North Carolina has to continue to move forward without one of its key contributors as it prepares for the rest of the season. With forward Caleb Wilson out for the year, head coach Hubert Davis spoke about how the team’s overall identity and approach will remain the same.
Wilson being out is certainly significant for the Tar Heels, but Davis pointed out that the team already has experience playing without him earlier in the season. Because of that, North Carolina has a better understanding of the necessary needs on both ends of the floor.
“We do have a seven-game sample without him,” Davis said of Wilson, per 247 Sports Jacob Turner. “Defensively, we know what we need to do. From an offensive standpoint, we know our attack. That being said, it's really the same for us.”
Rather than completely changing their style of play, Davis said that the focus will remain on doing the fundamentals that have defined the program. One of the biggest priorities, he added, is controlling the glass and limiting opponents to single possessions.
“Whether Caleb is here or not, we've got to rebound,” Davis said. “We've got to box out and limit teams to one shot every possession.”
Davis added that strong rebounding plays an important role not only in defense but also in helping the team’s offense, something he even spoke about earlier in the year. Grabbing rebounds allows the Tar Heels to push the pace and create scoring opportunities in transition.
“One, it gets us a stop. Two, it ignites us in transition where we've been really good all season,” Davis added.
Offensively, losing Wilson is a major blow for all involved. However, Davis still wants to attack the paint and play from there.
“We still want to dominate points in the paint through post penetration and offensive rebounds,” Davis said.
“We want to live in the paint and live at the free throw line. Those plays generate open threes.
“The foundation of who we are hasn't changed whether Caleb is in the lineup or not,” Davis said. “That's the way we play here at North Carolina, and we've got to dictate that next week in Charlotte.”