The annual ACC Tip-Off event serves as the unofficial start of basketball season in the conference, with representatives from the men’s and women’s programs meeting with the media for two days. First-year head coach Hubert Davis, along with sophomore guard Caleb Love and junior forward Armando Bacot, represented the Carolina men in Charlotte on Tuesday.
Davis fielded several questions about following the legacy of the recently retired Roy Williams, and emphasized that while he will follow some of the trademarks of Williams, Dean Smith and others, he still wants to put his own stamp on the program.
“I believe in what Coach Smith taught,” Davis said. “I believe in what Coach [Bill] Guthridge taught. I believe in Coach Williams, how he ran the program. I want to travel the same road. I’m just gonna do it with my own personality in my own shoes. Carolina’s gonna be Carolina. Because I believe in it, and I trust it. But I’m also gonna do it with my personality.”
Both Love and Bacot expressed their appreciation for Davis taking the head coaching job. Love called Davis’ hiring “a blessing,” and added, “I’m glad he’s our leader.”
“Once Coach Williams gave up the job, Coach Davis was the coach that, us as a team, we all wanted,” Bacot said. “It was just great to know that Coach Williams felt the same as us.”
Davis, Love and Bacot all had high praise for UNC’s trio of transfers for the 2021-22 season: Dawson Garcia from Marquette, Brady Manek from Oklahoma and Justin McKoy from Virginia.
“Dawson is someone we really haven’t had at UNC since probably Luke Maye,” Bacot said. “Being able to score off the dribble, if that’s shooting or scoring in the post. And Brady too, the way he can shoot the ball, it’s just crazy.”
“Brady Manek, I promise you guys, like, he does not miss,” Love said. “He’s rarely gonna miss.”
“From an offensive standpoint, it’s gonna give us the spacing and balance and movement that we’ve wanted on the offensive end,” Davis said. He also elaborated on Bacot’s development as an outside shooter, mentioning the 6-foot-10 junior spent the summer making 1,000 three-pointers every week.
“I’ve always loved versatile bigs,” Davis said.
Both the Carolina men’s and women’s teams will participate in the annual “Late Night” showcase at the Dean Smith Center this Friday, with the squads putting on a three-point shooting contest as part of the festivities. Bacot has not yet been confirmed as a participant in the shootout.
