NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP - FINAL FOUR: NORTH CAROLINA VS KANSAS

April 3, 2022

Hubert Davis

Caleb Love

RJ Davis

Caesars Superdome

North Carolina Tar Heels

Finals Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by North Carolina.

Q. I'm curious, when it comes to Armando playing with fouls, we saw in the March 5 game he sat briefly after his first and second foul. Last night he sits briefly, gets his third and stays on the court, I think he had four rebounds in the next two minutes. How do you balance your philosophy and feel in the moment as far as him playing through fouls?

COACH DAVIS: He got in foul trouble against Duke in the first matchup. He got two quick fouls and I thought that really hurt us. Moving forward in the first half, every time he gets a foul, I take him out. So just trying to manage and make sure that he's available for the most part in the second half.

As a tenacious rebounder as he is, he's around bodies all the time. And offensively we want to throw the ball to him in the post at all times. So I understand that there's going to be contact there. And it's just plain and simple, we're a better team with him on the floor. So it's just managing his fouls to make sure that he stays in the game.

Q. A lot of connections between the programs from Coach Smith and Roy Williams. Your connection partly being in '91, in the Final Four you played in. Just your memories now of that moment, like, kind of how much that one sticks with you, that game?

COACH DAVIS: The '91 game? I appreciate you bringing that up. I appreciate it. (Laughter).

Prior to us winning the national championship in 2017, from 1991 to 2017, I had watched that game at least once every year.

It's the best team that I ever played with, with King and Rick and Pete Chilcutt as the seniors and George Lynch, we were as connected as this team is connected now. And we really felt like we had a chance to win the national championship and we came up short. And that was a game that Coach Smith got two technical fouls and got kicked out, and it was an emotional game and an emotional end to a season.

And playing at Carolina, the thing, for me, that I always wanted was to cut down those nets as a player. And we were so close and weren't able to be able to have that experience.

And that was the toughest loss that I've ever experienced in my entire life. And thankful that I had an experience that -- or an opportunity to be an assistant coach and be part of this again and to be able, as an assistant coach, be part of the championship of 2017. But that loss was a hard one to take.

Q. Leaky had another outstanding defensive game last night against AJ Griffin. He's just erasing dudes at this point. How much of a luxury is it for you to be able to have him? And he's going to have a tough matchup with Kansas's wings.

COACH DAVIS: It's been great. I'm so glad that nationally people are seeing how good a defender Leaky is. He's not just a good defender, he's elite. He's next-level defensively. His length and athleticism, his versatility. Last night he was guarding A.J., he was guarding Paolo, he was guarding Wendell. Throughout the year we've tried to split him in half to be able to guard two people at once. He's fantastic.

And it's not just his defense; it's his experience and leadership and his ability to make plays. Like he has the best assist-to-turnover ratio on the team. When we needed somebody to step up and make some jump shots, Leaky did that. It's just all year long, when we have needed Leaky to make a play, he's always stepped up and made a play. But defensively you guys have seen nationally -- there can't be more than two or three better wings defensively than Leaky.

Q. What did you develop from a coaching personality, coaching style standpoint working with the JV team?

COACH DAVIS: That's a great question. Interesting. Last night, when Caleb was at the free-throw line and we were up by two and I told the assistants, if he makes the first one, I'm going to call timeout.

And the reason -- well, you might ice your player. I was, I'm calling timeout. The reason I called timeout I was in the same situation as a JV coach. We were playing a prep school team and I decided not to call a timeout. He made the first one. I didn't call timeout. He missed the second one. They came down and I did not talk to them about when to foul, the process defensively, what we're doing on a made or missed shot. They came down hit a 3 and we lost in overtime. I was thinking that exactly last night in the semifinal game. I said I'm not making that mistake again.

And so to think that seven years as a head coach for the JV program obviously is on a much lesser scale, but you're put in positions to make decisions, whether it's in practice, games, shoot-arounds. And that experience that I had on JV, that's the first thing I was thinking about in that situation when Caleb went to the free-throw line, and that's why I made that.

