First-year UNC football head coach Bill Belichick and his staff welcomed FCS All-American Javin Whatley to campus for an official visit over the weekend. And on Sunday, the outbound Chattanooga wide receiver named the Tar Heels a finalist in his recruitment, along with Arizona and Memphis. Please click here for more.

With one season of college eligibility remaining, UNC football junior defensive lineman Travis Shaw has decided to suit up for Texas. The 6-foot-5, 330-pound three-star transfer announced his commitment to the Longhorns on Sunday night. Please click here for more.

North Carolina takes on 11-3 SMU after Ian Jackson scored 27 points in North Carolina’s 74-73 win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The Tar Heels are 5-1 on their home court. North Carolina averages 84.6 points while outscoring opponents by 5.4 points per game. Please click here for more.

Prairie View A&M offensive tackle William Boone has signed with Bill Belichick and North Carolina, per his agent Austin Pfenninger of JL Sports. The 6-foot-7, 340-pound Boone also strongly considered opportunities from Colorado and San Diego State. Please click here for more.

Yes, North Carolina had an expected comfortable win over Campbell and, yes, RJ Davis broke out of a shooting slump but the Tar Heels couldn’t hold a 29-point lead over the last seven minutes of the game and settled for a 97-81 home victory over the Camels. (12/29)

The rust showed in the first half for the Tar Heels, who were also playing without Seth Trimble, who got injured in practice this week.

Davis, who passed Marcus Paige for most three pointers in UNC history, hit a three to put Carolina up 12-9 and the Tar Heels never trailed again. But the lead fluctuately around the four to eight-point range until Jalen Washington scored inside at the halftime buzzer to give the Heels at 11-point lead at 40-29.

As the Tar Heels have done all year, they put the foot to the floorboard in the second half getting the lead up to 19 in the first five minutes of the second half. Eliot Cadeau, who had a career-high 12 assists, scored or assisted on the first five Carolina baskets of the second half.

Carolina extended the lead to 29 after Davis made another three after a nifty cross-over dribble and Ian Jackson sank a pair of free throws which made it 78-49 with 6:53 to go.

That’s when things got NBA like as the Tar Heels coasted while the Camels outscored them 32-19 over the last 6:30 of the game.

UNC coach Hubert Davis, as he does often, said that the team will go as far as the defense and rebounding takes them, and that his squad made some defensive mistakes at both the beginning of the game and the end of the game.

Most of Campbell’s damage came from beyond the arc with the Camels hitting 10 of 25 with Colby Duggan getting five of them. It was the game of a lifetime for Duggan, who finished with 32 points which is twice his previous career high point total.

The Tar Heels, who put five in double figures, didn’t have as much trouble scoring as it did keeping the Camels from scoring.

Carolina, led by freshman Jackson’s season-best 26 points, shot the ball well at 57 percent from the floor and 36 percent from three. Davis had perhaps his best shooting performance of the year, finishing with 23 points while hitting five of 10 threes. “He’s starting to get his rhythm,” Coach Davis said. Cadeau and Drake Powell each finished with 12 points while Washington added 10.

The Tar Heels improve to 8-5 while the Camels fall to 5-8. Carolina travels to Louisville for a conference game on Jan. 1 at 6 p.m.

Box score