Hubert Davis Previews Challenges Against Florida State

The North Carolina Tar Heels open up their conference play schedule against the Florida State Seminoles on Tuesday night at the Dean E. Smith Center. The Tar Heels enter the matchup with a 12-1 record, while the Seminoles limp into Tuesday's contest with a 7-6 record.

Despite the uninspiring record, Florida State possesses several qualities that can create issues for its opponents.

While speaking with the media during his press conference availability on Monday, head coach Hubert Davis discussed what makes the Seminoles so difficult to play against. The 55-year-old head coach began by explaining the preparation process for Tuesday night.

Davis' Thoughts

Dec 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis talks with guard Kyan Evans (0) during the first half against the East Carolina Pirates at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

"Yeah, I mean, we played on — what was it last Monday against East Carolina — and then, we had four days off and then we came back, and this will be our third practice in preparation for Florida State [on Tuesday]," Davis said.

The Tar Heels have had extra time off with the holidays, but the time off spent with family and friends also prevented North Carolina from practicing extensively.

Davis was asked about the similarities between Florida State and Alabama, which looks to shoot threes at an alarmingly high rate. The 55-year-old head coach thinks the Seminoles can apply significant pressure by spreading the floor.

Dec 20, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis on the sideline against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

"Yeah, I mean they put a lot of pressure on you," Davis said. "They play [with] a tremendous pace. I think their average possession is around 14-15 seconds. They shoot an average of 36 threes, which is second in the country, and so they’ve got a number of guys that not only can take shots but can get hot and hit multiple shots from three."

"They may not take a lot of mid-range jump shots, but they do get points in the paint off of their penetration, whether it’s in transition or half court," Davis continued. "So, it’s important for us to protect the paint, but also put ourselves in a position where we can contest and be able to finish the possessions off those three-point shots — but they put a lot of pressure on you offensively, um, spacing-wise, and it’ll be a challenge for us defensively."

Dec 20, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) celebrates after a basket against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Florida State's physicality and length also makes it difficult to operate on the offensive end of the court. Davis went into depth about the Seminoles' strengths in the defensive department.

"They’ve got great positional size, athleticism," Davis said. "They can do a number of things defensively. We expect to see everything — man, zone, full-court press, three-quarter court press, traps out of the press, different types of defenses — out of bounds underneath, man or zone, going back into a man or zone. And what they do is a really good job of, you know, creating chaos and getting deflections and steals."

"One of the things I always tell the team is — never let a defense dictate and decide how efficient we play on the offensive end," Davis continued. "And so, for us, regardless of what Florida State does — which they do a terrific job of — is staying within our principles and being able to execute and just hit singles"

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