Q. Along the same lines as you coming into your own as a coach, I was wondering, in particular, offensively what made you attach to wanting a stretch four. Is it seeing games you've lost in the past and thinking that would be helpful, or was it something else along the way that formed your offensive philosophy?

COACH DAVIS: It's a number of things. Number one, to me, as an assistant and us scouting teams, that was the most difficult scout to prepare for a team that had a big guy that had the ability to stretch the floor off of ball screens or in transition.

And so instead of me stressing going through the scout about how do we defend this guy, how do we play ball screens, how do we match up with them, do we put a small, do we put a big -- it would be great if we had one of those guys.

We also had the experience of having Luke Maye and Brice Johnson. Both of those guys could step out on the floor and make plays, especially Luke Maye, being able, as a 4, to be able to shoot the ball from 3. I thought it was really beneficial for us, especially winning the 2017 championship.

And then just talking about where basketball is today. For me, from an offensive standpoint, it's fun when you have spacing and balance and a combination of ball and player movement.

The only way you have spacing is you have to have shooters. You can have five non-shooters in the stands, and if they're non-shooters, they're still going to -- the defenders are still going to be in the lane. I just felt like having that 4 that has the ability to play on the outside opens up our offense, makes us more versatile, and I don't think there's anybody better in the country at being able to do that than Brady.

Q. I'm wondering if you've heard from the great Michael Jordan at all via text or if he's called you. He was here I think in 2017 when they won. Has he had any contact at all during the year with the team?

COACH DAVIS: He has. I haven't talked to him through the NCAA Tournament or after last night's game, but when we played NC State at home, they had the '82, the reunion for the '82 championship. And he came and it was great being able to spend time with him. And he was able to spend a little bit of time with the players.

So I know he's extremely busy. But he's always been in contact throughout the entire season. And I love having Michael's support.

Q. (Off microphone).

COACH DAVIS: I'd like him to play (laughter). That would be great. I don't want him just to show up, I'd like him to play (laughter).

Q. From my understanding, Caleb Love has had his three highest scoring games during this NCAA Tournament run. We all know about the talent that he brings to the court every night. He went through his slumps and all that throughout the regular season, but what do you think is the main reason for the way he's elevated his game during the most important time of the year?

COACH DAVIS: Well, one of the many things I love about Caleb is he wants to be on the biggest stage. And so I've been a part of a number of, like, in terms of the atmosphere, big-time atmospheres as a player and as a coach. Last night it was right there. And that's where Caleb wants to be.

And there's very few players that want to be on that stage all the time. And Caleb does.

The other thing is, he has an unbelievable ability to move on to the next play, next possession. So I think he air-balled in the second half. And then he came down and shot that ball over Mark Williams. He could turn the ball over and next day make a really great pass. His ability to move on to the next play is brilliant.

I'm really happy for him. He's always wanted to be in this position. He's always wanted to make big shots in big-time situations. And I'm just really proud of him. And I'm happy for him and his family.

Q. You made it very clear last night that Armando is going to play. Wondering if you could give an update on, is he going to practice today? And maybe just speak to the importance of him in the matchup with McCormack, who obviously had a career night the other night?

COACH DAVIS: He's going to practice today. But our practice is going to be very limited. Even if he didn't twist his ankle, it's going to be limited. They did X-rays and they were all negative. Obviously he's a little sore. But he was walking around and feeling good and was very encouraged with the amount of swelling from his ankle sprain. And he's ready to play tomorrow night.

Obviously it's a great matchup in the post. Two unbelievable post players that can rebound the basketball, can score consistently down low in the paint. It's a big emphasis for us as well as Kansas. And it could ultimately come down to the winner of that matchup being the determining factor of who wins the championship.

But Armando looks really good and he's very encouraged and ready to play tomorrow night.

Q. When you were at ESPN, you would have kind of viewed the sport from a global perspective: What are the issues facing it? You're taking over a franchise program now that's a huge job. Wonder, going forward, do you think you'll be able to speak about the issues facing this sport? Do you feel comfortable doing that? Or can you not think about it because the North Carolina job is such a big job?

