Emotional Hubert Davis explains why he wanted UNC to experience Final Four

This season is the first of the Hubert Davis era, and it has been a memorable one for the North Carolina Tar Heels. After not being guaranteed to be in the NCAA Tournament at all for much of the season, UNC came on strong at the end, and that momentum has carried into March Madness. Now, Davis has led UNC to the Final Four.

Davis made it to the Final Four once as a player at UNC, going to the Sweet 16 in each of his other three collegiate seasons. Now that Davis has led the Tar Heels back there as a head coach, he is extremely happy for his players.

Davis really wanted his players to experience a Final Four, and now that is something that is a reality for UNC.

“Well, it was really emotional towards the end of the game when we can finally settle in and realize that these guys are going to a Final Four,” Davis said. “It was something that I just desperately wanted for them. This is probably the most nervous I was before a game, because I just really wanted them to go to the Final Four. And it’s something that we had talked about at the beginning of the season. And then in the huddle I told them that it’s not a hope, it’s not a dream anymore, it’s a reality.

“And for these guys to have this experience, to be able to go to the Final Four, brings so much joy to my heart.”

UNC’s road to the Final Four under Davis

UNC won seven of its last eight games in the regular season, capping the regular season slate with a huge victory over Duke in Mike Krzyzewski’s final game in Cameron Indoor. The Tar Heels won once game in the ACC Tournament before losing to Virginia Tech, the eventual ACC Tournament champion.

UNC was the No. 8 seed in the East Region when the full NCAA Tournament bracket was revealed. The path to the Final Four has been far from easy for Davis and UNC.

The Tar Heels dominated against ninth-seeded Marquette in the opening round, and then held a 25-point lead in the second half against Baylor, the East Region’s No. 1 seed. Baylor came back to force overtime, but UNC prevailed with a seven-point victory. UNC then defeated fourth-seeded UCLA and a surging 15th-seeded Saint Peter’s team over the second weekend of March Madness.

Now, the Tar Heels take their rivalry with Duke to the Final Four. UNC and Duke tip off at approximately 8:49 p.m. ET on Saturday night, and the winner will advance to the national title game.