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UNC debuts in men’s soccer poll; every fall sports team except football now ranked
Aside from the surging football team, every other Carolina fall team sport is now ranked, with the men’s soccer team debuting at No. 16 in the United Soccer Coaches poll. The Tar Heels fell off the top spot in the women’s soccer poll but only to No. 2, while the field hockey team moved up one spot to No. 9 and the volleyball team held at No. 23.
UNC earns fifth straight top-16 ranking in preseason Top 25 women’s poll
North Carolina, picked to finish third in the ACC, is No. 12 in the preseason women’s AP Top 25 poll released on Tuesday. It’s the fifth straight season ranked in the top 16 of the preseason poll, after being No. 11 last season. The Tar Heels were No. 15 two seasons ago, No. 16 in 2023–24 and No. 12 in 2022–23.
Wilson ‘prepared’ ahead of debut; White out for opener; 14 Tar Heels on NBA rosters
The NBA season opens Tuesday with 14 former Carolina players on rosters, with five projected to start and six on two-way contracts, as Caleb Wilson prepares for his much-anticipated debut Wednesday night in Toronto.
What is Belichickian? He’s never used the term
CHAPEL HILL — Some have described the last two gritty Carolina road victories as “Belichickian.” The term entered the pro football vernacular during Bill Belichick’s 24-year tenure as the New England Patriots coach because of his reputation for pushing the boundaries while technically following the rules. Just don’t ask him what it means.
Belichick says moving on from big Duke win tougher, Syracuse better than record
CHAPEL HILL — Bill Belichick has spent most of the season stressing that one Saturday game has to be put away quickly. After Carolina’s win at Duke, he said that it took more effort than usual.
The Tar Heels’ players have said all year that Sunday is the day to turn the page, and Belichick acknowledged the Victory Bell celebration made it harder this time.
Tar Heels in NFL: Maye not satisfied after third straight big game; Williams scores TD
Drake Maye strung together a third consecutive strong game Sunday, throwing three touchdown passes in a 26–19 win over the New York Jets, but he and his coach are focused more on what went wrong than on the result. Maye completed 18 of 32 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns, with no interceptions (110.8 passer rating), and added 24 yards on four carries.
Keita shows glimpses of potential that attracted Malone to him
INDIANAPOLIS — Sayon Keita did the kind of work Sunday that Michael Malone traveled to Spain to see in person. Beyond his five blocks, the freshman led Carolina with 12 points, nine rebounds (five offensive), while spending Sunday evening absorbing contact from Indiana big men who outweighed him.
Malone calls acclimation to college ‘learning experience,’ says accountability starts with him
INDIANAPOLIS — Michael Malone is only months into his return to college basketball, and Carolina’s 76–58 exhibition loss at Indiana on Sunday gave the first-year coach his first opportunity to show how he will handle a bad night with his new team.
Malone says Indiana ‘manhandled,’ ‘outworked’ Heels in blowout
INDIANAPOLIS — Carolina’s challenges inside without Cameron Fens became glaring against an Indiana team with multiple 7-footers. As the Tar Heels wait and hope for a favorable ruling that will make the South Dakota transfer eligible, the physical Hoosiers took UNC out of its offense. Indiana kept the Heels off the free-throw line much of the game and dominated the boards.
UNC women welcome valuable new experiences in exhibition opener
CHAPEL HILL — The first public performance for this edition of the North Carolina women’s basketball team was more than a routine exercise. The Tar Heels have plenty to accomplish in the lead-up to the season and they certainly found themselves in notable situations during Sunday afternoon’s exhibition matchup with Davidson at Carmichael Arena.
Fans invited to watch Victory Bell get Carolina blue paint job at Bell Tower
The Victory Bell is back in Chapel Hill, and UNC is inviting fans to watch it get a fresh coat of Carolina blue for the first time since 2022.
Snap count report: Edwards’ season-high PFF grade leads offense; Smith posts team-best defensive grade
DURHAM — Quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. turned in his best Pro Football Focus offensive grade game of the season in North Carolina’s 24–20 win Saturday at Duke while safety Greg Smith has the team’s highest grade.
Good, Bad and Ugly Report: Duke
It’s said that there are no original movies made in Hollywood anymore, and UNC fans had seen this movie before. In fact, UNC fans had seen this movie already this season, and in this rivalry.
UNC overcomes mistakes to ring bell with rally
DURHAM — Fumbles and dropped passes on both sides of the ball cost Carolina a big lead in its second straight trip to Wallace Wade Stadium, but this time the Tar Heels found a way to rally.
Tar Heels in NBA: Wilson closes out impressive preseason with best all-around showing
Caleb Wilson finished his first NBA preseason with one of his most complete performances Friday, helping the host Chicago Bulls beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 133–116. The rookie forward scored 16 points on 7-for-15 shooting, including two 3-pointers, and added seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks in 22½ minutes.