COACH DAVIS: As of right now, I haven't had time to think about it. I've said this before, April 5th will be the exact date that I took the job. And even though this year has been fantastic, I've said this, I haven't had time to reflect and think.

It's always been next game, next practice, next recruit, next media event. Just next -- it's been busy. And really the only time that I have been able to take in the moment was when I was taking Caleb and RJ and all of them out against Saint Peter's.

So I'm not shy away from talking about it and being involved in it. But right now, this whole year, I haven't had time to think. And the times I do think, it's been 100 percent on being the best coach that I can be for those players.

Q. You just talked about the McCormack/Armando matchup, but what are some things that Kansas does that are absolutes you'll have to deal with and find a way to work through?

COACH DAVIS: Well, two things jump out to me. Number one, we're going to have to handle their pressure. Defensively they're really good. They do a terrific job pressuring the ball full court after made and missed baskets. They make it very difficult for you to pass the ball and get into your offense.

So we're going to have to handle the pressure. We're going to have to create contact, be able to get space so we can catch the ball where we want to, to be able to execute our plays properly and be able to run it with pace. I think they're a fantastic defensive team.

They have the versatility to be able to switch a lot of their actions because they have versatile and good defenders. I think, from an offensive standpoint, I think we have to handle their pressure.

Defensively, I think the biggest thing is transition defense. On film, they appear to be the fastest transition team that I've seen this year, whether it's on made or missed baskets, they sprint to offense. And so it's really important for us that our transition defense -- we always have an end game. And our end game in transition defense is no layups or dunks, no pitch-ahead lace-up 3s, make them make two passes or more so the defense can get set. We'll have to do that tomorrow night.

And I feel very comfortable against our set defense that the way that we've been playing defensively that we can do a good job on the defensive end. But those are two areas that are going to be key for us.

RJ DAVIS: What Coach Davis said.

CALEB LOVE: What Coach Davis said. (Laughter).

Q. To build a build off what Barry was asking, Bill Self was talking earlier about Roy Williams is retired and Mike Krzyzewski is now done. He said there's a need for coaches to carry that mantel now as kind of that iconoclast, that big-time, name coach. How would you put him in that classification? How would you find the need to do that now as this game goes into this next decade and moving forward?

COACH DAVIS: In regards to Coach Self, he's a part of that group. He just is. The job that he's done throughout his entire career, not just on the court, but in the classroom, in the community, the way that he loves his players, how hard his players play for him, the impact that he's made for his players, not only in basketball but in life, that's the determining factor, to me, on a really good coach. That it's not just about basketball. It's about people. It's about relationships. It's about lives.

And Coach Self is a part of that group of Coach K and Coach Williams that has consistently done that for a long period of time.

Q. This annual viewing of the '91 game, even, I guess, as an NBA veteran, this self-torture that you mentioned, what would it be like, would you get to the end? Would it make you cry or cringe or have a stomach ache?

COACH DAVIS: It would make me cry.

Q. Would you be alone? Would you have a nice pet nearby or something like that?

COACH DAVIS: No, it would make me cry. And I was hoping that -- it's interesting, every time that I watched it, I would think, it's going to turn out differently. (Laughter). And I just did.

One of the things I told the guys before we -- I think it was before we came to New Orleans, I know it was during the NCAA Tournament -- I said the best experience is tears. But I've told them this -- the best experience that I have had as a player, hands down, was going to the Final Four.

So that was a place of tears of joy but that was the best place, personally, that I had ever experienced. I told them, I played 12 years in the NBA and that was my finest as a basketball player, finest moment, just being part of the Final Four.

I was trying to convey to them how special it is to be here. Now that they're being able to experience it is great. So it was tears of joy, but it was also a place that I enjoyed so much that I wanted to be a part of again.

