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Jay Bilas explains how Duke and North Carolina turned their seasons around
By Keith Farner
Published:
Jay Bilas credited Hubert Davis for helping turn North Carolina around and reach the Final Four this week.
The ESPN college basketball analyst made an appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show” and recalled how the Tar Heels were blown out by Wisconsin in last year’s NCAA Tournament, and suffered lopsided losses earlier this season to Purdue, Tennessee and Villanova.
“It wasn’t like Hubert Davis inherited this great team,” Bilas said. “… At one point in their losses they were giving up over 90 points a game. It was probably near the end of January when they started to bow up and fight back.”
Bilas added that the Tar Heels are not playing like an 8-seed, and they are formidable.
As for Mike Krzyzewski and Duke, Bilas said the Blue Devils are rounding into form after struggling late in the season and at the ACC Tournament.
“I didn’t have them advancing past Texas Tech in the bracket because of how they looked and how I felt they were playing and I know I wasn’t alone in that,” Bilas said. “So your point about growing up before our eyes, I think they probably did some growing up in practice when they got back from Brooklyn, from the ACC Tournament.”
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
