Hubert Davis Hopes SMU Loss is a One-Time Occurrence

This past weekend was not the performance or result the North Carolina Tar Heels were striving for when they traveled to Dallas, Texas to take on the SMU Mustangs at the Moody Coliseum. SMU dominated every facet of the game, defeating North Carolina 97-83 after shooting 70 percent from the field in the second half.

Hubert Davis and his players spoke with the media on Saturday following the Tar Heels' disappointing loss to the Mustangs. However, the 55-year-old head coach addressed the media again on Monday during the weekly ACC coaches and Zoom press conference.

Here is what the disgruntled head coach had to say about his team's performance in Saturday's loss, which snapped North Carolina's seven-game winning streak.

Davis' Thoughts

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

“It came from every direction, in regard to, one on one, whether it was on the perimeter of the post transition, pick and roll close-outs, middle drives,” Davis said. “Just different things defensively that contributed to them to shoot such a high percentage in the second half. When you give up 70% shooting in any half? To me, that’s a bigger issue,”

North Carolina and SMU entered halftime knotted up at 39 apiece, but as the second half unfolded, so did the Tar Heels, who were clearly outmatched in that time.

The Tar Heels' point guard situation has been under duress over the past few weeks, as Kyan Evans and Luka Bogavac have each struggled to produce consistently. Davis does not view the position as one player claiming the responsibility. The veteran head coach revealed how he views that position.

Jan 3, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) looks to pass the ball by SMU Mustangs guard Jaron Pierre Jr. (5) and guard Boopie Miller (2) during the game between the Mustangs and the Tar Heels at Moody Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

“I don’t determine this guy is a point guard, this guy’s a two guard, he’s a small forward,” Davis said. “I want basketball players who can handle the basketball.”

“Just having multiple ball handlers out there against teams that pressure, like SMU, that they don’t dictate and decide how efficient we play on the offensive end,” Davis continued. “We’re able to get to our sets, get into scoring positions, and just finding different combinations that give us multiple players that be able to do that.”

Jan 3, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) drives to the basket past SMU Mustangs forward Corey Washington (3) during the game between the Mustangs and the Tar Heels at Moody Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

“It could come from many different directions, just like I said, when Caleb [Wilson] gets a rebound, he brings up the basketball, because he has the ability to do that,” Davis concluded.

North Carolina does not play until Saturday, so Davis explained how the team will utilize the extra time to its advantage.

“Those are things that we’ll talk about [Monday] at practice and in the film room and make sure that that was a one-game thing and not something that will consistently happen in games,” Davis said. "Because we don’t have a midweek game, we can have some practices where we’re working solely on us and getting us right on both ends of the floor."

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