Black joins Love on watchlists for national awards

By R.L. Bynum

Leaky Black on Wednesday joined Caleb Love on 20-player watchlists for national awards, with Armando Bacot sure to join them later this week.

Black made the watchlist for the Julius Erving Award, which goes to the nation’s top small forward.

Other ACC players on that watchlist are Duke’s Dariq Whitehead and Florida State’s Matthew Cleveland.

Via @hoophallu

Black, a fifth-year player, has started 98 of his 122 games and is one of five Tar Heels to collect 600 points, 500 rebounds, 200 assists, 100 steals and 50 blocks. Others who have done it are George Lynch, David Noel, Danny Green and Hall of Famer James Worthy. Black is one of the best defenders in the country and routinely guards the opponent’s best player.

Earlier this week, Love was named to the watch list for the Bob Cousy Award, which goes to the country’s top point guard.

Other ACC players on that list are Duke’s Jeremy Roach and Virginia’s Kihei Clark.

Other Tar Heels to win that award since it began in 2004 are Kendall Marshall in 2012, Ty Lawson in 2009 and Raymond Felton in 2005, with UNC winning national titles the years Lawson and Felton won.

Via @hoophallu

Love, a junior, has scored 926 points and 127 3-pointers in his career and has 243 assists. His free-throw percentage of 84.4% is the fifth-highest in program history. He made huge shots last season, including a massive 3-pointer against Duke in a national semifinal.

Both watchlists will be trimmed in mid-February.

When the watchlist is released for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award for the nation’s top center, Bacot, a senior, will undoubtedly make that list.

UNC schedule

DateMonth/dayTime/scoreOpponent/event
(current ranking)
LocationRecord
October
28FridayW, 101–40Johnson C. Smith HomeExhibition
November
7MondayW, 69–56UNCWHome1–0
11FridayW, 102–86College of CharlestonHome2–0
15TuesdayW, 72–66Gardner-WebbHome3–0
20SundayW, 80–64James MadisonHome4–0
Phil Knight Invitational
24ThursdayW, 89–81First round: PortlandPortland5–0
25FridayL, 70–65Semifinals:
Iowa State
Portland5–1
27SundayL, 103–101,
4 OTs
Consolation:
No. 1 Alabama
Portland5–2
ACC/Big Ten Challenge
30WednesdayL, 77–65 No. 21 IndianaBloomington, Ind.5–3
December
4SundayL, 80–72 Virginia TechBlacksburg, Va.5–4,
0–1 ACC
10SaturdayW, 75–59Georgia TechHome6–4,
1–1 ACC
13TuesdayW, 100–67The CitadelHome7–4
CBS Sports Classic
17SaturdayW, 89–84, OTOhio StateNew York8–4
Jumpman Invitational
21WednesdayW, 80–76MichiganCharlotte9–4
30 Friday L, 76–74PittsburghPittsburgh9–5,
1–2 ACC
January
4WednesdayW, 88–79Wake ForestHome10–5,
2–2 ACC
7SaturdayW, 81–64Notre DameHome11–5,
3–2 ACC
10TuesdayL, 65–58No. 14 VirginiaCharlottesville11–6,
3–3 ACC
14SaturdayW, 80–59LouisvilleLouisville, Ky.12–6,
4–3 ACC
17TuesdayW, 72–64Boston CollegeHome13–6,
5–3 ACC
21SaturdayW, 80–69N.C. StateHome14–6,
6–3 ACC
24TuesdayW, 72–68SyracuseSyracuse, N.Y.15–6,
7–3 ACC
February
1WednesdayL, 65–64PittsburghHome15–7,
7–4 ACC
4SaturdayL, 63–57No. 12 DukeDurham15–8,
7–5 ACC
7TuesdayL, 92–85Wake ForestWinston-Salem15–9,
7–6 ACC
11SaturdayW, 91–71ClemsonHome 16–9,
8–6 ACC
13MondayL, 80–72No. 16 MiamiHome16–10,
8–7 ACC
19SundayL, 77–69N.C. StateRaleigh16–11,
8–8 ACC
22WednesdayW, 63–59Notre DameSouth Bend, Ind.17–11,
9–8 ACC
25SaturdayW, 71–63No. 14 VirginiaHome18–11,
10–8 ACC
27MondayW, 77–66Florida StateTallahassee, Fla.19–11,
11–8 ACC
March
4SaturdayL, 62–57No. 12 DukeHome19–12,
11–9 ACC
ACC tournament
8WednesdayW, 85–61Boston CollegeGreensboro20–12
9ThursdayL, 68–59No. 14 Virginia Greensboro20–13

Photo via @UNC_Basketball

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