Tag: Carolina basketball

Tar Heels in NBA: Bullock scores season-high with career-high 8 3s, Pinson has best game of season for Mavs; Kessler seventh double-double

Reggie Bullock has traditionally played better in his NBA career after the new year, and that trend kicked in Saturday night when he and teammate Theo Pinson both had their best games of the season. Bullock hit a career-high eight 3-pointers (on 10 shots) and scored a season-high 24 points for a season-high 21.3 game score in the Dallas Mavericks’ 136–119 loss at Portland on Saturday night in his best game in more than four years. Pinson collected 11 points, three 3-pointers, three assists and a 10.1 game score, all season-highs.

Bacot’s return sparks Heels, Dunn has breakout game in UNC win

Armando Bacot looked a little gimpy at times, but he was a warrior as always, and played through a left-ankle injury. It was just the boost North Carolina needed as he led a decisive first-half run that gave the Tar Heels control on their way to an 80–59 victory Saturday at Denny Crum Court in Louisville, Ky. The breakout performance for UNC (12–6, 4–3 ACC) on both ends of the court, though, was from 6–5 sophomore D’Marco Dunn, who collected 14 points, two 3-pointers, five rebounds and two steals in 26 minutes, all career-highs, while playing excellent defense on El Ellis, Louisville’s leading scorer.

After long recovery from knee injury, confident Washington shows his star potential

CHAPEL HILL — Jalen Washington got a crash course about playing extended minutes in a high-level college basketball game. He got through it tired and sore but not before showing why Carolina was so excited that he decided to take his game to Chapel Hill. “I was happy that people can see how talented he is and the potential that he has because we get to see it every day in practice,” UNC coach Hubert Davis said of Washington, who was a four-star recruit.

Tar Heels in NBA: White has best game of season amid trade rumors; Barnes hits 27 for surging Kings; Kessler blocks 7 shots

Coby White had his best game of the season amid trade rumors, and Harrison Barnes kept putting up big numbers for the surging Sacramento Kings on Friday night. White produced season-highs of 19 points, four 3-pointers, seven field goals, six rebounds and a 16.3 game score to go with a team-high six assists in a season-high 33 minutes. Barnes scored 27 points and eight 3-pointers with seven rebounds and three assists as Sacramento rolled to a 139–114 home win over Houston for the Kings’ third consecutive win.

Bacot, Nance progressing but playing at Louisville unlikely, Hubert Davis said

CHAPEL HILL — Coach Hubert Davis suggested Friday that it is doubtful that either Armando Bacot or Pete Nance will play Saturday at Louisville. Davis said that Bacot, who rolled his left ankle in the first two minutes of Thursday’s loss at Virginia, is further along in his recovery than Nance and that Bacot was “still very questionable, at best” to play against the Cardinals.

Even at 11-6, UNC’s NCAA resume, bracket projections good

At No. 32 in the NET rankings, Carolina’s NCAA tournament resume is about as good as it could be for an 11–6 team, thanks to lots of “good losses.” No team has played more than the Tar Heels’ seven Quad 1 games. They are one of six teams — along with West Virginia (29 in NET rankings, 10–6), Washington State (70, 8–10), Butler (80, 10–8), Nebraska (96, 9–8) and Mississippi (100, 8–8) — that are 1–6 in those games.

Tar Heels in NBA: Barnes pours in 30 points, 6 3s in 30 minutes as Kings roll; Johnson, Little progressing

After a weekend marked by a few battles between UNC alums, the most one-sided happened late on Monday night. There was Day’Ron Sharpe vs. Garrison Brooks, Reggie Bullock and Theo Pinson vs. Justin Jackson and Walker Kessler vs. Coby White. But Harrison Barnes had the best of such matchups against Cole Anthony. Barnes was quite efficient in his Sacramento Kings’ easy 136–111 home victory over Anthony’s Orlando Magic, with season-highs of 30 points and six 3-pointers in 30 minutes, 28 seconds. Meanwhile, in the middle of a long West Coast road trip, Anthony had eight points, seven rebounds and three assists.

Love shows Heels won’t be bullied as they roll past Irish

CHAPEL HILL — Caleb Love’s critics came out after his performance against Pittsburgh, but he was strong in many ways as North Carolina looked dominant at times in dispatching Notre Dame. Love scored 18 points and three 3-pointers in Carolina’s 81–64 victory Saturday over the Irish in the Smith Center, but it was his reaction to a second-half incident that showed his leadership.