University of North Carolina Athletics
Hubert Davis
Photo by: NATE SKVORETZ
UNC-Virginia Tech Postgame Quotes
February 28, 2026 | Men's Basketball
POSTGAME QUOTES
UNC 89, VT 82
FEBRUARY 28, 2026
DEAN E. SMITH CENTER, CHAPEL HILL, N.C.
UNC 89, VT 82
FEBRUARY 28, 2026
DEAN E. SMITH CENTER, CHAPEL HILL, N.C.
UNC Head Coach Hubert Davis
On challenging the team to dominate the paint…
"We had some spirited conversations at halftime, you know, I just want to dominate points in the paint. I've been, you know, I keep it real with you guys, and I'm straightforward and direct with them as well. And I felt like in the first half we were settling, not persistent in trying to get to the paint."
On the team becoming edgier without Caleb Wilson…
"I do think we've become a group that's edgier. I like to get more of an edge, but I do feel that way. You know, we're finding ways, whether it's to get a stop, get a rebound, execute on the offensive end, take care of basketball, make free throws, make a shot. The resiliency of this group through a lot of changes this year, the way that they have reacted and responded has been fantastic."
On Caleb Wilson's injury status…
"He doesn't have his cast on anymore, and he's allowed to do individual workouts, and he can dribble and shoot, but nothing on contact. So that's a huge benefit for us. He's out of the cast and being able to work out, but I mean moving in the right direction."
Virginia Tech Head Coach Mike Young
On what made Carolina so tough to defend in the second half…
"They've got good players. They run good things, and they hurt us on the glass a little bit more than I anticipated. They shot 35 shots, we shot 11. You know, [Seth] Trimble is playing really well, Henri [Veesaar] is playing really well. I don't think it's a whole lot more elaborate an answer than that. They were a little bit better offensively than we were defensively."
On what makes Veesaar so difficult to defend…
"Well, he's big as a house, he's got really long arms, he's got an incredible touch around the basket. And you know, they really struggled at the foul line… He's good, you know, he's a great player. I saw him last year in Arizona, and lo and behold, he's in the ACC. He is a really good college basketball player."
UNC Guard Kyan Evans
On offensive efficiency the past two games…
"I think everything's kind of clicking for everybody. It's the perfect time for that to be happening, so we're feeling good."
On Johnathon Powell's performance…
"He delivered elite shot making, and you know, he can do that on any night. It's what he's capable of, and we know he's capable of that. He hit some major shots for us…He's an electric guy. That's JP's style."
On Coach Davis's guidance on how to approach the rest of the season…
"We need to stay consistent. And you know, everybody's time is going to come. So no matter what happens, just stay consistent."
UNC Guard Jonathan Powell
On the bounce back after NC State…
"The main thing in that game was we didn't play with any heart. So after that, we went into practice hungry every day leading up to each game. And basically, that feeling that we had at the NC State game, our goal is to never play like that again."
On playing without Caleb Wilson…
"Our roster is deep. I think we have one of the best rosters in the country, and it shows when someone goes down that it's always the next man up. And I think lately it's been great examples of the next man stepping up and showing that everybody on the team can play."
On guarding Virginia Tech's Neoklis Avdalas…
"It was definitely a challenge. He's a great player, but I know how good I can be on the defensive end. So, just taking that challenge and stepping up when I needed to."
UNC Center Henri Veesaar
On the team's recent performance without Caleb…
"I think we have a lot of depth. Obviously, Caleb is a tremendous player, and we hope we get him back soon, but I think this team is good…I think a lot of guys are getting more minutes, more reps, and keeping them inside."
On Zayden High's performance…
"I think we got to give props to Zayden, the way he's playing, and just his energy and the court, how it rubs off on everybody, and the way he fights like it's amazing, and everybody needs to have that fight in them."
On his satisfaction with his performance…
"I feel like today I did a good job. Overall, I'm very happy about how aggressive I was, and I think it's my career high in shots taken. So I feel like just staying in that aggressive mindset, I'm really happy with my performance."
UNC Forward Zayden High
On Caleb Wilson being out…
"Caleb brings a different mentality to the game. I think that we all came together as a group when Caleb went out and realized that the edge that we're missing from him, we all gotta bring it together. [...] We took that edge and confide in each other and produce down there."
On how comfortable he is on the court…
"I think obviously Henri and Caleb going out kind of gave me a mindset like, I could go in there and just play my game without thinking about making mistakes, and then I started those two games. I think that gave me a little bit of confidence. And so, I mean, like you said, I feel a lot more comfortable on the court."
On Caleb Wilson coming back…
"I think Caleb brings a different mentality to the game. I think when he comes back, we're going to be a much better team. But yeah, he has the ability to make difficult shots, and sometimes we need those down the stretch. And I feel like when he comes back, we're going to be a so much better team."
UNC Guard Seth Trimble
On Caleb Wilson being injured…
"Caleb had a huge edge, you know, he had a huge determination. He was hungry to win each and every game. So when a guy like that gets injured, there's a huge void that has to get filled. So guys that really step up, and really just pick up and kind of step out of personality, just to fill that void that's been missing. "
On the defensive performance…
"Today wasn't our most perfect defensive performance. I know they shot like 54% in the first half or something like that, but we found a way out in that second half and found a way to win."
On getting deja vu going for the dunk…
"I mean, it feels like deja vu and maybe the sense of high school, like I used to get, one or two of those every game. So now that it's starting to happen more consistently its starting to feel like I'm just the high school kid again in his gym."
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/ Men's BasketballCarolina Insider: Rapid Reactions – Men’s Basketball vs. Virginia Tech – February 28, 2026
Sunday, March 01
UNC Men's Basketball: Veesaar, Tar Heels Hold Off Hokies, 89-82
Sunday, March 01
UNC Baseball: Diamond Heels Roll to Third Straight Run-Rule Victory, 12-2
Sunday, March 01
UNC Softball: Barbee, Heels Walk Off Eagles in Game 2, 5-4
Saturday, February 28