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Tracking transfers: Jackson hits 18 in win over No. 7 Texas; Lubin nets 22; Cadeau, Michigan fall to No. 10 Houston
Ian Jackson’s best game at St. John’s and Ven-Allen Lubin’s perfect shooting day at N.C. State led a weekend of exhibition play for former North Carolina players, who got mixed results for their teams.
Grades, snap counts: McDonald leads way; Edwards better clean than when pressured
Derek McDonald’s 82.8 defensive grade from Pro Football Focus was the highest of any North Carolina player in the 31–30 overtime loss to Syracuse, a full 6.4 points ahead of the next-best Tar Heel, while quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. finished near the bottom of the offensive rankings. PFF grades players on a 0–100 scale, and the numbers show a Carolina team that leaned heavily on the pass, wore down its defense with a lopsided snap count, and struggled most when Edwards was pressured. UNC ran 70 offensive snaps to Syracuse’s 89, and 49 of those 70 (70%) were pass plays against only 21 runs.
Good, Bad and Ugly Report: Syracuse
It was déjà vu all over again for UNC: jumping out to a double-digit first-half lead, then the offense doing its Homer Simpson disappearing-into-the-bushes impression while the defense slowly wilted in the second half. Mistakes, missed tackles, and missed opportunities to build the lead and stop the opponent’s onslaught.
Tar Heels in NBA: Wilson spectacular with double-double, 30 points in Bulls home debut
Caleb Wilson’s remarkable start to his NBA career continued Saturday night with his first 30-point game and first double-double, but even his best performance yet wasn’t enough to keep the Chicago Bulls from losing to Washington. The former Carolina star collected 30 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block in 38 minutes as the Bulls fell 124–120 to the Wizards in Wilson’s home debut.
Carolina can’t finish off Syracuse, suffers OT heartbreak
CHAPEL HILL — The Carolina red-zone defense that was so good in two consecutive road wins failed the Tar Heels when they needed big plays on a cool night at Kenan Stadium. Syracuse tied it late in regulation and won in overtime with a short touchdown pass and a two-point conversion pass, handing UNC a heartbreaking 31–30 overtime loss on Saturday night.
Harping’s dazzling all-around game with 29 points not enough at No. 20 Maryland
When Courtney Banghart says Kate Harpring is “not there yet” in her decision-making on a day she scores 29 points in an impressive all-around game, it tells you about the expectations for the five-star freshman. Harpring hit three 3-pointers and collected team-highs of six rebounds, four assists and three steals, but it wasn’t enough as No. 12 North Carolina dropped an exhibition game against No. 20 Maryland 72–68 at the XFINITY Center in College Park, Md., on Saturday.
Tar Heels in NBA: Wilson hits 21, delivers in clutch as Bulls rebound to win on road; White still out
Caleb Wilson didn’t look much like a rookie with the game on the line Friday, taking charge in the final minutes to help Chicago complete a remarkable turnaround from its rough season opener. The former Carolina star scored 19 of his 21 points in the second half, made four consecutive free throws in the final 76 seconds, and grabbed a critical rebound and steal as the Bulls rallied from 15 points down for a 132–125 road win over Milwaukee.
No. 2 UNC bounces back behind Devey’s left-footer, defense, Trayer’s play in goal
CHAPEL HILL — In their first match since falling from the No. 1 ranking, North Carolina showed why it earned that standing by battling well during its second top-10 clash in five days. After falling at No. 4 Wake Forest on Sunday, the Tar Heels earned a 1–0 victory over No. 7 Stanford in their first game at Dorrance Field in 21 days and their second top-10 win of the season.
UNC soccer commit DiMaria scores six in match, has 10 through two matches at U-17 World Cup
UNC women’s soccer’s talent pipeline keeps producing. Carolina commit Maddie DiMaria scored six goals in one match and four in another as the United States U-17 Women’s National Team rolled to two wins in its first two matches at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Salé, Morocco.
Henry visit, Duggins offer highlight busy UNC basketball recruiting week
North Carolina is hosting five-star wing DeMarcus Henry for an official visit this weekend after extending a scholarship offer to Greensboro Day forward Grant Duggins earlier in the week. The developments highlight Michael Malone’s recruiting work across multiple classes, following recent offers to Class of 2027 center Cherif Millogo and Class of 2029 guard JJ Crawford.
UNC’s bowl projections include facing Penn State in Charlotte
North Carolina has gone from missing the postseason in Bill Belichick’s first season to a likely bowl team, with several projections for a December trip to Charlotte and a potential matchup with Penn State. The Tar Heels (4–2, 2–1 ACC) are two victories away from bowl eligibility after consecutive road wins over then-No. 25 Pittsburgh and rival Duke. Their 24–20 comeback victory at Duke last Saturday returned the Victory Bell to Chapel Hill and strengthened their postseason outlook, with media outlets projecting UNC to go bowling in Charlotte, The Bronx or Annapolis, Md.
Wes Miller on coaching against UNC: ‘It’s always special to go back’
Wes Miller returns Tuesday night to familiar surroundings to coach at the Smith Center, where he once played and helped Carolina win a national championship. But instead of wearing Carolina blue, he’ll be trying to beat the Tar Heels in his first season as Charlotte’s head coach.
Tar Heels in NBA: Wilson shows flashes, hits 16 but goes through struggles in Bulls’ blowout loss
Caleb Wilson’s NBA regular-season debut reminded everyone that the transition from college basketball to the pros won’t always be smooth, even for a rookie with his considerable talent. The former Carolina star scored 16 points, missed seven of eight 3-point attempts and finished with a team-worst -45 in Chicago’s 135–92 loss Wednesday at Toronto.
Days after being ruled eligible, Trimble hits key late free throws as Louisville wins at Kansas
Five days after a Kentucky judge granted a temporary injunction on Friday restoring the eligibility of Seth Trimble and 37 other athletes, the former Carolina guard made an immediate impact for No.11 Louisville.
UNC has 8 out, 6 questionable; Syracuse has 2 QBs out, 1 questionable
Eight Carolina players are ruled out for Saturday’s home game against Syracuse, with six more questionable, but the Orange head into the game with quarterback injury issues.