'That's my brother': Love and Davis tune out surrounding noise to lead UNC to 91-71 win over Clemson

Following three straight losses, UNC men's basketball head coach Hubert Davis made his players wear 15-pound vests in practice to symbolize the weight of the pressure they felt from outside noise.

No two players had felt that weight more than junior guards Caleb Love and RJ Davis, who, thanks to social media rumors that many believed were disrupting the team's chemistry, had been placed under a microscope by some of the team's fans.

But in Saturday’s 91-71 win over Clemson in Chapel Hill, the duo responded to the tune of 40 combined points to help the Tar Heels secure a much-needed victory. 

“You’re going to have doubters. You’re going to have haters, people trying to create narratives and opinions your whole life,” RJ Davis said. “Just to know that, and go out there, and put out a statement win — it feels good on our side.”

Love and Davis were a crucial part of a North Carolina team that Hubert Davis said played “free” on the court, as they dimed and dunked the ball en route to a statement win.

While Love is usually pretty liberal with his shot selection, he was more selective with the shots he took against the Tigers.

Rather than take an ill-advised shot, he frequently made the open pass to record five assists. RJ Davis capitalized on Love's playmaking, as did junior forward Puff Johnson, who converted on two triples of his own. 

By the time it was all said and done, Love was also able to get himself going, matching his career high of six 3-pointers.

“I was just trying to take the right shots, and I did take one bad (shot) in transition,” Love said. “If I limit myself to one bad shot, I feel like I’m good.”

Meanwhile, RJ Davis made an impact off the court to make sure the team’s head was clear heading down the stretch. On Thursday, he called a players-only meeting to help refocus the team. What the players talked about in the meeting is unknown, but the Tar Heels made sure the goals they set at the beginning of the season are still crystal clear.

RJ Davis’ efforts to achieve those goals were clear, especially on the defensive end, where he drew numerous charges and helped create turnovers and scoring opportunities for UNC.

Then, on the offensive end, he capitalized on the extra possessions he created. In the second half, he found his stroke, knocking down three triples to finish the game with 17 points.

After assisting on Davis’ second 3-pointer three minutes into the second half, Love and Davis threw up the three-finger sign, signaling to each other that their chemistry was going to be just fine.

“That’s my brother,” Love said. “I love him. We don’t have any beef, none of what they tried to label on us. I told him, 'Just tune out that noise and let’s hoop.'”

Playing sound basketball will be essential to UNC’s success as they’ll need to tune out the outside noise. But it will be just as important to make sure the level of energy, intensity and freedom with which the team played on Saturday makes an appearance in every game for the rest of the season.

Dull and directionless basketball will not lead the Tar Heels to the crucial wins they need to make the NCAA Tournament -- but neither will playing with a weight on your shoulders.

“You can’t play with that weight,” Davis said. “You can (play with that weight), but you can’t jump as high, you can’t run as fast, you can’t be as efficient. I just wanted them to play free. And they played free tonight and I’m just really proud of them.”  

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