UNC men’s basketball head coach Hubert Davis met with the media for the first time since the end of the 2024-25 season Tuesday at the Dean Smith Center. Davis discussed multiple topics, including pressure to win this season and star freshman Caleb Wilson.
Read some of Davis’ answers below, which have been lightly edited for clarity:
On how he feels entering his fifth year as head coach
I feel the same way that I’ve felt the last four years. There is a pressure and expectation for us to be good this year, but that pressure and that expectation for us to be good is no different than any other year. The standard is at the highest here. I always talk to the guys [about], “The standard is the standard, and there’s an expectation every year for us to reach that standard.” I actually had a conversation with [Senior Associate Athletic Director Steve Kirschner]. There’s a pressure and expectation to be good this year, but also, in some sense, to keep it there. The first year we were rebound away from winning the national championship, but the next year we win 20 games and we don’t make it to the NCAA Tournament. And then the third year we’re a Top 5 team pretty much the whole season, No. 1 seed in NCAA Tournament, won the [ACC] regular season title and then last year we win 23 games and just made the NCAA Tournament. And so, there is a determination to get there and to stay there.
On Caleb Wilson
From a basketball standpoint, I think you guys know he’s just uber talented. I mean, his length and his athleticism, he can handle the basketball at that size, finish around the rim, shoot mid-range. Defensively, he can do a number of different things. As much as I can talk about how impressed I am with him on the court, I’m even more impressed with him as a kid and a teammate. Everything that he talks about is never about him, and I mean that. Everything that he talks about is about the team. It’s about North Carolina. Everything. And for someone, highly ranked, coming in here, to not only talk about it, but only really be concerned about the welfare and the benefit of the team is something that is rare. And it’s something that I really enjoy and love being around every day.
Of highly-touted freshman Caleb Wilson, head coach Hubert Davis says, “As much as I can talk about how impressed I am with him on the court, I’m even more impressed by him as a kid and a teammate.” (Image via UNC Basketball on Twitter)
On international recruit Luka Bogavac
He is somebody that can do a number of different things on both ends of the floor. He’s got great size, he can handle [the ball], make plays with the ball in his hands, can shoot, score at many different levels, mid-range, get to the bucket, excellent passer. Somebody that had a burning desire to be here and to be a part of this program. As soon as he walks into a room, it just brightens up. He just has that type of personality and I’ve really enjoyed being around him.
Are there still recruits who aren’t solely focused on money?
Absolutely. Maybe I’m naïve, but I really believe that it’s important to a number of kids to not only put on this uniform and run out of that tunnel and play on that floor, but to also be a part of this university and get an education here and also be a part of this community and be able to serve in the community and be able to give back. That’s something that we do with our guys. I always tell them, you know, “Your job and your responsibility is to be elite in three areas: on the court, off the court and in the classroom.” And all of our guys not only do a terrific job of that, they embrace it. And the guys that we recruit and the guys that we bring in buy into those three things as well.
On Seth Trimble’s leadership
He’s an ambassador for this program. He really is. For him to be here four years, he’s done a lot. He’s seen a lot. And within his personality, he has done similar things as Armando [Bacot]. One of the things that’s really important to Seth is not only for Carolina to be good, but for Carolina to be good when he leaves. This place means something to him. And the way that he leads and the way that he carries himself every day puts our program in a position to be successful.
“This place means something to him,” Hubert Davis says of senior guard Seth Trimble.
On Trimble buying a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream shop on Franklin Street
I didn’t think it was real. I thought it was ChatGPT and AI. I didn’t think it was real, but I’m really happy for him. We talked a little bit about it a couple of days ago, and I did joke with him about, “Did he have dairy-free options for people like me?” And he said he did. And so this week I’m gonna go up there and see if he does. This is something that he wanted to do, and I’ve always told the guys this: they always talk about “what’s in my bag,” from an offensive standpoint. But I say, “You guys have been blessed with so many gifts and talents. Basketball is not your identity. It’s not who you are, it is just something that you do and that you have a number of gifts and talents in your bag.” And I think it’s really exciting to see Seth do something outside of basketball that could be a real encouragement to other players.
Featured image via Associated Press/Chris Seward
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