UNC assistant coach Hubert Davis dropped by The David Glenn Show on Thursday to talk about Tar Heels preparing for the NBA Draft, his own draft night experience and advice he gives to players entering their pro careers.
One North Carolina player who could hear his name called tonight is Marcus Paige. Although many projections have Paige going undrafted, Davis believes there’s an NBA future in sight for the 6-2 guard.
“Marcus Paige is an NBA player,” the Tar Heel assistant said. “He’s a pro. It would be a mistake if nobody picks him tonight. If nobody does, somebody is going to pick him up right after the draft.”
Davis envisions Paige enjoying a long career.
“Marcus is going to have a 10-plus year career because, one, he can play. He is a great player. When you talk about the NBA, in order to get into the NBA, you have to do one thing at an elite level. In order to stay and have longevity in the NBA, you have to do at least that one thing you do at an elite level, and you’ve got to be able to do it consistently against elite players on a consistent basis. Marcus can do that.”
Another UNC player who generated a lot of buzz this past season is Brice Johnson. The power forward had a breakthrough senior year that could result in Johnson hearing his name called in the first round.
Johnson, whose mother passed away when he was 14, said on his senior night in February that Davis inspired him before his final year at UNC by telling him to play for his mother. Davis also lost his mother when he was a teenager.
“I talked about how the motivation for me was my mom and that you can use that to honor her life,” he said. “You can use that — your love of your mom and your relationship and making her proud. I told him, ‘One day you’re going to see her.’ When I see my mom, what I want from her is to tell her I love her, and I want my mom to say, ‘You did a good job.’”
Click below to hear the full interview: