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Reclassifying to play an entire freshman season before turning 18 is far from a conventional route for women’s basketball players. But 5–10 five-star point guard phenom Lanie Grant, the 2024 Gatorade Virginia Player of the Year, has defied convention since getting her first scholarship offer three months after turning 13.
Incoming UNC five-star freshmen Drake Powell and Blanca Thomas will compete in the 23rd Jordan Brand Classic on Sunday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
RALEIGH — After three consecutive one-run losses, No. 11 North Carolina wasn’t leaving anything to chance, particularly Vance Honeycutt and Colby Wilkerson. The Tar Heels backed outstanding starting and relief pitching with plenty of offense, rolling to a 14–3 victory Saturday at Doak Field to salvage a game from the three-game weekend series and clinch their third straight 30-win season as Honeycutt made more history.
Harrison Ingram, the versatile, high-energy transfer who had a breakout junior season at Carolina after two years at Stanford, has declared for the 2024 NBA draft.
Former Wofford cross country runner Beck Classey of Greenville and accomplished marathoner Tristin Van Ord coasted to the victories Saturday morning at the Tar Heel 10 Miler under pleasant race conditions.
RALEIGH — The only positive, but a great source of frustration, in No. 11 North Carolina’s first three-game losing streak is that all three were one-run games that could have gone either way. The Tar Heels bullpen blew a three-run lead built off an impressive start from junior left-hander Shea Sprague as N.C. State clinched a series win with a 5–4 victory Friday at Doak Field.
Former Kentucky wing Adou Thiero is, of course, considering following Coach John Calipari to Arkansas, but Carolina is reportedly also in his final five.
RALEIGH — On a night of home run derby, N.C. State didn’t hit as many, but the Wolfpack hit the biggest. Shortstop Brandon Butterworth blasted a 95-mph fastball over the left-field wall for a game-ending solo homer with one out in the ninth inning to lift the Wolfpack to a 9–8 victory Thursday over No. 11 North Carolina at Doak Field.
A second former North Carolina men’s basketball player is reportedly moving on after only one season at his second school. Dontrez Styles, who transferred to Georgetown for his junior season, is planning to enter the transfer portal, according to On3.com’s Joe Tipton.
The crowd at Chicago’s United Center was chanting Coby White’s name. That was no surprise considering it was the best game of his five-year NBA career. With an array of devastating crossovers to amazing spin moves, White scored 42 points — the most in his career — to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 131–116 victory over the Atlanta Hawks in an elimination game in the play-in tournament.
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