Play-by-play announcer for Carolina football and basketball on the Tar Heel Sports Network. Co-host of the Carolina Insider podcast (
@carolina_pod
). Go Heels!
The
@UNC_Basketball
game vs Charleston Southern will be the first home game since Eric’s passing. We are going to leave his seat at the scorer’s table empty & I will call the game by myself. I look forward to being re-joined by our team of analysts in the new year.
I’m absolutely devastated.
I’m so sad for Eric’s family…especially Laura, Andrew and Sarah.
Selfishly, I’m sad for myself for losing a friend.
I’m sad for UNC for losing an incredible Tar Heel.
I’m sad for us all for losing the type of person we should all strive to be.
I can’t thank Roy Williams enough for:
1) How he treated me as a young broadcaster & how incredible he was to work with
2) Revitalizing Carolina Basketball when it needed him
3) His love for & generosity towards UNC as a university
I’m happy for him & sad for all of us
Tough ending, but those were two very good teams. A reminder that, every time Carolina has won the National Championship in the Roy Williams era, Carolina has lost in the semifinal of the ACC Tournament.
Now that the regular season is complete I want to sincerely thank everyone at the road venues to which Carolina traveled for their condolences on Eric’s passing and kind words about him.
Literally everywhere Carolina went someone stopped me to say something nice about Eric…
Let this sink in: the Tar Heels were down 11 points in the 4th quarter and then had a true freshman quarterback lead them on 98-yard and 95-yard TD drives and picked up huge stops/turnovers from the defense to beat South Carolina.
#MackIsBack
Six Tar Heels have had five or more games of 30P and 10R in their career:
Lennie Rosenbluth
Billy Cunningham
Charlie Scott
Mitch Kupchak
Antawn Jamison
AND
Luke Maye
That win is the 700th ACC win for
@UNC_Basketball
. Carolina is the first ACC team to reach that number. Duke is second with 650 wins. State is third with 475 wins.
It’s always sad when the season comes to an end and particularly when you get to cover the quality of players, coaches and programs we do at Carolina. Thank you so much for listening during the season and we look forward to being with you again soon.
#GoHeels
When I arrived at the Bosh, Carolina hit into a bases loaded double play in the 1st
They scored zero runs while I was there
I left after the 8th because my heart couldn’t take it anymore
As soon as I left, UNC scored in the 9th & 10th
I’m not sure I can come to the Supers
Armando Bacot with his best game of the season: 25P/10R/5A (the first Tar Heel since Charles Scott in 1970 to put up that stat line vs Duke). The Big Fella would have loved it.
#BigGrits
When I was growing up Eric was my favorite player on my favorite team. The last 15 years I’ve been honored to work with him & have learned he is a better person than he was player (and he was a great player)
Our thoughts are with Eric & his family…they will not fight this alone
1. Really glad the team got to enjoy a win after what has clearly been a tough stretch/season
2. Happy for Garrison Brooks. I hope all Tar Heel fans understand how much that guy works
3. How cool has Christian Keeling's progression this season been?
4. It's fun to win
Said it on the air and I’ll say it again here: for big games the Smith Center is as good an environment as any place in the country. Chapel Hill was rocking tonight.
The list of PGs Carolina has had in the last 15 years is pretty impressive
Raymond Felton
Ty Lawson
Kendall Marshall
Marcus Paige
Joel Berry
Coby White
Cole Anthony
That doesn't include Frasor, Strickland, Woods and others who have had success at the position, as well
Just imagine being Mark & Aimee Maye tonight. One son is about to get drafted near the top of the NFL Draft and your other three sons (all accomplished athletes, as well) are there to support him. What a proud moment for a tremendous family.
I know no one is in the mood right now, but what an effort from Garrison Brooks tonight...35 points and 11 rebounds. Unofficially the 59th time and 23rd different player to score 35 in a game for Carolina.
Great note from
@UNCMBBStats
:
“Brady Manek scored 26 points (had 28 vs. Marquette) vs Baylor. Other Tar Heels with at least 26 in consecutive NCAA games: Lennie Rosenbluth 1957, Phil Ford 1977, JR Reid 1987 and Michael Jordan in 1983 and 1984”
Pretty good company
Hubert Davis: "I'm 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗱, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗳𝘂𝗹, 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 of being your new men's basketball coach for the University of North Carolina."
#CarolinaFamily
Couple things:
Brooks coming back was huge...his interior defense was a difference maker
Carolina has out rebounded the first two opponents in the tournament 100-50
Washington shot 9-31 in the second half and was just 3-15 inside the arc
Little...👀
I happened to walk by Phil in the back after Carolina's win over Miami today. He was telling some assembled Tar Heel fans: "Today is my 63rd birthday, but that game made me skip right to 64!"
Happy birthday to one of the best Tar Heels, ever!
