CHAPEL HILL — Coach Hubert Davis said that No. 20 North Carolina’s three-game skid had left his team “wounded,” and a down-to-the-wire win as an 18-point favorite wasn’t exactly the best treatment for that.
Author: R.L. Bynum
Latest UNC bowl projections include eight possible destinations
There are eight possible bowl destinations for North Carolina, according to 10 bowl projections. Three predict the Tar Heels (6–6) facing Coastal Carolina (6–6), but each sees the matchup in a different bowl. Two predict UNC will face Army (10–1) (but in two different bowls), two have UNC playing in the Birmingham Bowl, and two see the Tar Heels headed to Detroit.
UNC rolls to signature win, giving No. 14 Kentucky its first loss
CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina showed the women’s basketball world on Thursday that the Tar Heels are one of the country’s best teams. With balanced scoring and UNC’s relentless defense, the No. 16 Tar Heels earned an early-season signature victory by handing No. 14 Kentucky its first loss, 72–53, in the ACC/SEC Women’s Challenge.
RJ Davis staying positive amid his, team’s struggles
CHAPEL HILL — This is not how RJ Davis envisioned his fifth college season starting. The reigning ACC Player of Year and consensus All-American is struggling to find his perimeter shot (career-low 24.2% from 3-point range). No. 20 Carolina (4–4) is off to its worst start in 23 years and likely will be unranked next week after Wednesday’s 94–79 loss to No. 10 Alabama extended the Tar Heels’ losing streak to three.
Jackson leads Heels but says they aren’t tough enough
CHAPEL HILL — Carolina will have to learn how to win when giving up a lot of height, but the Tar Heels didn’t show the toughness to make that happen against a long Alabama team. The No. 10 Tide’s size and length were too much for the No. 20 Tar Heels, who fell behind by double-digits in the first half for the fourth consecutive game. UNC could never mount a significant rally in a 94–79 loss Wednesday in the ACC/SEC Men’s Challenge.
Hubert Davis works to fix issues with defense, rebounding and slow starts
CHAPEL HILL — No. 20 North Carolina must change its unsustainable habit of getting into early double-digit holes. Coach Hubert Davis has spent plenty of time with his staff since losing two of three games at the Maui Invitational, trying to figure out a solution as the Tar Heels (4–3) prepare to challenge No. 10 Alabama (6–2) at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday (ESPN) in the ACC/SEC Men’s Challenge.
Carolina slides in AP Top 25 men’s poll after two Maui losses
After a chaotic week in men’s basketball, with 60% of the teams in last week’s AP Top 25 poll losing, North Carolina’s two losses dropped the Tar Heels eight spots to No. 20 in the latest poll.
Tar Heels’ rank unchanged in AP Top 25 women’s poll
After two impressive victories last week, North Carolina still didn’t move up in the latest AP Top 25 women’s poll, holding at No. 16.
See where UNC men, women fall in first NET rankings
It’s probably too early in the season to be worried about the NET rankings, but the first listings of the season came out Monday, and it’s worth noting where North Carolina falls.
Tar Heels in NFL: Maye efficient in another breakout performance, but in a loss
Rookie New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye produced another breakout performance on Sunday. But Maye wasn’t focused on his excellent numbers after their fourth loss in five games but on the team’s red-zone failures.
Little agreement from bowl projections about UNC’s destination
Where the North Carolina team that interim coach Freddie Kitchens will lead will play in its bowl game isn’t clear, with little agreement from the online projections. The bowl matchups will be announced next Sunday.
UNC names longtime NFL assistant Kitchens interim coach
Longtime NFL assistant coach Freddie Kitchens will be North Carolina’s interim coach as the Tar Heels prepare to play in a bowl game.
Good, Bad and Ugly Report: N.C. State
Stop me if you’ve heard this one: UNC plays well enough to win, but key mistakes and an inability to get key stops amidst a defensive collapse in the second half doom Carolina to an excruciating loss.
After going out with crushing loss, Brown says he agreed with UNC decision but not timing or how it was handled
CHAPEL HILL — His exit from Carolina wasn’t Coach Mack Brown’s preference, and the Tar Heels’ second-half defense just added to his frustrations. N.C. State scored on every drive after halftime on its way to a 35–30 victory, its fourth straight win over Carolina, on a cool evening at Kenan Stadium full of a range of emotions.
No. 16 Heels overwhelm winless NCCU with dominant effort
CHAPEL HILL — After several challenging opponents, No. 16 North Carolina returned home for the first time in 22 days for some post-Thanksgiving feasting against a winless team. N.C. Central was helpless to hold off the onslaught as the Tar Heels gorged on perimeter-shooting prowess, inside domination, tough defense and board dominance in a 119–43 victory Friday afternoon over the Eagles in Carmichael Arena.
