Wolferetti: Hubert Davis says UNC can’t win because they are “playing against better players”. This is not satire.

Ah, the joys of watching a first-year head coach.

No, I’m not talking about a coach who is in his first year with a new team. I’m talking about coaches who are thrust into prime-time jobs with zero prior head coaching experience. You know, guys like Hubert Davis.

What I love is that they really aren’t used to the media yet. In a generation where coaches rarely make missteps and are usually pretty bland with their comments in order to stay out of trouble, the new first-year head coach can be counted on for an eyebrow-raising quote from time to time.

Hubert Davis seems like he just had his.

This past week wasn’t very good for the Heels. They lost to Miami by 28 and then they lost to Wake Forest by 22. Yeah, that’s two losses by a combined 50 points. But it wasn’t until I read this WRAL piece where Davis gave his reason that it really turned my head.

“You’re playing against better players,” he said. “Williamson, Williams, and Laravia were the best players on the floor and it wasn’t even close.”

He went on to say…

“When I was in the NBA I did all the things. I did the scouting report, I denied one pass away, I was in a defensive stance, but at the end of the day Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Allen Iverson were better than me.”

You can’t make this up. Poor little UNC just can’t get enough talent to beat Wake Forest.

“We just don’t have the athleticism and the ability to be able to break down defenders,” he said “Wake Forest was switching all ball screens one through five. We couldn’t get by them. We couldn’t create a shot.”

Don’t you just feel bad for Hubey? He finally gets his dream job, and he’s left with a bunch of scrubs. You can’t expect him to win with these guys, who do you think he is? Roy Williams?

Last year UNC started a lineup of:

Caleb Love – 5 star PG, #2 PG nationally
Kerwin Walton – 4 star SG, #21 SG nationally
Leaky Black – 4 star SF, #17 SF nationally
Garrison Brooks – 4 star PF, #32 PF nationally
Armando Bacot – 5 star C, #6 C nationally

This year, not much has changed…

Caleb Love – 5 star PG, #2 PG nationally
RJ Davis – 4 star SG, #7 CG nationally
Leaky Black – 4 star SF, #17 SF nationally
Brady Manek – 4 star PF, #27 PF nationally
Armando Bacot – 5 star C, #6 C nationally

Based on recruiting, they have a better rated starting five this year. So saying you don’t have the talent seems a little insincere. They also are getting better production out of the two players they have brought in, than the ones who were in those spots last year.

Kerwin Walton averaged 8 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists last season as the starting 2 guard.
RJ Davis is averaging 13.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists this year as the starting 2 guard.

Garrison Brooks averaged 10.2 points and 6.5 rebounds last season as the starting power forward.
Brady Manek is averaging 12.9 points and 5.7 rebounds this season as the starting power forward.

Thier core of Love, Black and Bacot are all back. Sure, they lost some depth to the transfer portal, guys that they counted on at the tail end of last season, but this is not a team void of talent by any means.

But he can say what he wants to say and UNC fans can live in a delusional world where they’ll back whatever he says despite evidence sitting right there on the internet (for now).

But maybe, just maybe, UNC isn’t being coached all that well. Maybe all those 4 and 5-star kids aren’t being put in the right position to get the most out of their ability. Maybe Davis isn’t quite the motivator that Roy was. UNC has gone through stretches of looking lethargic. They don’t seem to have great chemistry. They just kind of look lost.

But Davis isn’t going to take that blame. He’s going to pass it off to the fact that they just don’t have the talent despite having starting lineup of all 4 and 5-star kids.

Hey, maybe Davis can turn to his bench, where he has…

D’Marco Dunn (6’4, 4-star SG)
Dawson Garcia (6’11, 4-star C)
Anthony Harris (6’4, 4-star SG)
Puff Johnson (6’8, 4-star SF)
Dontrez Styles (6’7, 4-star SF)
Kerwin Walton (6’5, 4-star SG)

You get the picture? Davis and UNC are flush with talent. He just doesn’t know how to use it and is deflecting so the Tar Heel fans don’t turn on him. The only problem is, those deflections only work for so long. So either he needs to turn things around fast, or come up with some new excuses.

And how dare I talk about UNC (12-6) while NC State is sitting at 10-10 on the season?

Well first off, my column, my rules. And secondly, some people here are so giddy to criticize Keatts that they fail to look around and what else is going on around them. Keatts has had potential NCAA sanctions over his head since he got here, which has stunted his ability to recruit. His starting lineup is Seabron (3-star), Smith (4-star), Morsell (4-star), Hellems (3-star) and Dowuona (3-star).

Do you hear Keatts crying about his talent? Do you see NC State looking lethargic when they take the court? Do you the Pack dealing with chemistry issues? The answer to all three is NEVER.

So, be thankful you don’t have a coach who is going to throw his kids under the bus for the sake of his job, and to all the UNC fans out there who are mad about this piece, just be patient, once you get a lineup of all 5-star kids you’ll FINALLY be able to compete with the juggernaut known as Wake Forest.