Tag: NCAA

Williams recalls his Kansas win to prevent a UNC-Duke NCAA final, says no win made him happier than Sunday’s

The Hall of Fame coach who prevented a UNC-Duke battle in the 1991 Final Four remembers the crazy way that game finished and the unfortunate exit of another Hall of Fame coach. During an interview Tuesday morning on the ACC Network’s “Packer and Durham,” Williams also talked about how happy Carolina’s 69–49 East Regional final victory Sunday in Philadelphia over Saint Peter’s made him.

Hubert Davis overcome with emotions after his first team makes Final Four

PHILADELPHIA — Moments after Hubert Davis greeted the last Saint Peter’s player in the handshake line, all that had transpired since he took over as Carolina’s head coach last spring brought a flood of emotions.
He tearfully broke down, overwhelmed that he had navigated the program through a historic transition from a Hall of Fame coach and that his first team had earned the program’s NCAA-record 21st Final Four berth.

Saint Peter’s magic runs out as UNC rolls into Final Four

PHILADELPHIA — Through all of the struggles during an up-and-down season, Carolina’s players believed they could win a national title and now a college basketball world that was full of doubters has been proven wrong. The Tar Heels’ dreams live on after delivering a knockout blow in the first half to end the magical run of No. 15-seed St. Peter’s with a 69–49 victory Sunday night at Wells Fargo Center in the East Regional final.

Bacot talks about back issues, how Heels never wavered from Final Four goal

PHILADELPHIA — At the start of the season, a photo of the Superdome was put on the locker of each Carolina player to remind them of the end goal — a trip to the Final Four. After two difficult seasons and a lot of frustrations, most college basketball observers saw that as an unrealistic, lofty goal at the time. Throughout the ups and downs when many fans and the media gave up on the Tar Heels, junior center Armando Bacot said that the team stayed focused and believed it was possible.

Banghart has deftly built a budding national power at UNC

After the Carolina women’s basketball program’s steady ascension under Coach Courtney Banghart in her first two seasons, the Tar Heels have rocketed toward the national spotlight this season. Banghart knew she had all of the elements for a special team before the season, even if most observers saw last season’s 13–11 finish and weren’t convinced. Only predicted to finish seventh in the ACC, the Tar Heels finished tied for third.

Roy Williams, who says games are more stressful now, making sure to give Davis his space

Roy Williams thought his first Carolina basketball season as a fan after retirement would just be fun because he wouldn’t have to worry about coaching and could just enjoy the games. He soon found out otherwise and said that his biggest concern all season was to give first-year head coach Hubert Davis his space and to make sure not to “get in the way.” During an interview on the WCMC (99.9 the Fan) show “The OG” Wednesday with hosts Joe Ovies and Joe Giglio, he said that he quickly found out what fans have known for years: it’s stressful to watch a game when you can’t do anything to change the outcome.

Want to send UNC teams off to the Sweet 16? Here’s how

Carolina is one of three schools with both its men’s and women’s teams in the Sweet 16 and fans will get the chance to gather twice Wednesday to send each team off for their Friday regional semifinal games. UNC, which has both teams in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2015, joins Iowa State and Michigan as the only schools with its men’s and women’s team still playing in the NCAA tournament.

UNC women roll into first Sweet 16 in 7 years with relentless defense

Carolina’s relentless defense has been frustrated many opponents all season. Add Arizona to that list, and put the Tar Heels down for their first Sweet 16 in seven years.

UNC held the Wildcats scoreless for nearly 11½ first-half minutes to take control on their way to a 63–45 true road victory Monday night in Tucson, Ariz., in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Will Manek ejection affect Sweet 16 availability?

From the time that Brady Manek got ejected after questionably being called for a flagrant-two foul, some wondered if that would lead to a suspension. There was even speculation about it Monday on ACC Network. But, since the ejection doesn’t involve fighting, there will be no suspension and Manek will play on Friday night at 9:40 p.m. in the East Regional semifinals against UCLA in Philadelphia (TBS).

Kelly hits 28 as UNC women storm by SFA with huge fourth quarter

North Carolina showed again what it has done many times when facing adversity this season: Handle it, show poise, take control and leave the opponent reeling. A sensational 28-point game from Deja Kelly, an animated halftime speech from third-year UNC coach Courtney Banghart and a decisive 14–3 fourth-quarter run ensured the first NCAA tournament win for her and all of her players.

Heels play like title contenders in ousting reigning champion Baylor

FORT WORTH, Texas — When Hubert Davis said early in the season that the goal for his first North Carolina team was a national championship, it seemed a little far-fetched to many observers. After holding off reigning national champion and No. 1 seed Baylor in overtime 93–86 in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Saturday at Dickies Arena, his Tar Heels are making believers of the college basketball world.

UNC women have been poised against the kind of relentless pressure defense Stephen F. Austin likely to apply

Many opponents thought they could apply pressure defense on Carolina’s women, force turnovers and dictate the play. That hasn’t worked out well most of the season. No. 12-seed Stephen F. Austin (28–4) is the latest team that will likely give that strategy a shot when it faces the No. 5-seed and 17th-ranked Tar Heels (23–6) at 7:30 Saturday night in Tucson, Ariz., (ESPN News) in the first round of the NCAA Greensboro Region.