Cameron Indoor Stadium isn’t the sort of place you waltz into and deliver a generational performance. No. 2 Auburn basketball learned that much in its 84-78 loss to the Blue Devils this past Wednesday. But those of us in the Auburn sporting press who made the trek learned the same. Please click here for more.

North Carolina has now started their season at 4-4. While it is unusual to see the Tar Heels have four losses at this point in the season, most of them can actually be justified to an extent. Please click here for more.
Photo by Grant Halverson/GettyImages.

Unfortunately, the job of college head coach isn’t just getting to scheme pass coverages and run defense lanes. In fact, the vast majority of the job in the modern era is doing things that Bill Belichick either seemed to hate doing, or was not terribly good at with the Patriots. Please click here for more.

Alabama controlled the game from start to finish as the visitors hit 12 three-pointers and six players scored in double figures and North Carolina fell for the third straight game, 94-79. (12/4)

Carolina got down by double figures midway through the first half and trailed 43-34 at the half. After the Tar Heels pulled within five early in the second half, the Crimson Tide went on a 9-0 run over just 1:41 to put Bama up 52-38.

It never got closer than nine the rest of the way as Alabama worked the lead up to 18 at one point midway through the second half.

UNC coach Hubert Davis mentioned Alabama’s superior size inside as a problem for Carolina’s offense. “We did not have the ability to get to the basket and finish or draw fouls to get to the line,” Coach Davis said. “We just didn’t play well enough to compete against a really good Alabama team.”

Statistically though, Carolina outrebounded Alabama, scored more points in the paint, had more second-chance points and actually had more points off turnovers. But the outside shooting was deadly by Bama and dead by the Heels. The Tide was 12 of 22 from three while UNC was a woeful five of 28 from beyond the arc.

RJ Davis, who had his worst game of the year against Alabama last season when the Heels were eliminated from the NCAA tourney, once again laid an egg against the Tide. Hounded all night, Davis was a mere one of 11 from three and was just seven of 24 overall.

Fellow Carolina guards Seth Trimble and Eliot Cadeau also failed to shine. Trimble was four of 13 from the floor while Cadeau was zero of four with four turnovers.

The brightest spot for the Heels was freshman Ian Jackson, who shot well on his way to a season-high 23 points including three of Carolina’s five threes. He also added five rebounds, two steals and no turnovers.

Ty Claude, who had less than 11 minutes on the court, played with a lot of enthusiasm and effort, finishing with six points (going three of three) and five rebounds.

Mark Sears led Alabama’s six double figure scorers with 20 points. The No. 10 ranked Crimson Tide improves to 7-2.

The Tar Heels, who fall to 4-4 on the season, starts conference play at home Saturday at 2 p.m. against Georgia Tech.

Box score

Critics of Mack Brown argue that he had to go because his up-in-the-air status was hurting recruiting and the current football team. Well, who is to blame for that? It’s easy to say the legendary UNC coach shouldn’t be back after a 6-6 record and a couple of particularly bad losses. But had Bubba Cunningham come out in support of Brown after the loss to James Madison, the recruits wouldn’t have left (or not signed with Carolina) and I argue that the current team would have finished something like 8-4.

The Carolina football program, after all, is an 8-4 program. That’s who they are. Not everyone can be a football powerhouse year in and year out. Sure, the Tar Heels may have a great season maybe one out of every four or five years, and they may go 6-6 once out of every four or five years. But this is an 8-4 program.

The big wigs who hold the purse strings wouldn’t be content with winning seasons and bowl games. The problem is, does ending a revered coach’s career – particularly as it was done – actually help the program move forward and at what cost?

The way to handle the situation is this: Come out publicly in support of Brown during the season. Work with him behind the scenes to give him a choice of coaching one more season while grooming his predecessor or allow him to retire after the season. While the season didn’t turn out like Carolina fans would like, Brown did represent the University well. Many would prefer a 7-5 record under Brown than an 9-3 record under someone like Butch Davis.

Granted, Brown didn’t lead the team to a winning record this year – but again, I suspect stability would have been worth at least one win this season. The best answer would have been to announce that Brown is retiring after next season and a particular person was being groomed to take over the following year. That allows for a smoother transition and gives players confidence that there will be some stability.

I suspect QB Max Johnson – who, had he not gotten hurt, would have led Carolina to more victories – will transfer out of North Carolina. Starting all over again is not likely to help the Tar Heels improve much next season. Perhaps they will be an ACC contender in two or three years but that could have been the case by keeping Brown and grooming someone – and there wouldn’t be this unnecessary animosity with the most decorated coach the program has had – and one that led them through well-documented tough times off the field.

(The attached photo is during better times. Head football coach Mack Brown and his wife Sally were presented with a 100 jersey and a game ball respectively after the Tar Heels defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks Saturday night. Brown became the first coach in college football history to earn 100 wins with two schools. Photo by Jeffrey A. Camarati.)

UNC football is bowl eligible for the sixth time in its sixth and final season under former head coach Mack Brown, who will not coach the Tar Heels in their bowl game. The Tar Heels finished the regular season with a disappointing 6-6 record, including a 3-5 mark in the ACC. Please click here for more.