Chris Beard on Hubert Davis: "It feels like Dean Smith's still sitting over there"

Ahead of the NCAA Tournament first-round matchup between North Carolina and Ole Miss, Chris Beard, the head coach of the Rebels, spoke to the media about the upcoming contest.

While discussing the Tar Heels, Beard sung very high praises toward his team's next opponent, especially toward the coach who will be on the opposing sideline, Hubert Davis.

Beard had this to say about this Tar Heels team, including his high regard for Davis.

"Carolina's a special team. To me, it starts with their coach. A lot of respect for Coach (Hubert Davis) and everything he's done in basketball. I used to love to watch him as a player. The way they can get the ball up the court, it feels like Dean Smith's still sitting over there.

It's an interesting team to look at. I know there's a lot of dialog. But when you get in the guts of their season, a lot of one- or two-possession games could have gone the other way, and Carolina's seeding could have been completely different. It's March. It's a 68-team tournament, and everything you've done before doesn't matter. They're talented and have great guard play and good interior play. Defensively, they have a real identity. Offensively, they have an identity, and it's still North Carolina."

Beard seems to see a lot of similarities between this team and North Carolina teams of old, as it's safe to say that the Rebels won't be taking the Tar Heels lightly heading into this matchup.

It's been a very, very long time since these two programs have played against each other, as the last meeting took place over 102 years ago in 1923. Now, these two programs will battle it out in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament with their seasons on the line.

While the respect is mutual, both sides hope that the other is the one heading home after Friday's contest.