All posts by Cliff Barnes

Gritty Tar Heels rally but fail to hang on at No. 1 Kansas

A gritty North Carolina squad came from 20 points down but failed to score over the last two minutes while No. 1 Kansas scored five straight to win 92-89 at historic Allen Fieldhouse. (11/8)

Carolina trailed 51-31 late in the first half and went into the break down by 15. Then the Tar Heels picked up the defensive intensity, quickly getting the deficit under double digits.

The Kansas lead hovered in the eight to 11 range until the Heels went on a 9-0 run midway through the second half to pull within a bucket at 77-75. A sweet turnaround jumper by Lubin and a three from the left corner by Jae’Lyn Withers highlighted the run.

Moments later a falling Withers got one to go in the lane to remarkably put the Tar Heels up 80-79 for UNC’s first lead since it was 10-7 early.

A Seth Trimble short shot inside off the backboard followed by a free throw by Jalen Washington put the surging Heels up 87-83 with 3:30 to go. But not much else went right for the Heels down the stretch as Withers, who had led the comeback, turned the ball over and missed a wide-open three from the right corner.

Meanwhile, Zeke Mayo scored in the lead to tie the game and Hunter Dickinson converted a contested layup to put the Jayhawks up for good at 91-89. Carolina had a chance to take the lead with 35 seconds to go but Washington was long on a three attempt from the right corner.

“I’m proud of them and their effort to get back in the game,” UNC coach Hubert Davis said of his team. “They put our team into position to win the game.”

He credited the defense, which lowered the Jayhawks’ shooting percentage from 60 percent in the first half to 49 for the game and went from losing the rebound advantage by a lot to outrebounding Kansas 40-39.

“It showed the potential of this team,” Coach Davis said. “Our team is full of talented players who enjoy playing together… This team can go to the highest level.”

They’ll need better shooting from fifth-year senior star RJ Davis if they expect to reach their potential. Davis, who shot poorly in the season opener against Elon, was even worse in this game, going just three of 15 including just one of seven from beyond the arc.

Davis did score 16 points, mostly from the free throw line, as he was one of six Tar Heels in double figures. Trimble led the way with 19 points while Elliot Cadeau had 12 and Withers 11. Lubin and Ian Jackson each scored 10.

Mayo led the way for Kansas with 21 points while Dickinson finished with 20.

Carolina, 1-1, returns home to face American Friday, Nov. 15.

For a boxscore and more on the game, please click here.

UNC Football’s Final Month Ahead – Could 8-4 record save Mack Brown?

The prospects for a North Carolina football freefall have been averted following a pair of dominant victories to snap a four-game losing skid, although the state of the football program remains in question as the Tar Heels enjoy their final bye week before closing out the 2024 regular season. Would a five-game winning streak and an 8-4 record be enough to secure another season at the helm for Mack Brown? Please click here for more.

How has former Duke running back Jordan Waters done with NC State so far?

For the first five years of his career, running back Jordan Waters[/autotag] played for the Duke Blue Devils. However, ahead of his final year of eligibility, he entered the transfer portal and headed to in-state conference rival NC State. Duke travels to Raleigh for a game against Waters and his new team in Week 11, so here’s a quick brief on how the former Blue Devil has done ahead of Saturday’s showdown. Please click here for more.

UNC Tar Heels wrestler suspended from team, charged in felony assault of fellow student

University of North Carolina wrestler Jace Palmer turned himself in to Chapel Hill police late Wednesday afternoon to face assault charges after punching another student, records show. Robbi Pickeral Evans, UNC senior associate athletic director, said in an email statement that Palmer has been suspended from the wrestling team. Please click here for more.

Panthers fans react to RB Chuba Hubbard’s contract extension

Chuba Hubbard has done more than work hard and produce results as a member of the Carolina Panthers. He’s also endeared himself to a fan base that, perhaps more than any other in the NFL, needs continuity. On Thursday morning, the Panthers announced a long-term extension for the fourth-year running back. Hubbard, according to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, will jump into a four-year pact worth up to $37.2 million—which would keep him in Charlotte through the 2028 season. Please click here for more.

Dean Smith is a North Carolina icon. In his native Emporia, Kansas, he remains an ideal

It has been a long time since Dean Smith’s boyhood years in Emporia, Kansas, but in some ways his hometown looks like it must’ve looked when he grew up there. Commercial Street still looks straight out of the 1940s or 50s, just with a few more empty storefronts. Around a corner the old Emporia High School is the same as it ever was from the outside — a stately and beautiful three-story brick building; a classic old school — though the inside has long been abandoned. Please click here for more.