws. That’s been a big thing for me: being efficient, so there isn’t a question about a shot going up or a shot going in.
Seth Trimble
On his brief entry into the transfer portal, and his return to Carolina: I never wanted to leave this university in the first place. It’s just something that I felt like had to be done. But when I was able to take a step back and listen to what some coaches had to say and really listen to what the coaches here had to say, it helped me realize where my heart is, what I value the most… it was a very hard week. A very emotional week. When I entered the portal, I broke down crying. I really didn’t want to do it.
On the team’s game at Kansas in November: Super exciting. We want to go to Lawrence and pull out a huge win. That’s probably gonna be the hardest game of the year. But we’re ready for it. We want to embrace it and embrace the difficulty and adversity that will come with it. But we’re not looking past Elon [in the season opener on November 4]. We know Elon is gonna come in here and give their all.
Elliot Cadeau
On his relationship with freshman Ian Jackson: We knew each other very well. We used to work out a lot. I’ve played with him, against him since I was in the sixth grade. When he committed, I was actually very surprised. I didn’t know he was coming here. He didn’t tell anybody before. When I watched it live, I was speechless. I was like, ‘What the heck?’
On the team’s smaller personnel and the chance to play with more pace: It’s definitely great for me. I feel like it compliments my play style. It just makes me a lot better. I feel like I’m a really fast player. So playing with other fast players in a fast pace is great for me.
Ian Jackson
On learning from R.J. Davis: It’s been great. He understands what it looks like at a college level. How we’re supposed to prepare, how we’re supposed to get ready for him. So I just use him as a guide, learn as much as I can from him. I appreciate him being here… he’s been at every level. He’s seen the bad seasons, the good seasons. He knows everything.
On the pace Carolina plays with: It’s different from what you hear when you’re actually playing it. We want to play a fast-paced game. Coach Davis emphasizes that in practice every day. It’s way harder than you think. But we’re gonna get it done.
Cade Tyson
On potentially playing down low: I don’t mind. I’m not afraid of any contact. I like to play in the paint. If I need to post up or if I need to guard a bigger post [player], I’m willing to do it.
On his experience so far as a Tar Heel: Being a North Carolina kid [from Monroe], I hadn’t been in Chapel Hill until my official visit. So I really didn’t know what it was all about. And then I got here and found out what it was all about. I wish I was a fan from day one. It’s super special. The family atmosphere is huge. The guys that have come through, the history, it’s really awesome.
R.J. Davis
On his offseason: I’ve been in a really great [mental] space. Coming to this team, seeing the talent we have and embracing being a leader. That’s one of the main goals for me this year. I was a leader last year, but being more vocal this year is gonna be a huge step for me. I challenge myself to do that every day in practice. That way, it’s easier in the games and… that way, the team can rely on me.
On which parts of his game have improved: I’m just sharpening my all-around game. Making sure my three-pointer is still up to par. I shot the ball really well last year, so I’m gonna keep doing that. I think my playmaking has taken a huge jump from last year to this year. I’m doing a good job of reading the defense better, being steady and patient in pick-and-rolls and taking what the defense gives me. My defense took a huge jump last year. I think I did a good enough job of maintaining my man. I think that didn’t get talked about a lot last year. So just continuing to increase that this year.
On bringing in the new players: It was different in a way. We have a lot of new guys, but they’re all younger. Last year, we had a bunch of 30-year-olds. I think the freshmen and the transfers, they’ve been really coachable. They learn things on the fly: if they mess up one time, they’ll get it right the next time. They make my job and the coaching staff’s job easier: teaching them the pace, how we want to play. I think they’ve done a good job of adjusting to it.
Hubert Davis
On the team’s pace of play this season: I’ve been straightforward and direct: I want to be the fastest team in the country from free-throw line to free-throw line. And in order to do that, you’ve got to be in the best shape of your life. And there needs to be a full commitment in regard to how we’re gonna play. If you’re not in the best shape of your life, you’re not gonna play. If you don’t sprint to the offensive end, you’re not gonna play. If you don’t sprint back defensively, you’re not gonna play. I think we have the personnel that can really take advantage of early offense with our pace, with our speed, with our athleticism, with our versatility.
On his team’s relative lack of size: The foundation, the way we want to play, that will never change. The most important thing for us in determining the outcome of a game is rebounding. It doesn’t matter who we have — we’re gonna box out and rebound. And if you don’t go to the offensive glass, you’re not gonna play for me… I’ve always said I want to dominate points in the paint. It doesn’t matter if we have five guys that look like me — that’s what we’re gonna do.
On his team’s versatility: That’s what I recruit and that’s what I coach. It’s positionless. I want guys to be able to make impact plays in many different areas on both ends of the floor… the thing I really like about this team is that we could go big or we could go small. I feel really good about that — as long as we rebound. That’s the key.
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