The North Carolina Tar Heels and head coach Hubert Davis came into March Madness with championship aspirations. With a No. 1 seed in hand, the Tar Heels rolled past Wagner in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. But in the second round, they faced a tough challenge in Tom Izzo-led Michigan State.
But North Carolina ended up rolling to another win, 85-69, over Michigan State to punch their ticket to the Sweet 16. The Tar Heels used a 17-0 run to essentially shut the door on Michigan State.
Following the game, Davis revealed what message he told the team to get them fired up and propel them to victory.
“I was pretty fired up. I just didn't feel like from the competitive fire to start the game. They were more physical than us, their will and their want to overpowered us,” Davis said. “We can't even talk about basketball until we join the fight. About the ten minute mark in the first half then they started competing and everything turned for us.”
This is Hubert Davis' third year as North Carolina head coach. During that time, he's guided the Tar Heels to two NCAA Tournament appearances including this season. In 2022, the Tar Heels made it all the way to the championship game where they ended up falling to Kansas.
This season, the Tar Heels have punched their ticket to the Sweet 16 where they will face the winner between Alabama and Grand Canyon. No matter who comes out of that game, the Tar Heels are sure to be favored in that matchup.
After the game, North Carolina guard RJ Davis spoke about the culture that Davis has instilled and his ability to motivate the team when necessary.
“I think Coach Davis has done a tremendous job in the three years that he's been here. His first year, the way he came in and brought us to the national championship. I think the big picture for Coach Davis is what he brings out of the guys,” Davis said. “What that is, is the passion, the fire and the competitive spirit to go out there each game and each practice to play to the best of our abilities. When you have a coach like that, I think you can go a long way.”
Davis led the team with a team-high 20 points shooting 7-15 from the field and 3-7 from the three point line. Davis' NBA Draft projection is an interesting one as most mock drafts have him either as a second round pick or not even being drafted. But coming from a program like the Tar Heels, it's likely he gets a look in summer league, training camp and possibly the G League.
But for now, North Carolina will prepare for their March Madness Sweet 16 opponent.
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