Not Discouraged but More Determined

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The notion of blocking out the noise has been something North Carolina coach Hubert Davis has ingrained in the Tar Heels since they entered the college basketball season as the preseason favorite.

“I just can’t imagine being at that age and having to deal with the noise that they have in their life,” Davis said Monday night on his weekly radio show. “One of the things that we talked about consistently last year was the noise of criticism, and that they just needed to focus on what is real and that’s our improvement and how good we can become as a team, and to focus on the discipline and the details. At the beginning of the year, I was talking about the noise of praise and everyone telling them how great they are, they’re going back to the Final Four, that they’re All-Americans and that they’re amazing.” 

Nine games in, however, that praise has ceased as the team has been dealt four straight losses and fallen out the AP Top 25. 

Davis isn’t concerned about dropping out of the rankings. He said UNC again is dealing with the noise of criticism, just like this time last season, before ultimately putting together a remarkable run to the NCAA championship game.

“I’m disappointed in the last four games,” he said, “but I’m not discouraged at all. It actually turned me the opposite way. Now I’m more determined. I’m more fired up and ready go, so it’s put me in that position and the guys will be there with me as well.”

While UNC returned fours starters from last seasons’s team and added graduate transfer Pete Nance along with four freshman, many believed this team would resemble the group that made the extraordinary NCAA Tournament run in March and April. But Davis believes otherwise, saying the Tar Heels have to start at the bottom and continue to build each day.

“This is a new year,” he said. “This is a new team and we’re committed to trying to become the best team we can become, and they’re doing that. I think at times they have the weight of expectations coming into the season, and that has been burdensome to them. But I told them that I love that they’re going through this, because they need to learn this.

“Putting on that uniform and playing at North Carolina you always have a target on your back, and the season we had last year put even more of a target on them.” 

Back in Chapel Hill after nearly two weeks on the road, Davis and his team have the chance to reset before facing Georgia Tech on Saturday at the Smith Center. He emphasized the importance of the discipline and details that will allow UNC to become more consistent.

On Tar Heels’ narrow plus-14 rebounding margin on the season, an average of about 1½ more per game than their opponents:

“It’s not good enough. At the beginning of the year, one of the things that I…