Hubert Davis has been tabbed as the man to replace legendary head coach Roy Williams at North Carolina, and the shoes the former assistant will be asked to fill are massive. The first month on the job won’t make or break Davis’ long-term success in Chapel Hill, but there’s certainly immediate work to be done. Below, Rivals.com has a look at several calls Davis should make as he settles into his new office and prepares to lead the Tar Heels into a new era.
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Related: Five-star Jaden Bradley not shaken by Williams' retirement
2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2023 Rankings: Top 30
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1. JADEN BRADLEY
One of the most important North Carolina targets in the 2022 class, Bradley has a long list of offers and will be as in-demand as any player in the class. The five-star point guard had a strong relationship with Williams and it’ll be up to Davis to take that bond to the next level and land the IMG Academy star in the year ahead. Davis will have to edge out programs such as Kentucky, Auburn and Florida State if he hopes to seal the deal, but he has plenty of time to get the job done. Making an in-house hire provides continuity, so turning to Davis was a solid move when it comes to the pursuit of Bradley.
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2. EVERYONE ON THE CURRENT ROSTER
North Carolina’s chief rival may be Duke on most days. For the next few weeks, however, it will be the transfer portal. Davis needs to keep as much of his talented roster out of the portal as possible, and that starts with explaining his vision and the direction of the program. North Carolina already lost freshman Walker Kessler to the transfer craze, but the players the Tar Heels have retained are capable of helping the program bounce back from a mediocre 2020-21 season should they stay put.
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3. MARK MITCHELL
Mitchell is a sought-after two way player. While the Tar Heels probably aren’t the leader here, they are certainly involved. The five-star forward boasts an elite frame and has been in contact with the North Carolina staff for some time. It’s unclear just how the coaching change will impact his view on North Carolina, but it seems unlikely that it will be a deal breaker. Still, the competition to land Mitchell is stiff. Programs such as Kansas, Michigan, Oklahoma State, UCLA and USC have already offered, so a call to the Kansas-based forward should be a high priority for Davis.
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5. D'MARCO DUNN AND DONTREZ STYLES
The Tar Heels’ two 2021 commits, Dunn and Styles seem relatively locked in with the program and are unlikely to want out of their pledges. Both are in-state recruits with some level of emotional tie to the North Carolina brand. Neither is expected to have a change of heart, but a call to explain the direction of the program is one that needs to be made quickly before uncertainty takes hold.
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6. JONAS AIDOO
The will-they-or-won’t-they saga between the Tar Heels and Aidoo should get a definitive answer in the days ahead and it’ll be Davis making the call. North Carolina seriously mulled offering the four-star big under Williams and the speculation restarted when Aidoo backed off his pledge to Marquette in late March. It seems likely that the Tar Heels would become the team to beat if it came to the table with an offer, so this is a situation to monitor. It’s also one that should resolve itself in the near future.
