On finding ways to get points on the board when the more conventional offense wasn’t nearly as efficient as it has been.
DAVIS: “Defensively, I felt like we were pretty good. Elon’s a very good basketball team, they’re better than what their record shows, they can really shoot the ball from three-point range. They were averaging close to 30 three-point attempts a game, so we knew that was an emphasis on us protecting and guarding and contesting the three because they have a number of guys that can get hot from three-point range.
“So, I thought we did a really good job from three-point percentage. We held them to 27 percent from three, so I really feel good about that. We were also able to get into passing lanes and get some steals and deflections. I thought Caleb was really active defensively. Our big guys, Dawson Garcia and also Armando Bacot, at the top of the key, made it very difficult for their man to catch the ball. And in the second half, they started getting into those passing lanes. They were able to get some steals and deflections.
“I was really happy with that. The execution on the offensive end was very frustrating. For us, we pride ourselves on sharing the basketball and taking care of the basketball. And for us to only have 11 assists and for us to have 16 turnovers, that was disappointing on the offensive end. But I thought defensively we played pretty well.”
On winning a game by 17 points despite shooting only 39 percent and how he can use that as a teaching tool.
DAVIS: "Well, that is encouraging because you're right, as good as a shooter or as good as a shooting team as you are, you're going to have nights where the normal shots that go in, they don't. And so, what has to be consistent is defense. And so, I was very happy with our defensive effort. I think we had some breakdowns where we went under screens against three-point shooters.
"Those are things that we made mistakes on, but there's a couple things that I think should be consistent all the time. Number one is defense and number two is taking care of the basketball. So, from a defensive standpoint, I was very happy and very proud of them. But on the offensive end, 16 turnovers, and they didn't start pressing until towards the end of the game.
“I always believe turnovers are either careless or selfish. It's either one of the two. I 100 percent think that all of our turnovers are never, ever, ever, ever selfish. They're all careless. For us to continue to build on what we've been doing this season, and especially the last couple of weeks, I was very frustrated at the carelessness of us on the offensive end that led to turnovers and allowed Elon to get out in transition."
On Caleb Love having four threes in a game twice in the last three games, and he said he worked more on his confidence than his game.
DAVIS: "He's changed a lot from last year to this year. There's a reason why, in terms of from an offensive standpoint, where he's shooting the ball with confidence and his percentages are much higher is, one, because of his hard work. He's always been a hard worker. Last year he was always the first one, one of the first ones in the gym. He would consistently throughout the year come in at seven, eight o'clock in the morning and put up shots, and he comes back after practice. So, in terms of the hard work, that has always been consistent with him.
"I think this year, which is a huge part, is he's taking better shots. You can practice all you want, but if you take bad shots, they're still not going to go in consistently. You have to take good shots. I think that's the biggest thing for Caleb, his work ethic has continued to be great but his shot selection is better. He's taking better shots. And when you take better shots and you're a good shooter, your percentages are going to look good. And I think that's a huge reason why Caleb is in a nice rhythm on the offensive end."
On what D’Marco Dunn has done recently in practice to earn some playing time tonight.
DAVIS: "He's been playing really well in practice. I tell people that how you earn playing time is your performance in practice. And so, as you perform in practice, you will get playing time. And when you get into the game, how you get more playing time is that your play is validated in the game. So, you have to practice well and then as you get into the game, your play has to be well also.
“And so, for D'Marco, he's been practicing really well - on both ends of the floor, not just making shots. I've been really happy with him defensively. And I felt like it was a great opportunity to put him in the game. We needed him. And the minutes that he played, the five minutes that he played, I told him he was great. I was very proud of him. And those minutes that he played, those important minutes in the second half, they were deserved and earned."
On what he remembers from the conversation with Caleb last spring when he promised Davis he would be better this year than last year.
DAVIS: “The biggest thing that he told me in that conversation that I looked at him and I said, 'okay, well, now we have a player.' He said, 'I need to come back to college.' He said, 'I've got to mature. I've got to be a better person on the court and off the court if I want to be good here at Carolina and I want to have a chance to be good in the NBA.'
“And for an 18-year-old kid to be able to say that clearly, definitively face-to-face, I thought that was awesome. And when he said that to me, after we met, I went back to the coaches, I said, 'We've got a player here.' And they said, 'What do you mean?' I said, 'You won't believe what he said.' And I said, 'It's very difficult for adults to say that, and for an 18-year-old kid to be able to say that, we've got something here.' He's going to have a terrific season. I'm very, very, very proud of him."
