UNC Basketball: Duke Head Coach Praises Hubert Davis Ahead of Showdown
The head coaches of Duke and UNC basketball have mutual respect and a lot in common, despite their different blue hues.
The No. 7 Blue Devils (16-4, 7-2 ACC) will visit the UNC basketball team on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET (ESPN). The third-ranked Tar Heels (17-4, 9-1 ACC) want to extend their lead in the league and match Duke’s head-to-head record since Hubert Davis (2-3 against the fellow Tobacco Road star) took over in Chapel Hill three years prior.
As the Blue Devils get ready for their first of two regular-season meetings with the Tar Heels, All Tar Heels on SI.com questioned second-year Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer (2-0 against UNC) about his foe. The news conference took place on Thursday, eight miles away in Durham.
Scheyer stated that Hubert Davis’ body of work this season is difficult to top at this point, even if he acknowledged (in the video above) that it is way too early for anyone to vote for ACC Coach of the Year.
What the former assistant and Blue Devil guard (2006–10) had to say about the former Tar Heel guard (1988–1992) and assistant is as follows:
“First, let me tell you about Hubert. In my opinion, he did a fantastic job. And after taking over two programs that rival any in the nation, we most likely have a great deal of empathy for one another.
And a lot of great things follow with it, right? You have people who care about the success of your program and you get to coach outstanding players.
It is also subject to intense scrutiny. In my opinion, he has done an excellent job leading his squad, keeping his focus on the important things, and motivating his players. He’s got his team performing admirably.
