Seven-year-old Reniya Kelly is in tears after she struggles with a ball-handling drill at an AAU tryout. Kelly keeps crying, embarrassed that she can’t do it better. Kelly sits silently in the back seat during the 20-minute drive home up Interstate 59 until her dad pulls over after they take the Allison-Bonnett Memorial Drive exit southwest of Birmingham, Ala. Even though they are almost home, he wants to stop and ask what’s wrong. “ ‘I need you to show me how to be great,’ ” her dad U.J. Mitchell recalls her saying that day in response. “I knew that comment was different, coming from a child that young.”
Tag: Carolina
Tyler Nickel going back to home state, transferring to Virginia Tech
Tyler Nickel is going home to Virginia. The 6–7, 220-pound wing who got limited playing time in his freshman season at North Carolina, is transferring to Virginia Tech.
Tar Heels in NBA: Barnes’ Kings end NBA’s longest playoff drought; Johnson’s best game of season propels Nets; White 17 points, 9 assists
On a night when Harrison Barnes’ Sacramento Kings ended the longest playoff drought in NBA history without one of his best games, the Brooklyn Nets got a much-needed win in Cameron Johnson’s best game of the season. Johnson scored 31 points in 34 minutes, with five 3-pointers, seven rebounds and five assists.
Coastal Carolina rallies by pounding UNC bullpen with eight runs in crazy eighth when Forbes gets ejected, 3 pitchers fail to get an out
CHAPEL HILL — No. 13 North Carolina was in control until everything went out of control for the Tar Heels in the crazy eighth inning Tuesday against No. 19 Coastal Carolina.
Video: Mack Brown spring football press conference
UNC football coach Mack Brown gives an update on how spring football had gone and also talks about Monday’s Pro Day.
Wojcik, a 38% 3-point shooter, transferring from Brown to UNC
Paxton Wojcik, the son of former UNC assistant coach Doug Wojcik, will transfer from Brown to North Carolina. Paxton Wojcik, who announced his plans on Twitter early Monday evening, will be a graduate transfer after averaging 14.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists last season while shooting 46% from the floor and 38% from 3-point range. The news came on the same day that Caleb Love entered the transfer portal.
Tar Heels in MLB: Gallen Arizona’s opening-night starter after spectacular season; Bard back as Rockies closer; Stallings back at Miami; Harvey hopes for another chance
Three former Carolina players are on Opening Day major-league rosters, with Matt Harvey hoping for another chance. Seven others who have made their big-league debuts are starting the season in Triple-A and another is in Double-A. Easily topping the list of former Tar Heels in pro baseball is Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen, who comes off the best of his four major-league seasons and is one of the best pitchers in baseball.
Tar Heels in NBA: Little hits season-high 28 points but depleted Blazers fall; Anthony scores 21; White, who Bulls coach calls more complete player, scores 13
Without four regular Portland starters, Nassir Little came off the bench to play his most minutes in over a month and the third-most this season. He did all he could for the depleted Blazers with a season-high 28 points in 31 minutes as they kept it close before losing 118–112 at home Sunday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Tar Heels in NBA: Barnes scores 23 as Kings close in on playoff berth; Kessler hits 31, Johnson 23 and White scores 19 twice
As Harrison Barnes put Sacramento a win away from the franchise’s first playoff berth in 17 years, other former Carolina players put up big numbers in recent days, including a career-high 31 from Walker Kessler, 23 from Cameron Johnson and two 19-point nights from Coby White.
Castagnozzi, Horvath power No. 15 UNC, Sandy saves series-clinching win over Duke
CHAPEL HILL — The power of No. 15 Carolina’s defensive versatility was on full display Saturday. Mac Horvath played his fourth consecutive game in right field, shifting from third base to make way for another power threat, fellow junior and housemate Johnny Castagnozzi, to play at third base. Both hit home runs to lead UNC (18–6, 4–3 ACC) to a 5–3 victory over Duke (15–9, 4–5) to capture the weekend series 2–1.