UNC Basketball

ACC cuts 20-game men’s basketball slate to make room for nonconference games in bid to boost sport

The Atlantic Coast Conference is reducing its 20-game men’s basketball schedule to 18. That will give teams two more spots for marquee nonconference games in a bid to boost a league getting a dwindling haul of NCAA Tournament bids. That’s according to a person familiar with the decision. That person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the league hasn’t formally announced the move. It comes after the league has spent the past two seasons examining how to improve its bid chances. The league had four this season for its lowest haul since 2013.… Continue Reading

Hearing begins for $2.8 billion NCAA settlement, could lock in seismic changes for college sports

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A federal judge has opened the final hearing for a landmark $2.8 billion settlement that will impact every corner of college athletics by saying she will not be granting formal approval on Monday. The settlement calls for paying more than $2.7 billion in damages to athletes who say the NCAA and five biggest conferences prevented them from earning money off their celebrity status. It also would clear the way for each schools to begin sharing up to $20.5 million with their athletes.… Continue Reading

Ole Miss holds off frantic UNC comeback to beat Tar Heels 71-64 in NCAA Tournament

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Sean Pedulla made a critical 3-pointer with 52.8 seconds left, and Mississippi topped North Carolina 71-64 in the NCAA Tournament after the Rebels squandered most of a 22-point lead in the second half. Ole Miss, the No. 6 seed in the South Region, will chase its first Sweet 16 berth since 2001 when it faces No. 3 seed Iowa State on Sunday. The Rebels are making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019. They hadn’t won an NCAA tourney game since beating BYU 94-90 in the First Four in 2015, and they hadn’t advanced beyond the round of 64 since 2013.… Continue Reading

Tobacco Road is front and center of March Madness with 3 women’s sites and men’s site in area

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Tobacco Road is the center of the NCAA Tournament this week with three women’s first-round sites at Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State. There’s also the men’s first-round games being played at N.C. State as well. In all, there’s 21 men’s and women’s teams in the area for the games. No city comes close to that, including Los Angeles which has both UCLA and Southern Cal hosting first-round women’s sites. It’s the first time that there’s been so much basketball in one area at four different venues. The “Triangle” as its known, hosted three women’s first-round sites in 1998, but there was no men’s games in the area that year.… Continue Reading

Tar Heels and Rebels fighting for respect going into NCAA tourney matchup

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Seth Trimble and North Carolina face Jaemyn Brakefield and Mississippi in the NCAA Tournament on Friday in Milwaukee. It’s a matchup of two motivated teams. North Carolina was a controversial selection when it received an at-large bid on Sunday. But the 11th-seeded Tar Heels posted a dominant 95-68 victory against San Diego State in the First Four on Tuesday night. No. 6 seed Ole Miss also has faced criticism. Despite going 22-11, including a 10-8 record in the rugged SEC, a veteran college basketball analyst labeled Mississippi a “fraud” while predicting a first-round loss.… Continue Reading

Davis perfect on six 3s as North Carolina routs San Diego State 95-68 in First Four

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — RJ Davis scored 26 points and went 6 of 6 from 3-point range to help North Carolina silence some skeptics with a dominant 95-68 victory over San Diego State in a First Four matchup. Davis’ six 3-pointers tied Caleb Love’s program record for an NCAA Tournament game. Love had six against UCLA in 2022. Tar Heels coach Hubert Davis went 5 for 5 from deep against Eastern Michigan in 1991. The 14 made 3-pointers were the most for North Carolina in an NCAA Tournament game. The Tar Heels hit 13 against Marquette in 2022. Seth Trimble had 16 points for North Carolina in a matchups of No. 11 seeds. UNC advanced to face No. 6 seed Mississippi in a South Region game Friday in Milwaukee.… Continue Reading

March Madness tips off with First Four in Dayton

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — March Madness tips off with the First Four in Dayton, with a mix of bubble teams who made the cut and smaller schools hoping to be this year’s Cinderella. North Carolina was a controversial selection, but the Tar Heels can silence some skeptics with a win over San Diego State on Tuesday night. Xavier and Texas meet for the fourth time in the NCAA Tournament on Wednesday night. Saint Francis of Pennsylvania, the 19th school to qualify with a losing record, faces Alabama State. Washington D.C. area schools American and Mount St. Mary’s will play for the 71st time.… Continue Reading

March Madness brackets have Auburn as the overall No. 1 followed by Duke, Houston, Florida

Auburn is the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, with Duke, Houston and Florida joining the Tigers on the No. 1 line in the March Madness bracket. The NCAA selection committee favored the regular-season champs of the record-setting Southeastern Conference despite three losses in their last four games, along with a loss to Duke back in December. A record-setting 14 teams from the SEC made the tournament.… Continue Reading

Withers’ lane violation adds improbable twist to UNC’s failed comeback against No. 1 Duke in ACCs

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina graduate forward Jae’Lyn Withers committed a lane violation with 4.1 seconds left that negated a tying free throw in the Tar Heels’ loss to No. 1 Duke in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. Withers stepped into the paint immediately before Ven-Allen Lubin made a free throw to tie the game at 72 after UNC had trailed by 24 points. The Blue Devils held on for a 74-71 win despite playing without freshman star Cooper Flagg and versatile defender Maliq Brown. The Tar Heels were hoping to strengthen their case for an NCAA bid with a win.… Continue Reading

No. 1 Duke holds off furious North Carolina rally to win 74-71, reach ACC title game without Flagg

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kon Knueppel scored 17 points and No. 1 Duke held off a furious second half rally by rival North Carolina to beat its rival for the third time this season, 74-71 on Friday night to reach the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship game. Khaman Maluach added 13 points and nine rebounds for the Blue Devils, who played without star Cooper Flagg. Duke (30-3) will play the winner of the second semifinal between No. 10 Clemson and No. 13 Louisville. After North Carolina (22-13) cut a 24-point deficit to one, Ven-Allen Lubin had two free throws with 4.1 seconds. But he missed the first and had the second made free throw waved off after teammate Jae-Lyn Withers stepped in the lane too early.… Continue Reading

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