DAVIS: “Defensively, I felt like we were pretty good. Elon’s a very good basketball team, they’re better than what their record shows, they can really shoot the ball from three-point range. They were averaging close to 30 three-point attempts a game, so we knew that was an emphasis on us protecting and guarding and contesting the three because they have a number of guys that can get hot from three-point range.
“So, I thought we did a really good job from three-point percentage. We held them to 27 percent from three, so I really feel good about that. We were also able to get into passing lanes and get some steals and deflections. I thought Caleb was really active defensively. Our big guys, Dawson Garcia and also Armando Bacot, at the top of the key, made it very difficult for their man to catch the ball. And in the second half, they started getting into those passing lanes. They were able to get some steals and deflections.
“I was really happy with that. The execution on the offensive end was very frustrating. For us, we pride ourselves on sharing the basketball and taking care of the basketball. And for us to only have 11 assists and for us to have 16 turnovers, that was disappointing on the offensive end. But I thought defensively we played pretty well.”
On winning a game by 17 points despite shooting only 39 percent and how he can use that as a teaching tool.
DAVIS: "Well, that is encouraging because you're right, as good as a shooter or as good as a shooting team as you are, you're going to have nights where the normal shots that go in, they don't. And so, what has to be consistent is defense. And so, I was very happy with our defensive effort. I think we had some breakdowns where we went under screens against three-point shooters.
"Those are things that we made mistakes on, but there's a couple things that I think should be consistent all the time. Number one is defense and number two is taking care of the basketball. So, from a defensive standpoint, I was very happy and very proud of them. But on the offensive end, 16 turnovers, and they didn't start pressing until towards the end of the game.
“I always believe turnovers are either careless or selfish. It's either one of the two. I 100 percent think that all of our turnovers are never, ever, ever, ever selfish. They're all careless. For us to continue to build on what we've been doing this season, and especially the last couple of weeks, I was very frustrated at the carelessness of us on the offensive end that led to turnovers and allowed Elon to get out in transition."
On Caleb Love having four threes in a game twice in the last three games, and he said he worked more on his confidence than his game.
DAVIS: "He's changed a lot from last year to this year. There's a reason why, in terms of from an offensive standpoint, where he's shooting the ball with confidence and his percentages are much higher is, one, because of his hard work. He's always been a hard worker. Last year he was always the first one, one of the first ones in the gym. He would consistently throughout the year come in at seven, eight o'clock in the morning and put up shots, and he comes back after practice. So, in terms of the hard work, that has always been consistent with him.
"I think this year, which is a huge part, is he's taking better shots. You can practice all you want, but if you take bad shots, they're still not going to go in consistently. You have to take good shots. I think that's the biggest thing for Caleb, his work ethic has continued to be great but his shot selection is better. He's taking better shots. And when you take better shots and you're a good shooter, your percentages are going to look good. And I think that's a huge reason why Caleb is in a nice rhythm on the offensive end."
On what D’Marco Dunn has done recently in practice to earn some playing time tonight.
DAVIS: "He's been playing really well in practice. I tell people that how you earn playing time is your performance in practice. And so, as you perform in practice, you will get playing time. And when you get into the game, how you get more playing time is that your play is validated in the game. So, you have to practice well and then as you get into the game, your play has to be well also.
“And so, for D'Marco, he's been practicing really well - on both ends of the floor, not just making shots. I've been really happy with him defensively. And I felt like it was a great opportunity to put him in the game. We needed him. And the minutes that he played, the five minutes that he played, I told him he was great. I was very proud of him. And those minutes that he played, those important minutes in the second half, they were deserved and earned."
On what he remembers from the conversation with Caleb last spring when he promised Davis he would be better this year than last year.
DAVIS: “The biggest thing that he told me in that conversation that I looked at him and I said, 'okay, well, now we have a player.' He said, 'I need to come back to college.' He said, 'I've got to mature. I've got to be a better person on the court and off the court if I want to be good here at Carolina and I want to have a chance to be good in the NBA.'
“And for an 18-year-old kid to be able to say that clearly, definitively face-to-face, I thought that was awesome. And when he said that to me, after we met, I went back to the coaches, I said, 'We've got a player here.' And they said, 'What do you mean?' I said, 'You won't believe what he said.' And I said, 'It's very difficult for adults to say that, and for an 18-year-old kid to be able to say that, we've got something here.' He's going to have a terrific season. I'm very, very, very proud of him."