Q. I've asked all the players this throughout the week, about the sayings that you have -- energy, effort and toughness; the phone, the family, the friends, the noise -- how do you come up with these and why is it important to kind of have these things that are so well formed and thought out that you believe in them so much that you repeat them so much?

COACH DAVIS: I don't know where I got that from. I just -- but I feel like it was important -- I do think it's important to continue to repeat it because I believe in it.

I'm so impressed with them. At their age, I didn't have that type of noise in my life. And I think it's so important to be able to focus on what is real and what is right. And I didn't sit at home and just think of these phrases and go, these catch phrases, this is what I'm going to give Caleb and RJ today. And I'm just going to say it over and over it again, so I believe it they believe it. It was just what I felt like that's what the team needed.

I feel they have understood where I'm coming from, and they've adopted it or accepted it. And I think that's a reason why that they're able to play so well under the big lights is because of their ability to block out the noise and to believe the things that we've been talking about as a team throughout the season.

Q. When I saw you guys play in November, you weren't as much fun to watch. Now you guys are fun to watch. You play together. You play hard. You play tough. What flipped it? What was it that allowed you to turn that around?

RJ DAVIS: I'd say we were fun to watch. I wouldn't say we weren't fun to watch at all. Me and Caleb have been playing together for the past two seasons and we definitely built a lot of chemistry on and off the court. And we've definitely progressed in our game.

The way we were able to find each other when we're hot, we know what spots we like the ball. And the way we were able to lead our team. I think that's been the whole year. It's been consistent all year. No one said it was going to be easy. And basketball is the game of runs. You're going to go through ups and downs. You're not going to be perfect. But I would say we were fun to watch all year.

CALEB LOVE: Same thing. I feel like we were fun to watch all year long. We were still trying to find each other. It was a whole new group. It was early in the season. It was in November. So to say we weren't fun to watch is outrageous to me.

But like RJ said, we've been gelling all year. And we've got one more game left to solidify ourselves that we are fun to watch.

Q. Did you guys get a chance to see the reaction on Franklin Street? And what Coach said he wanted you guys to enjoy the night and enjoy the win, did you guys get a chance to explore New Orleans at all?

COACH DAVIS: Not that much. I wanted them to enjoy, not that much. (Laughter).

RJ DAVIS: I saw a couple of pics on Instagram and Snapchat. It looked really crazy. I had a friend out there who Facetimed me. He flipped the screen and showed me what it was like on Franklin Street. It was great to see how much our fans and friends care and love for this place and university.

CALEB LOVE: I've seen a lot of videos and pictures. And it was great to see. It's crazy to see that our play is, like, creating memories for them, too. So that's just a blessing in disguise. But it was great to see.

Q. I'm curious, how much does having a son who is basically the same age as your players inform how you deal with them and everything that goes into being a head coach?

COACH DAVIS: This is my oldest son Elijah. He's a freshman at the University of Lynchburg. He's missing class tomorrow to be at my game tomorrow night. He's liking that. He plays basketball there.

Just being a father, it helps. I look at and I tell the parents, I'm not your son's parent, but every decision that I make will be filtered through what is in the best interests for your son and what I think you would do for your son.

And so I'm not their basketball coach, I'm just a person in their life that is trying to help them, that's trying to serve them, that's trying to support them and care for them.

And so the same way that I care for my three children is the same way that I care for the players. I just want things to work out for them. And so I wouldn't say, because of my oldest son it's easier for me to relate to them. But I would say being a father helps me relate to the players, because that's the way that I coach.

Q. You talk a lot about the connectiveness that you wanted to foster on this team, the same connectiveness you felt with your '91 team. How important now in this moment in the last game of the season, how important is that now more than ever?

COACH DAVIS: It really is. Not just in our last game. It was the most important thing throughout the entire season. This program is built on relationships. That's the foundation of what has made Carolina basketball, Carolina basketball. One of the things throughout the summer that I made the guys do, is they have a requirement to stop by my office at least three times a week.

And so when you stop by my office you cannot talk about basketball. And so we talk about video games and TV shows and they talk about Snapchats and Instagrams and all kinds of stuff like that.

