Hubert Davis reveals his stance on North Carolina’s future in Dean Smith Center

North Carolina won its 500th game inside the Dean E. Smith Center on Saturday during an 87-84 win over Wake Forest. The Tar Heels are 500-90 (.847) all-time across 41 seasons in the Smith Center, including a 27-5 against the Demon Deacons.

The future of the Smith Center was recently called into question, however. Recent reports note that UNC officials have had lengthy discussions on a possible renovation of the existing Smith Center, or to even build a new arena entirely.

North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis shared his stance on the matter. Davis, who played for the Tar Heels from 1988-1992, has long-lasting memories inside the arena. He called it, “home.”

“500 wins — I don’t know the stats. I don’t even know the stats of really, this game. I couldn’t tell you what was game number one, game number 250, but I can tell you more than 500 memories that I have here,” Davis said postgame. “Personally, conversations with Coach (Dean) Smith and Coach (Bill) Guthridge, bringing my wife here and taking them to Coach Smith, my best friends of my life started here.

“It’s more than just wins. It’s about the relationships, the experiences that all of us as former players have had here that bind us to this place, to this university and to the Smith Center.”

UNC has sustained success in the Dean Dome, so why stop now? Including the nostalgia factor, the Tar Heels are a perfect 11-0 at home this season. They’re 14-2 overall this season — North Carolina’s best start through 16 games in a decade.

A telltale sign the Tar Heels will win under Davis’ guidance? UNC shot 52.7% from the floor against Wake Forest. They’re 8-0 this season shooting over 50%, and 43-1 overall since taking over ahead of the 2021-22 season.

Carolina shot 52.7% from the floor. The Tar Heels are 8-0 this season and 43-1 under head coach Hubert Davis when they shoot 50% from the floor.

Saturday’s win makes North Carolina the ninth team in the ACC to win 500 or more games at its current home venue. However, UNC has the second-best winning percentage in its home arena among those nine programs.

The Tar Heels will be on the road for their next matchup. In fact, they’ll be over 2,000 miles away from the Smith Center when they take on Stanford on Wednesday. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET and will air live on the ACC Network.