Happy 63rd Birthday to Phil Ford 🏀🐏
-1978 Consensus National Player of the Year
-
#12
Retired at UNC
-1978 ACC Player of the Year
-3x All-America Team (1976, 1977, 1978)
-2,290 Career Points (2nd All Time, UNC)
-753 Career Assists (3rd All Time, UNC)
📷 Manny Millan
Armando Bacot finished tonight with 23 points, seven rebounds and two blocks on 10-11 FG. He led the ACC in rebounds, double-doubles and FG% this season and currently has tied the Carolina record for double-doubles in a season.
ACC POY? Has to be in the conversation
And Luke Maye has been named the top scholar-athlete in ACC Men's Basketball for the second consecutive season.
This is the sixth time in the nine years of the award in which a Tar Heel has earned the honor
Just received a (partial) list of Tar Heels in the building tonight:
Phil Ford
Marcus Ginyard
Tyler Hansbrough
Antawn Jamison
Mitch Kupchak
Sean May
Eric Montross
Buzz Peterson
Reyshawn Terry
Tyler Zeller
#CarolinaFamily
Man…just a really tough way for a terrific season to end for a special group of players. As always, we appreciate you listening through the FB & BB seasons on the THSN. I speak for our entire broadcast team in saying we love bringing the Tar Heels to you.
#GoHeels
Randomly watched highlights of the 2017 Championship run with my kids this morning. Man...that team had nine lives and was so much fun. I’m honored to have been able to tell the story of their championship season!
#GoHeels
Maybe we just need to bring
@ZellerTyler
with us to Charlottesville every year. 😅
First win at Virginia since Z and the rest of the 2012 Heels picked up a win.
Go Heels!
Tar Heels with 33 or more points three times in one season:
Lennie Rosenbluth
Billy Cunningham
Bobby Lewis
Charlie Scott
Antawn Jamison
Joe Forte
and
Coby White
Coby is the first freshman to do it
Disappointing end to a difficult season for the Tar Heels. We appreciate you listening through an unusual broadcast campaign for us on the THSN through both football and basketball. Not a good feeling today, but always a
#GDTBATH
After being let go by the university of Texas and doing some commentating for a few years,
@CoachMackBrown
Brown has the UNC Tar Heels undefeated and ranked
#5
in the country. A great man, coach, and human being whom I’m lucky to call a friend. Good luck against Fl St Saturday 😊
Incredible generosity from Roy and Wanda Williams:
"Roy Williams and his wife, Wanda, donated more than $600,000 in May to fund scholarships of spring sports seniors whose seasons were cut short due to the coronavirus but will be returning to UNC to compete in 2020-21."
With Duke, NC State and Wake Forest not qualifying for the NCAA Tournament, Carolina will finish the 2020-2021 athletic year with a 7-1 record against the other Big Four schools in football & men’s basketball
Carolina’s strongest arguments for a No. 1 seed (IMO):
ACC Regular Season champs (tie)
Ten Q1 Ws...17 Q1/Q2 Ws
All six Ls are vs Q1 opps
11-1 in true road games
9-0 in ACC road games
Top 10 strength of schedule both overall & non conference
Two Ws vs Duke, W vs Gonzaga
Just a wild stat about Cam Johnson from Steve Kirschner (who I’m sitting next to on the bus)
Johnson now shooting 48.1 percent from three for the season (third best in a season at UNC) and is 32 of 54 from three in UNC’s eight ACC road games/wins (59.3 percent).
Our thoughts are with Woody’s incredible wife, Jean, his sons Wes and Taylor and his grandchildren.
I feel honored to have known him, to have learned from him and to call Woody and his family friends.
Career night for RJ Davis with 36 points
•First Tar Heel w/35 in a game since Garrison Brooks had 35 vs GT 2020
•First Tar Heel w/more than 35 in a game since Brice Johnson had 39 vs FSU 2016
•Most pts by a Tar Heel in the Smith Center since Hansbrough w/39 vs Clemson in 2008
Big congratulations to Joel Berry and Luke Maye for being named 1st team All-ACC!
Maye was also named the ACC's most improved player.
Theo Pinson earned honorable mention All-ACC.
After 33 years as a Hall of Fame head coach, our beloved Tar Heel Roy Williams is announcing his retirement.
Thank you for all you have done and meant to everyone who plays and loves our game.
Release 🔗:
Devastating loss tonight to be sure, but wanted to say how cool it was to emcee the ceremony for
@JoelBerryII
having his jersey officially honored in the Smith Center rafters. Just great player and person.
#CarolinaFamily
Obviously, an important win today for the Tar Heels. Also, I thought this felt like a different team in the two games out west...not perfect (clearly), but scrappy and fun to watch compete. Looking forward to seeing this group grow and improve.
#GoHeels