NEW
@TheAthletic
: When UNC plays in tonight's Jimmy V Classic, it'll be personal for Hubert Davis.
Because more than 35 years later, he's never forgotten what cancer took from him.
On a son's heartbreak, a mother's love, and a memory worth keeping alive:
My dad is buried in the same cemetery as Jim Valvano (and Lorenzo Charles). Every time I come see Dad, I swing by Jimmy V’s headstone for a second.
I’m not the only one today.
Spoke to a few nutritionists about why Cam Newton may be struggling with performance and injury recovery. They all said the same thing:
His vegan diet.
There's NFL precedent for similar struggles, too. A deep dive into the science behind that theory:
This month alone, North Carolina:
- Beat Duke in the Final Four, ending Coach K's career.
- Returned every possible contributor from its national championship core.
- Landed the potential No. 1 overall recruit in the country.
Not a bad few weeks for Hubert Davis and Co.
UNC’s Hubert Davis is about to become the first first-year head coach to make the Final Four since… Bill Guthridge, who also did so for North Carolina.
2022 Final Four: UNC, Duke, Kansas, Villanova
2023 Final Four: Florida Atlantic, San Diego State, UConn, Miami/Texas
This sport makes no damn sense. And I could not love it more.
Armando Bacot (asked on College Gameday) says UNC's win at Cameron in Coach K's last home game was more satisfying than the Final Four win.
"Seeing guys like Jay Williams, JJ Redick, all those come back ... They thought they would have a good night out in Durham that day."
Developing situation here at
#Duke
:
Coach K has not emerged from the halftime locker room, and Jon Scheyer is currently speaking to the team from the seat K normally does. K has been attended to by Duke trainers several times already tonight.
So much for the welfare of these college athletes.
There's no defensible argument for how this latest round of realignment actually BENEFITS college athletes. None. Zero. Because it doesn't.
Just going to make life so much more miserable and difficult for anything but football.
Really excited to share this interview with
@DaleJr
from earlier this week -- on fatherhood, a second career, and what it will take to get him back in a race car:
Wendell Moore is asked about UNC and if there's any revenge factor, but he says Duke is just focused on another "championship level" game.
"They're in the way of us getting to Monday."
BTW, for
#Duke
fans watching the draft live, Dereck Lively II invited Jon Scheyer to sit with him and his family tonight.
Lively was the first player Scheyer offered a scholarship to once he became head coach, and now their journey comes full circle.
Be it Pete Nance, Caleb Love, or any player, just want to remind fans that these are kids.
They hear your hate. Mental health matters. I understand being frustrated, but as Leaky Black said this week, "We weren't trying to lose any games."
Have said this a few times earlier this week, but...
The guy I probably feel worst for right now is Pete Nance. Toiled away in the Big Ten for years, just wanted to make the NCAA Tournament, joins the preseason No. 1 as a "missing piece"... and it doesn't happen.
Coach K on the future: "I won't be at games. Where would I sit? I'm not going to hover over everything. Everybody needs their space ... but right now, this is still my space. And I'm gonna try to finish out in a good place."
Five-star guard Ian Jackson, the No. 2 player in the 2024 class, commits to UNC over Kentucky and Arkansas. That's UNC's second five-star commitment in a month (with point guard Elliot Cadeau as the other).
What a statement on the recruiting trail by Hubert Davis and his staff.
Stanford announces it has hired former UNC point guard Nate Britt as the program's director of player development.
Britt played for the Tar Heels from 2013-17 and helped the team win the 2017 national championship.
After leaving the North Carolina locker room, I'd be very surprised if that team accepts an NIT bid.
Obviously it's Hubert Davis' call, but to echo other reporters, this particular group seems mostly done. Can't blame them.
For
#UNC
, this means:
1. Leaky Black and Pete Nance's college careers are over.
2. Armando Bacot must decide if he wants to use his COVID year of eligibility.
3. Everyone else on the roster (notably Caleb Love and R.J. Davis) must make decisions on their futures, too.
And naturally, women's sports have been totally lost in this conversation.
