UNC Head Coach Downplays Travel, Believes in Stanford's Team

Stanford will be ready for a tough UNC program

Jan 3, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis yells to his team during the game between the Mustangs and the Tar Heels at Moody Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Wednesday night is going to be a thrilling night in the ACC, especially for two teams who have immense differences, but are both a part of a big game this week. Stanford is taking on North Carolina at Maples Pavilion.

On Monday, during the weekly press conference with ACC coaches, North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis participated, speaking to the media leading up to two big West Coast games, including tonight's contest against Stanford.

He spoke on a number of topics, from travel struggles, schematic fits, and tough road tests. But interestingly, he revealed how the travel didn’t affect the Tar Heels, and more so, they are worried about a tough Stanford team in front of them.

“The challenge is playing against a good Stanford team on Wednesday" coach Davis said on the challenges awaiting him this week. "Yes, going across the country in the middle of the season and conference season is not something that’s normal, but it’s something that’s been done before."

"Whether we have travelled across the country to go play BYU or just last week going to play SMU in Dallas. And through AAU, these guys have played all over the place, and adjusting to a timezone for an 18-19 year old kid is overrated. The challenge is playing a good Stanford team. That’s the challenge regardless of what time zone we are in, the challenge is competing against Stanford.”

Stanford has certainly been solid this season, but it's that mindset as a coach that is impressive. He's not ready to make excuses about travel before the game is even played. Coach Davis' only concern is how his team performs against Stanford on Wednesday.

The Cardinal are currently 13-4, getting big wins all year. They have also lost some brutal contests to UNLV and Seattle at home though, which diminishes their resumé. Regardless, Stanford is a legit team and appears to be one of the last team currently projected to make it into the NCAA tournament.

There are many things that are clear with what he is saying. First and foremost, it’s clear that he believes that Stanford is a good team. He mentioned three times that the biggest challenge for them is Stanford as a team, not due to their location.

Furthermore, Davis believes that travel is “overrated” in college basketball, as the kids are still young and able to compete regardless of time zone. He also speaks on the fact that North Carolina has travelled far mid-season before, proving that the tough part of playing Stanford is not the travel, it’s the fact that Stanford is a legit team this season.

Cardinal fans should be as hyped for this matchup. Stanford has a legit chance to win, and even North Carolina’s head coach agrees. Game after game this season, the Cardinal have proved that they can stay in a game like this, and even potentially win it. While they may not be favored, they can certainly keep things close—and then who knows what happens with a well-timed hot stretch.

It’s not going to come easy, and Stanford is going to have to dominate many aspects of the game to get another dramatic win over North Carolina on Wednesday.