UNC women earn highest NCAA seed in 7 years

CHAPEL HILL — All season, Coach Courtney Banghart has talked about her Carolina women’s basketball team’s connectedness, and the players’ enthusiasm for what’s ahead was obvious as they gathered at Top of the Hill restaurant to see where their March journey starts. Carolina’s breakout season will continue as the No. 5-seed in the Greensboro Region of the NCAA tournament, facing No. 12-seed Stephen F. Austin (28–4) Saturday in the first round in Tucson, Ariz. Should the Tar Heels advance to the second weekend, they would play in Greensboro. The top seed in the region is No. 1-ranked South Carolina.

UNC men draw No. 8 seed in East Region

Going to the NCAA men’s tournament is routine for North Carolina but the Tar Heels haven’t had to navigate the dreaded No. 8-seed vs. No. 9-seed matchup very often. For the second consecutive season, though, the No. 25-ranked Tar Heels (24–9) will have to deal with that assignment. This time, UNC is the No. 8 seed in the East Region, facing No. 9-seed Marquette (19–12) on Thursday in Fort Worth, Texas. Should UNC win, it would likely face No. 1-seed Baylor (26–6), which plays No. 16-seed Norfolk State. If Coach Hubert Davis’ team makes it to the second weekend, it would play in Philadelphia.

Tar Heels in NBA: Back as starter, White has solid all-around game in Bulls win; Barnes scores 18; Anthony has 15

Back in the starting lineup for the first time since mid-February, Coby White wasn’t far away from a triple-double in Chicago’s 101–91 home victory Saturday over Cleveland. White collected nine points, seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals as a starter after seven consecutive games coming off the bench. He was in the lineup because Zach LaVine missed the game with left knee soreness.

Rice, Miller fall win short of putting Monmouth in NCAA field

Walker Miller helped Coach King Rice’s Monmouth team make an impressive run to the MAAC Tournament final but the Hawks were one win short of the title and an NCAA tournament berth. Miller is the only former Tar Heel to make his league tournament’s final. Walker Kessler and Brandon Huffman are the only former UNC players who will get NCAA tournament berths.

What are the NCAA projections for UNC?

NEW YORK — There’s no doubt that this Carolina basketball season has gone better than the previous one, but the Tar Heels seem likely to be stuck in a dreaded No. 8-seed vs. No. 9-seed first-round matchup in the NCAA tournament for a second consecutive season. That winner, of course, has a No. 1 seed lurking in the second round. As a No. 8 seed in the South Region last season, an 18–11 UNC team lost to No. 9 Wisconsin in West Lafayette, Ind., in what turned out to be Coach Roy Williams’ final game. This season’s Tar Heels enter NCAA play at 24–9 and with a lot of optimism that, despite its inconsistencies, it might have enough momentum to do some damage, even if it is probably stuck in the same sort of game.

Hokies run away from UNC in second half to end 6-game win streak

NEW YORK — Making up big deficits has never been easy for this North Carolina team and that didn’t change Friday night in an ACC Tournament semifinal. The No. 3-seed Tar Heels fell behind No. 7-seed Virginia Tech by 20 points 7½ minutes into the second half, its biggest hole since trailing by 21 in the Pittsburgh loss, and couldn’t fight back.

When the ACC Tournament is in Brooklyn, it doesn’t feel like home

NEW YORK — There is lots to dislike about the expanded ACC, and including Brooklyn in the rotation for the league’s tradition-rich tournament is near the top of the list. The Barclays Center does an excellent job of staging the tournament and that would be fine if was located in a city that knew the history of the ACC’s crown jewel event, cared more about college basketball and was passionate about the results.

Winning at ACC Tournament emotional for Hubert Davis, who respects the tradition

NEW YORK — You’d have trouble finding a coach with more love and reverence for the tradition of the ACC Tournament than Hubert Davis.
Tar Heels great Walter “Sweet D” Davis, his uncle, played in it for Carolina and won titles in 1975 and 1977. The first-year UNC head coach was part of the March tradition as a player and got plenty of experience as a UNC assistant coach at the event for nine seasons.

Manek ignites onslaught as Carolina steamrolls Virginia

NEW YORK — For much of the night, it looked like Carolina’s Brady Manek could single-handedly beat Virginia. He nearly did for one half. With his teammates also playing well, it was an easy evening for the Tar Heels, who steamrolled the Cavaliers 63–43 in the last ACC Tournament quarterfinal Thursday night at the Barclays Center.

‘Feeling of defeat’ against UNC motivated Duke’s Williams

NEW YORK — That feeling of defeat. That’s how Duke center Mark Williams described the final minutes of the Blue Devils’ 94–81 loss Saturday to North Carolina at Cameron Indoor Stadium. With Syracuse threatening to give Mike Krzyzewski a loss in his final ACC Tournament on top of the loss the coach suffered in his final home game, that feeling motivated Williams.