ATLANTA — A sure sign of a team leader is when he’s critical of his play after leading the team in points, rebounding and assists. But that was RJ Davis after No. 9 Carolina’s 87–84 loss Saturday night to No. 14 Kentucky in the CBS Sports Classic.
Category: Men's basketball
Love’s 29 not enough against Purdue; Dunn’s career-high 17, Johnson’s 15 can’t push Penn State over Jackets
Three former Carolina players had big games in tough losses Saturday.
Caleb Love’s season-high 29 points, 20 in the second half, weren’t enough for No. 1 Arizona to overcome No. 3 Purdue. D’Marco Dunn scored a career-high 17 points and Puff Johnson had a season-high 15 points in a tough overtime loss with a controversial finish.
UNC can’t match Kentucky’s physicality or make enough plays at the end
ATLANTA — Cormac Ryan found his shot in Atlanta, but Armando Bacot could barely get off any shots against No. 14 Kentucky’s tall, physical lineup that dominated the boards. Even with Bacot neutralized for most of the game, No. 9 Carolina challenged No. 14 Kentucky until the end but couldn’t get enough stops or plays in the final minutes as the Wildcats held on for an 87–83 victory Saturday at the CBS Sports Classic in the State Farm Arena.
NCAA resume-building time is next 3+ weeks, beginning with Kentucky game
It is still early in the season, but it’s already NCAA resume-building time for the No. 9 North Carolina men’s basketball team. Tuesday’s 87–76 loss at Madison Square Garden to No. 5 and reigning NCAA champion UConn (NET ranking of 7) was the first of six Quad 1 opponents in seven games under the current NET rankings.
To rebound from UConn loss, Hubert Davis says Heels have to rebound
CHAPEL HILL — “Rebounding.” Carolina coach Hubert Davis, in lightning-fast fashion, provided that one-word answer Thursday afternoon when asked what his team had worked on — even before the reporter completed the question — since the No. 9 Tar Heels lost 87–76 on Dec. 5 in New York to No. 5 UConn.
Debut episode: “Bleav in Heels Hoops” podcast, presented by Tar Heel Tribune and Tobacco Road Sports Radio
This is the first episode of the “Bleav in Heels Hoops” podcast, presented by Tar Heel Tribune and Tobacco Road Sports Radio, with c-hosts Desmond Johnson and R.L. Bynum talking about Carolina basketball. In the first episode, they discuss this list of the top 10 UNC-Kentucky games, look back at the loss to UConn and ahead at Saturday’s game in Atlanta against Kentucky in the CBS Sports Classic.
Tar Heels in pros: Nets’ Johnson scores 15, has good all-around game, wins in emotional return to Phoenix; Hornets reassign Black to G League
It was an emotional return to Phoenix for Cameron Johnson, who played his first 3½ NBA seasons with the Suns before they dealt him to the Brooklyn Nets at the trade deadline last season.
Tar Heels in pros: White keeps hot streak going with 27 points, 5 3-pointers; Pinson nearly gets triple-double in G League
Big games are becoming routine of late for Coby White. White scored 27 points and five 3-pointers Tuesday and added eight assists and four rebounds, but it wasn’t enough for Chicago to avoid its second loss in as many nights.
Walton starts, scores 17 in Texas Tech win with much bigger role; Styles has game-high 19 in Hoyas victory; Todd-Williams scores 10
There was little reason for hope that Kerwin Walton would have much of a role at Texas Tech through the first six games, but he suddenly has become a key player for the Red Raiders. It all changed in the 87–58 victory over Omaha on Dec. 6 when Walton scored a career-high 22 points, and starter Devan Cambridge suffered a season-ending knee injury.
From Maye’s shot to Anthony Davis’ block — the top 10 UNC-Kentucky games
Since the iconic Luke Maye jumper shot down Kentucky in the 2017 NCAA Southeast Regional final, the Carolina-Kentucky matchups haven’t lived up to the high standard this rivalry has set. But there are plenty of battles between the college basketball blue bloods that fans will never forget in a rivalry that goes back to when both were in the Southern Conference.
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