Hubert Davis and Players UNC-St. Bonaventure Q&A: 'Handled Physicality Much Better in Second Half'

FORT MYERS, Fla. — North Carolina shook off a bumpy first half to race past St. Bonaventure 85-70 in the Fort Myers Tip-Off on Tuesday night at Suncoast Credit Union Arena.

The Tar Heels took a two-point lead heading into the break, but broke away from the Bonnies in the second half. Big man Henri Veesaar led the way with a career-high 24 points and 13 rebounds. Caleb Wilson added 20 points and 12 rebounds, and shot 10-for-10 on free throws. Kyan Evans chipped in 11 points (three 3-pointers) and three assists, while Luka Bogavac provided 10 points and four assists.

The Tar Heels are 6-0 for the first time since the start of the 2016-17 season. Here are the key points and full video from coach Hubert Davis, and players Veesaar and Evans following the win …

Henri, what was your approach coming into today and how do you think you fared against a physical matchup in Frank Mitchell?

Henri Veesaar: “He’s a great player. He’s good at rebounding the ball, and I feel like he got a great position, so just trying to box him out that way. I was put in the right way too, I was kind of rebounding, so I feel like that really helped me get in there, kind of get in there and be able to get rebounds.”

Was it a point of emphasis for you to secure those rebounds with two hands?

Veesaar: “I feel like they were a very scrappy team. So if I kept it loose, (I could) have it stolen, and then they kind of poked it away. So just making sure that I have it with two hands and secured, and maybe try not to go as quick, and just kind of make sure we have it and slowing it down a little bit.”

How much was it a point of emphasis to match St. Bonaventure’s intensity and physicality?

Hubert Davis: “I thought we were much stronger and handled the physicality much better in the second half. The first half, we had 11 turnovers. Second half, we had two. I think we had 12 points in the paint in the first half and we ended up with 36. I felt around the rim, we were dunking everything. We were going strong. If we didn’t finish strong or dunk, we got fouled and got to the free throw line. So I felt like we handled the physicality much better in the second half.”

What was the difference in the play you saw from Derek Dixon between the first and second half?

Davis: “I thought the huge difference was not only Derek, but also Kyan, too. Just the play and the leadership from both of them. Obviously, I talked about taking care of the basketball, but Kyan stepped up and hit some big 3s, just distributing the basketball. He’s our best passer, facilitator, pitching the ball ahead in transition. And then Derek, when he (Evans) kind of got into foul trouble, played some of the best minutes he’s played all year. He hit that three in the corner. I felt like his drives, he was under control, was able to make plays for himself, for his teammates. So both of them had a great second half, a huge determining factor of why we came out to win.”

Kyan, do you feel you’re becoming more aggressive and comfortable shooting the outside shot?

Kyan Evans: “Yeah, I would say I feel like I’ve always been comfortable shooting. I missed a few shots these last few games, but I knew I was going to get back to where shots are going in. They’re always gonna fall, just gotta keep shooting.

Is there a balance you have to play with Caleb Wilson on when to be aggressive and take tough shots and when to pass it up?

Davis: “I think there’s a balance with the entire team. I think that’s one of the things that contributed to them coming back in the first half. It wasn’t just turnovers, I felt like our shot selection wasn’t very good. So that’s something that we talked about as a team at halftime, that it just has to be better. It’s not just taking care of the basketball, getting not just a shot, getting good shots every possession. All of our guys are really skilled. They got a lot in their bag, and I know they can feel like they can make plays, and just understanding when to make those plays at the right time to be able to do so.”