And then during the season, where it's a little bit more difficult with classes and everything, I say you have to stop by the office at least once.

So just being able to have those experiences away from the court, I always tell them that the only communication that I have with you is out there on the floor, I'm not doing my job.

So just being able to talk with them outside of the court makes it so much better to communicate when we're on the court. And I always say you can't play for me unless you know me. And I can't coach you unless I know you. So the only way I can get to know you and you get to know me is we've got to spend time together. And that's what we have done this year. And that's what makes times like this playing for a national championship so impressive, so much fun.

Q. When you first saw RJ, I think it was the summer going into his senior year, a lot of the big schools really weren't sure he was good enough. What the did you see in him that made you think this guy is going to be a really good player?

COACH DAVIS: It was interesting. It was during the live period in recruiting and I actually was in Kansas City looking at the Under Armour circuit. And I flew in, took a red-eye to get to the Nike circuit for one day. And the EYBL had a series of games from 8 in the morning to 12:00 and that was it. I said, in order to be able to see everybody, I couldn't sit at just one game and watch one game. I needed to just walk around.

That's all I did was just walk around. And then I turned around and saw RJ. He was playing for the New York Renaissance. Hit a 3. Then I was looking at another game and just turned around. I saw him get a steal and a lay-in. I'm watching another game turned around he hit another 3. And then I kept looking and walking around to other games. And I turned around and he hit another 3.

And I came back to Coach Williams. I said he's not the tallest guard, but I said he's tough, he's gritty, he's from New York. And I've always enjoyed guys that played from the New York/New Jersey area because I feel like they have a sense of toughness that you have to have out there on the floor.

And eventually, later in the summer, Coach Williams offered him. That's how I saw him.

He just kept making winning plays every time that I watched him on the floor. And I just felt like that would be the perfect fit for us, because he was making plays on the ball and off the ball. And I just felt like that's one of the things that we needed. We needed a guard that could make plays in many different areas. And that's what RJ did in that game that I saw him that morning. And that's what he's done throughout his brief career here at North Carolina.

Q. You've talked about coaching as missionary work and as it relates to your players. But how do you want to define yourself as a coach in terms of the Xs and Os, in terms of the basketball side of everything?

COACH DAVIS: I don't want to be defined at all. I don't really care about what definition I have as a coach. That's something that I just don't think about. That's something that I'm not concerned about. That's not something that I think about at all.

My job is to be the head coach of the University of North Carolina and my job is to do that to the best of my ability. And I've said it since I took over in the press conference, the foundation of Carolina basketball will always be here because it's been tried and tested and proven successful. And I've experienced it.

But I'm going to do this with my own personality, in my own shoes. And I feel very comfortable me being me. And so however anyone defines me, then that's their definition, but that's not of any concern to me. My concern is this university. My concern is this program. And my concern are these players.

Q. I know you learn a lot about your players throughout this process. But what have you learned about yourself as a coach from day one to now?

COACH DAVIS: I don't know. As I said before, I just really haven't had time to go down that road and to really think and to really process what has happened this year. I've had to take on things literally on the run. And I'm really looking forward to, hopefully after a great day tomorrow night, that I'll have a little bit of time to be able to catch my breath and be able to just take in what this whole year has been about.

It's not just this run and the NCAA Tournament. It's the entire season, the trust of the players and the parents to allow first-year head coach to coach their son. To be able to do this alongside an assistant coaching group that I think is the best in the country, with friends that I grew up with and that are a part of Carolina basketball, the support of the fans, the students.

There's so many things -- the impact that it's had on my kids. This is the first time that their dad has been in the limelight. They weren't alive when I was playing in the NBA. This is the first time that I've been in the limelight and my wife has been in it as well. And so the impact on my wife and my kids.

There's a number of things that I'm looking forward to, to processing. But it's not the time to do that right now. The time right now is to stay focused and continue to look at what we need to do to play our best tomorrow night. That's the only thing I'm thinking about.