So now Stanford, arguably the best top-to-bottom athletics department in the country, isn't going to have a legit landing spot for its tremendous swimming/women's soccer/other teams? Makes SO much sense.
So much for the welfare of these college athletes.
There's no defensible argument for how this latest round of realignment actually BENEFITS college athletes. None. Zero. Because it doesn't.
Just going to make life so much more miserable and difficult for anything but football.
Give Hubert Davis and Bill Self a lot of credit for scheduling what could be the best home-and-home series in years.
That Kansas has NEVER played in Chapel Hill (and UNC not in Lawrence since 1960) is just stunning. Plus, Allen Fieldhouse has always been on my bucket list...
Coach K says that Duke was been dealing with some food poisoning or a stomach bug of some kind. Him, assistant Chris Carrawell, and A.J. Griffin, he mentioned, were throwing up all day yesterday.
That's pretty cool. Jon Scheyer just ducked into the stands quickly before this game started to fistbump his son, seated a few rows behind Duke's bench. Little man was absolutely beaming.
All 208 players Coach K has coached throughout his run at Duke (since 1980) have been invited to attend his final home game at Cameron Indoor against North Carolina on Saturday.
H/T
@GoodmanHoops
UNC and Duke fans, I'll try to have a couple offseason stories the next few days/next week, but if you see me go dark for a little, it's because my mom is currently in the hospital.
She'll be OK long-term, but that's where my focus is right now. Appreciate the understanding.
Jai Lucas:
- Can work with Duke’s guards
- Is a star recruiter in his own right
- Hurts Kentucky and Cal
- Is a rising star in the coaching industry
Slam dunk hire.
Tyrese Proctor’s return — one of several expected for Duke — is a win-win for both sides. Proctor gets a full college offseason to hone his body/shot, and Jon Scheyer gets back a proven quantity at PG who should contend for ACC honors.
More Blue Devil decisions to come…
Elliot Cadeau reclassifying means North Carolina should have its best passing point guard since Kendall Marshall over a decade ago. Gonna be FUN to watch.
Would also expect this means a smaller starting lineup: Cadeau, R.J. Davis, Cormac Ryan, Harrison Ingram, and Armando Bacot.
Asked Theo Pinson in the locker room what he’ll remember most about his time at UNC.
“I’m a champ. Won a national championship — did what I came here to do.”
@jonimarr5
Nancy Clark is a registered dietician. She also previously has worked with the Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics. Links to her bio/work in the story.
Bubba Cunningham says Roy Williams "absolutely" will have input into UNC's decision, and Roy Williams has already made his recommendation for someone to replace him.
For UNC fans worried about 4+ players entering the transfer portal... I cannot stress enough: This is how it's going to be now, every single offseason. Player movement has never been more common.
The days of guys sitting on the bench multiple years is over. Gotta accept that.
A
@UNCKirschner
note: Since the last time UNC and Duke split the ACC regular-season title in 2001, those teams have played the season finale with a potential UNC title (outright or shared) on the line eight times.
UNC won all eight... including three times at Cameron.
Really?
1. Completely flipped his roster last summer (part of coaching)
2. Led UNC to its first ACC title (at least a share of it) since 2019
3. Best defense in the league all season and a top-4 offense
4. Rebounded from last season's historic disappointment
5. Unlocked the PoY
Duke's updated 2024 recruiting class:
5-star forward Cooper Flagg (No. 1)
5-star guard Isaiah Evans (No. 11)
5-star wing Kon Knueppel (No. 16)
4-star wing Darren Harris (No. 56)
And still very much in the running for both Dylan Harper Jr. (No. 2) and Patrick Ngongba (No. 20)...
Coach K to reporters as he leaves on a golf cart for the final time: "Maybe you can superimpose a sunset, or something."
