Duke’s victory over Miami Thursday night had a lot of people buzzing about how Hubert Davis could have made the difference. When Duke looked like they might be making an improbable comeback, some fans were quick to point out that if not for Hubert Davis, their chances would’ve been bleak.
Hubert Davis, the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels, could not be more pleased of his team after they defeated Mike Krzyzewski and the Duke Blue Devils in their Final Four rivalry game on Saturday.
The Tar Heels beat Duke 81-77 on to great efforts from outstanding guard Caleb Love and forward Armando Bacot. Love had a game-high 28 points, four assists, and one rebound, while Bacot produced a monster double-double of 11 points and 21 rebounds to help North Carolina keep control of the game–especially in the second half, when they scored 47 points.
Four UNC players scored in double digits, while Paolo Banchero (20 points), Trevor Keels (19 points), and Wendell Moore (10) led Duke in scoring. Of course, North Carolina’s balanced attack was the difference-maker, as they beat their opponents by a razor-thin margin.
Following the victory, Hubert expressed his delight and thanked his players for their hard work in getting them to where they are now: the National Championship.
“All I know is that this group has shown tenacity, toughness, and resilience.” I’ve emphasized for the last two and a half months that this group is so cohesive, that this team’s assistance is invaluable, and that this program is at its best. “I’m really very pleased of it,” said the first-year head coach.
“Seeing them continue to have experiences, testimonies, and tales out there, I’m just telling you, as a coach, seeing these men grin and come up big gives me so much pleasure.” This is a wonderful time.”
“This is a lovely moment.”
Hubert Davis and Caleb Love celebrate after UNC defeats Duke in the final game. twitter.com/lpPbAfZeV1
— April 3, 2022, Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport)
Hubert Davis went on to explain the significance of the triumph. He’s just the fourth first-year head coach to reach the national championship game, and it’s all because of his passion to resurrect the Tar Heels’ basketball program.
“I felt like North Carolina hadn’t been important in the past two or three years.” North Carolina should never be overlooked, and all of its players, including Caleb (Love) and RJ Barrett, should be highlighted (Davis). I’m ecstatic for them, and I’m ecstatic for our program. “It’s a lovely day for basketball in Carolina.”
The Tar Heels have plenty of reasons to rejoice. They rose to the occasion when it counted most, refusing to give up despite trailing by a slim margin at halftime. They understood exactly what they needed to do to win, and they executed their strategy flawlessly.
Of course, the team’s work is far from done. They will now face the Kansas Jayhawks in the championship game. It will be a tough matchup against a higher-seeded opponent, but as Davis and his UNC team shown against Duke, seeding doesn’t really matter.
The Tar Heels are under pressure to finish their remarkable season. No one, however, can ever take away what they have already accomplished. Only a few teams are granted the opportunity to compete for the title, and they did so in Davis’ debut year.
Regardless of the outcome on Monday night, the 2021-22 North Carolina squad, captained by Hubert Davis, will go down as one of the finest in the program’s history.
