University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Maggie Hobson
Lucas: Oct. 25 Practice Notebook
October 25, 2023 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Notes and quotes as the Tar Heels prepare for Friday's exhibition.
By Adam Lucas
You might occasionally call Hubert Davis a fairweather fan.
As you sometimes get a glimpse of on the Carolina sideline, Davis is an intense competitor. That manifests itself in the way he encourages his team from the bench, whether it's running up the sideline with them in an effort to remind them to push the pace, or with a wildly gesticulating skip when they miss an open pass.
In practice, it's not unusual for him to pick a favorite side after a couple consecutive nice plays. "I love this, Blue," he told the Blue team after they strung together good possessions on Monday. "Keep killing them, Blue."
The Blue team responded with a gorgeous possession on which all five players touched the basketball within the first ten seconds of the shot clock, moving the ball all over the court. It culminated with a sweet Paxson Wojcik bounce pass through traffic to Jalen Washington for an easy dunk.
Suitably inspired, the head coach ratcheted up the volume a notch. "Keep killing them, Blue!" he said, taking a step towards the White team's huddle just for emphasis.
But his fandom is limited. Within a couple of minutes, the White team recorded a couple baskets of their own and seized the momentum. "Get 'em, White!" Davis barked. "Get 'em!"
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Notes: As you may have read yesterday, Hubert Davis likes Jae'Lyn Withers' offensive versatility, but especially appreciates the defensive flexibility he provides. That was on full display at Monday's practice, when he was regularly switched onto point guard Elliot Cadeau and acquitted himself well. On one possession, he forced a turnover 30 feet from the basket and turned it into an easy transition basket…Paxson Wojcik is the guest on Friday's Carolina Insider podcast…Add former NBA head coach John Kuester to the list of Tar Heel alums who have attended preseason practice. He was part of a big NBA scout representation this week…
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Good insight from Withers on what he learned from enduring a 4-28 season with Louisville last year: "Culture and chemistry are two really big things," he says. "In order for a team to be really good, the culture has to be there. Everyone has to buy into it. If some don't buy into it, it puts wear and tear on those who are bought in, because they have to play more minutes. Chemistry is huge. If everyone doesn't have winning as the main goal, it's hard to win, because everyone is on a different page—some want to score, some just want highlights, some want to win. The team is all over the place." Don't miss Withers' Intro video...
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There is no doubt that practices are more physical this year. Part of that change is the presence of James Okonkwo, who is still learning some of the nuances but does not shy away from contact. He had a highlight reel block on a Withers dunk attempt on Monday…Boxing out continues to be a high priority. Any failure in that area is punished with a 22 (length of the court and back twice in 22 seconds) for the entire offending team. "We are going to be the number one defensive rebounding team in the country," Davis said as the White team ran this week. "That is our goal. So we have to box out every time."…Friday night's exhibition game starts at 7:30 p.m., with tickets available. This is typically a good opportunity to find an open seat and catch a close glimpse of the 2024 Tar Heels.
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You might occasionally call Hubert Davis a fairweather fan.
As you sometimes get a glimpse of on the Carolina sideline, Davis is an intense competitor. That manifests itself in the way he encourages his team from the bench, whether it's running up the sideline with them in an effort to remind them to push the pace, or with a wildly gesticulating skip when they miss an open pass.
In practice, it's not unusual for him to pick a favorite side after a couple consecutive nice plays. "I love this, Blue," he told the Blue team after they strung together good possessions on Monday. "Keep killing them, Blue."
The Blue team responded with a gorgeous possession on which all five players touched the basketball within the first ten seconds of the shot clock, moving the ball all over the court. It culminated with a sweet Paxson Wojcik bounce pass through traffic to Jalen Washington for an easy dunk.
Suitably inspired, the head coach ratcheted up the volume a notch. "Keep killing them, Blue!" he said, taking a step towards the White team's huddle just for emphasis.
But his fandom is limited. Within a couple of minutes, the White team recorded a couple baskets of their own and seized the momentum. "Get 'em, White!" Davis barked. "Get 'em!"
           Â
Notes: As you may have read yesterday, Hubert Davis likes Jae'Lyn Withers' offensive versatility, but especially appreciates the defensive flexibility he provides. That was on full display at Monday's practice, when he was regularly switched onto point guard Elliot Cadeau and acquitted himself well. On one possession, he forced a turnover 30 feet from the basket and turned it into an easy transition basket…Paxson Wojcik is the guest on Friday's Carolina Insider podcast…Add former NBA head coach John Kuester to the list of Tar Heel alums who have attended preseason practice. He was part of a big NBA scout representation this week…
           Â
Good insight from Withers on what he learned from enduring a 4-28 season with Louisville last year: "Culture and chemistry are two really big things," he says. "In order for a team to be really good, the culture has to be there. Everyone has to buy into it. If some don't buy into it, it puts wear and tear on those who are bought in, because they have to play more minutes. Chemistry is huge. If everyone doesn't have winning as the main goal, it's hard to win, because everyone is on a different page—some want to score, some just want highlights, some want to win. The team is all over the place." Don't miss Withers' Intro video...
           Â
There is no doubt that practices are more physical this year. Part of that change is the presence of James Okonkwo, who is still learning some of the nuances but does not shy away from contact. He had a highlight reel block on a Withers dunk attempt on Monday…Boxing out continues to be a high priority. Any failure in that area is punished with a 22 (length of the court and back twice in 22 seconds) for the entire offending team. "We are going to be the number one defensive rebounding team in the country," Davis said as the White team ran this week. "That is our goal. So we have to box out every time."…Friday night's exhibition game starts at 7:30 p.m., with tickets available. This is typically a good opportunity to find an open seat and catch a close glimpse of the 2024 Tar Heels.
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