ESPN's Rece Davis discusses UNC basketball struggles, Hubert Davis ahead of Duke game

ESPN’s Rece Davis discusses UNC basketball struggles, Hubert Davis ahead of Duke game

Posted by author February 1, 2025 Basketball

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DURHAM — ESPN’s College GameDay crew will be at Duke basketball’s Cameron Indoor Stadium for a 14th time this weekend.

Before Saturday’s 10 a.m. show on ESPN and the subsequent tipoff between the second-ranked Blue Devils (18-2, 10-0 ACC) and rival North Carolina (13-9, 6-4) at 6:30 p.m., host Rece Davis swung by the Bill Brill Media Room on Friday to chat with media members.

Given UNC’s current situation as a squad hovering around the NCAA Tournament bubble for the second time in three seasons, Davis was asked about the future of the Tar Heels and fourth-year coach Hubert Davis.

“Are we talking about the guy who went to the national championship game three years ago, No. 1 seed last year? Is that who we’re talking about? Give me a break, man,” Rece Davis said with a chuckle.

“This guy is the epitome of what you want leading your basketball program or anything else.”

Rece Davis talks Nick Saban, Hubert Davis, NIL, transactions, transformation

Hubert Davis worked at ESPN from 2007-12 alongside Rece Davis before becoming an assistant under former UNC coach Roy Williams for nine seasons.

Since being hired ahead of the 2021-22 season, Hubert Davis has won 91 games, with an ACC regular-season championship and national championship appearance in those first three years.

But the Tar Heels, who have lost three of their last four games, are in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament for the second time in a three-year stretch for the first time since 2001-03.

“It’s the coaching staff’s responsibility to get the roster right. It’s the coaching staff’s responsibility to get them to play to their top capabilities. I think Hubert or any of the players would tell you that in this stretch of games, they’ve had some bad breaks and they also haven’t always played their best,” Rece Davis said.

“But it shouldn’t be a referendum on the future and the direction of the program every time, because they’ve got some limitations. I’m not trying to say they’re a bad team. They’re a good team, they’ve got a couple of really good young players who are going to get better. There are reinforcements coming. … I don’t know all the ins and outs of it. They gotta get their NIL stuff right.”

Rece Davis went on to reflect on his time with former Alabama coach Nick Saban throughout the fall, saying college sports is “more transactional than transformational” in the current landscape.

“Hubert is great at transformational. Great at it. He invests in their lives. Maybe they’re going to have to improve their transactional nature. The money talks, man. Sometimes, at the end of the day, that’s what gets you the dudes you need. And there’s nothing wrong with that, that’s fine,” Rece Davis said.

“Whatever it is that has maybe kept (UNC) from doing that at the same rate as some others, need to fix that. Because you can bring in anybody that you want. Saban said during this year, he sort of joked and laughed and said, ‘I never did figure out how to coach guys who couldn’t play.’ I’m not saying Carolina guys can’t play; they certainly can. … Anybody that plays at North Carolina or Duke, they’re all good. But we’re talking about ultra elite. Gotta have some of them if you’re going to win at the level they would like to win at.”

When asked if UNC fans should panic about where the Tar Heels stand entering the Duke game, Davis said, “no” despite the Tar Heels’ recent struggles.

“They can be disappointed, they can be angry. It’s North Carolina, you’re supposed to win championships. Everybody knows this, this is not breaking news. They should be unhappy. They should not be content with 13-9. No, that’s not good enough. Everyone understands this, but let’s let the last month of the season play out, see if they play better. Let’s see how the young players they have and the young ones that are coming are going to do,” Rece Davis said.

“Because you’re not gonna find a better guy to lead your program. Don’t panic, but disappointment is fine. Critique is part parcel of what happens. There will be people critiquing me saying this to you. That’s fine. They’ll say, ‘Oh, Hubert’s his friend, he’s always going to go to bat for him.’ And you know what I would say? I would say, yes, No. 1, they’re right. But No. 2, two things can be true at the same time: I’m also telling the truth, it’s also accurate.”

Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to rbaxley@fayobserver.com.