UNC-Radford Hubert Davis Q&A: ‘Your Job and Responsibility is to be Ready’

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Thirty-one made free throws helped propel No. 18 North Carolina comfortably past Radford 89-74 on Tuesday night at the Smith Center.

Luka Bogavac scored 19 points on a trio of 3-point makes and 7-for-18 shooting from the field, while starting for the first time in place of the injured Seth Trimble. Three other Tar Heels also supplied double-digit scoring — Henri Veesaar (18 points), Jarin Stevenson (15 points) and Caleb Wilson (13 points). Veesaar, Stevenson and Wilson hauled in a combined 28 rebounds. The freshman Wilson grabbed 14 rebounds to collect his first double-double in the regular season.

The Highlanders were called for 33 fouls on the night, generating a whopping 49 free throw attempts for UNC, the most in a game since February 2004. But the Tar Heels shot a lowly 63.3 percent from the foul line on the night, an early concern for Carolina (3-0) on the young season.

Watch coach Hubert Davis’s postgame press conference from Tuesday night in full, and scroll down to read some of his noteworthy comments below.

How would you describe Jarin Stevenson’s aggressiveness tonight?

Hubert Davis: “He was, and it’s coming off of … I didn’t know if he was coming back, but I thought he was the most aggressive he was thus far, and one, he has the ability to do that. And number two, that’s exactly what we need with his size. Obviously, defensively, he can do a number of different things, but on the offensive end, he scored it many different ways. I mean, it was from three, free throw line, post-ups, offensive rebounds in transition, and so that’s something that we’re going to need for the remainder of the season.”

How did Luka Bogavac play in the absence of Seth Trimble tonight?

Davis: “Well, I mean, obviously, Luka has the ability to be able to score in many different ways. He’s a four-level scorer, whether it’s from three, mid-range to the basket, and also can get fouled and get to the free-throw line. And it’s been an adjustment for him as well. It’s only his third game, and so I was really proud of his effort. One of the many things that I like about Luka is he’s wanting to play with energy, effort, enthusiasm. That’s something that he does every day, whether it’s a game or a practice.”

How important are these non-conference games for guys like Jonathan Powell, Luka Bogavac and Derek Dixon to get a chance to step up in Seth Trimble’s absence and create valuable depth?

Davis: “I think it’s very valuable for those guys. One of the things I always say is I don’t know when, where, how and the manner in which you’re going to get an opportunity, but when it happens, your job and responsibility is to be ready when your number is called. And obviously, we’re sad that Seth is not able to play right now, but it is a wonderful opportunity for a number of guys that will get extended minutes and help us with our depth moving forward.”

What does it say about this team to have a sputtering start, but still score 89 points, lead by as much as 26 in the second half, and yet still leave so many points on the table from 3-point range and the free throw line?

Davis: “I was really proud of the team. This is a new team. We have 11 new guys, and I talked to them at great length in regards to reacting and responding, coming off of Friday (the Kansas victory), and that when you have success, those are the times that you have to dive even deeper to the discipline and details that have allowed you to be successful. And so to be able to do that and to play against a really good Radford team, to be out of rhythm, to have different lineups, and to figure out a way to come away with a win, that’s something.”