Even got a chuckle out of Mickie.
Jeff Capel on Duke being different:
"Their freshmen have grown up. They're not freshmen anymore ... They're better. They understand college basketball now. They've been through some tough times. They've had their noses rubbed in crap, and they've stayed together and responded."
Just confirming that last RT: Jalen Washington will be back at North Carolina for his sophomore season.
That's now three key pieces (Bacot, Davis, Washington) committed to the Tar Heels for the 2023-24 season. NBA scouts remain high on Washington, who should have a larger role.
"Some people were like, ‘Well he’s not Dale’ — and I’m not Dale! I’m my own person, and that’s all I can be."
On
@DaleJr
,
@AlexBowman88
and how they're working together to grow the legacy of the No. 88 -
North Carolina's Armando Bacot has been named an AP Third-Team All-American.
He's the only ACC player to land on one of the All-American teams, although Miami's Isaiah Wong was an honorable mention.
Jon Scheyer to Roger Ayers: "What's that f***ing call, man? What is that f***ing call?"
Ayers: "Jon, walk away"
Scheyer not happy about that offensive foul on Ryan Young.
Hubert Davis on the rest of UNC's roster stepping up with Duke face-guarding RJ Davis:
"This team just doesn't care (about the stats) ... I really think this group celebrates the success of their teammates. They celebrate it more than their success."
Coach K on if there's anything he can learn from the last Cameron game and apply to Saturday: "You can't go into the Final Four thinking rivalry, payback, any of those things."
Says you have to go in saying, I want to win a championship.
5-star
#UNC
commit Drake Powell with 19 points (6-of-11 shooting), five rebounds, three assists, and no turnovers today in a Team CP3 win.
Says he grew up watching Kendall Marshall and wants to “impact winning” more than anything else in college.
Out of context Armando Bacot on Brady Manek, and UNC missing him last season:
"Brady was just kinda weird, honestly. He would just start flipping out and kicking chairs, stuff like that ... We felt where he was coming from, and he got us going."
NC State coach Kevin Keatts said he finally had a chance to go back and rewatch the play Saturday where Terquavion Smith got hurt:
"I don't think Leaky did anything intentional to hurt him at all."
Says he thought it was "a good basketball play." Injury came more from the fall.
Man, the list of college studs who went undrafted is wild...
Terquavion Smith
Oscar Tshiebwe
Adama Sanogo
Drew Timme
Azuolas Tubelis
Mike Miles Jr.
Colin Castleton
And plenty more, too.
Hubert Davis on this being Leaky Black's final home game: "I don't want it to end."
Says Leaky is the kind of player and person he wants to be around every day. Adds that Leaky doesn't understand the impact he's had on the program.
Tony Bennett takes the mic before tipoff here, to thank Coach K for his "monumental contributions" to the game of basketball. Shouts out Mickie, too, and then honors K with a plaque.
"I hope you guys have a blessed retirement."
Jon Scheyer's moves since becoming HC in April:
- Promote Amile Jefferson to assistant
- Hire Mike Schrage from Elon as special assistant
- Hire Jai Lucas from Kentucky as assistant
- Create general manager position, hire Rachel Baker
Youth + connections = getting it.
FWIW, just my opinion, but I think Caleb Love made the best decision. Has chance to:
- Improve his draft stock to first-round status
- Cement his UNC legacy, and potentially win a title
- Continue earning $$ via NIL deals (more of which will come)
Win, win, win.
LOL, Armando Bacot (asked about his shoulder) says he spoke to Roy Williams yesterday. Williams said that Al Wood played through the same sort of AC sprain "and they barely had technology back then, so I'll be fine."
And I thought this season covering UNC and Duke was awesome. SHEESH.
Both teams should be preseason Top-10. Both will be ACC (and national title) favorites. Jon Scheyer's first season, Hubert Davis' second. Man am I lucky to have this job.