Hubert Davis Emphasizes Team Communication After Navy Game

After defeating Navy at home, head coach Hubert Davis talked about the communication throughout the roster.

Nov 18, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis looks on during the first half against the Navy Midshipmen at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

North Carolina men's basketball defeated Navy after holding a seven-point lead going into the halftime break. And it was the second-half efforts of freshman Caleb Wilson, a 19-year-old from Atlanta, Georgia, who took over and lifted the Tar Heels past the Midshipmen. Wilson scored 17 points en route to completing the contest with a total of 23 points, adding 12 rebounds.

The absence of senior guard Seth Trimble has left a void that needs to be filled in the meantime for UNC, and head coach Hubert Davis talked about during the postgame press conference with the media.

• "Yeah, I mean, there's a number of guys that will speak up, and one of the things that I have encouraged everyone is that everyone should be a leader within their own personality," Davis said. "It's not a situation where, you know, when I was in school, where you're waiting for the junior or the senior to be able to speak up, and you had to wait your turn."

• "I just don't think it's that way anymore. Whether you're a freshman, walk-on senior, starter off the bench. I think the more voices that you hear, the better your team is. So I like the talking in the locker room, but I like also talking on the court as well."

Nov 18, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) goes up for a dunk against the Navy Midshipmen during the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

It will be important for North Carolina to find the voices that will step up in the locker room and during the game, as communication will make all the difference when the moment gets bright, going up against the better teams on the schedule. And to do it without Trimble will be a big step forward for UNC in the long term. Whether it be Wilson, Luka Bogavac, Kyan Evans, Henri Veesaar, whoever.

Talking... it is important for every day life, regardless of what you're doing, but especially in the game of basketball — it can be the difference in winning a game or losing. For UNC, having a vocal leader is what will separate them from being a good team to a great one — the talent is there, but this one soft skill will be able to take them further.

Davis can only do so much from the sidelines, hence why it's important for the Tar Heels to keep on talking, no matter what the scoreboard says or who the opponent is — it could very well be a game changer.

Nov 14, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis directs his team during the second half against the North Carolina Central Eagles at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

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