Category: ACC

UNC, ACC highlighted amongst USA TODAY Sports’ losers in bowl season

The ACC turned in a miserable showing during bowl season.

The North Carolina Tar Heels limped into bowl season during December, hoping to end a tumultuous campaign with one final win.

UNC faced UConn in the Fenway Bowl, which essentially proved to be a home game for the Huskies. Several key North Carolina players missed their postseason matchup due to opt-outs – and it showed on the field, with the Tar Heels losing 27-14 and never able to generate offense or get stops.

The ACC, as a whole, struggled as it tries to prove its worth as a Top-3 conference. Syracuse and Louisville were the only ACC programs to win a bowl game, while UNC, Cal, Pitt, Georgia Tech, Miami (FL), Boston College, NC State, Duke, SMU, Clemson and Virginia Tech all lost.

With the ACC’s lackluster showing in postseason football, it should come as no surprise it was named amongst USA TODAY Sports’ “losers” in bowl season.

“If under much less scrutiny than the SEC, this has been a nightmare run for the ACC, starting with both SMU and Clemson losing on the road in the opening round of the playoff,” USA TODAY Sports’ Paul Myerberg wrote. “Overall, the league went 2-11 in bowl play, with wins from Syracuse (Washington State in the Holiday Bowl) and Louisville (Washington in the Sun Bowl). In addition to N.C. State, the worst losses have come from Pittsburgh, which fell 48-46 in six overtimes to Toledo in the GameAbove Sports Bowl; Miami, which dropped a 42-41 decision to Iowa State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl; and North Carolina, which turned the page to the Bill Belichick era by losing 27-14 to Connecticut in the Fenway Bowl.”

The Tar Heels should give their conference something to be proud of in 2025, thanks to new head coach Bill Belichick, but the ACC is no longer the premier conference it once was.

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UNC dominates SMU in ACC basketball tilt behind strong first half

UNC outplayed SMU in virtually every aspect during a big ACC basketball win Tuesday night.

Throughout their college basketball season, the North Carolina Tar Heels have largely struggled to do two things: play solid defense and good basketball in the first half.

On Tuesday night against SMU in a late-night ACC basketball batle, UNC turned in its best defensive performance of the year and – for the second-consecutive game – trotted into halftime with a lead.

North Carolina outscored SMU by 15 in the first half, never trailing en route to an impressive, 82-67 win.

It became apparent pretty quickly that the Tar Heels (10-6, 3-1 ACC), who struggle to find a defensive identity from game-to-game, were going to decide tonight’s outcome with their defense.

UNC limited the visiting Mustangs (11-4, 2-2) to a 33.3 percent (23-of-69) mark from the field. SMU missed plenty of looks from deep in the paint – and North Carolina prevented second-chance points by boxing out. Ven-Allen Lubin and Jalen Washington won their battles against the 7’2″ Samet Yigitoglu. The Mustangs fared even worse from deep, shooting just 22.2% against a Tar Heels lineup that returned Seth Trimble.

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UNC continued shooting the ball well, recording a 47.4 field goal percentage as a team. Most surprising about North Carolina’s win, perhaps, was its ability to make 50 percent (11-of-11) of its 3-pointers .

RJ Davis led all scorers with 26 points, his third 20-point outing in six games. Drake Powell, known more for his defense, started the Tar Heel scoring party with a 14-point first half.

UNC still has a long way to go in proving itself as an ACC contender, but Tuesday’s result was the outcome we yearned for all season. North Carolina has all the pieces to play a winning brand of basketball – and beating SMU comfortably goes a long way towards proving that.

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UNC’s leading tackler from Fenway Bowl commits to Florida State

UNC will be down one linebacker in 2025…

The Fenway Bowl was another upsetting ending to UNC’s 2024 football season, as North Carolina played primarily with players who didn’t see the field much in 2024, during a 27-14 loss to UConn.

One Tar Heel who saw the field sparingly during regular-season action was freshman linebacker Caleb LaVallee, who actually was one of the rare defensive standouts in the Fenway Bowl.

LaVallee led UNC with nine tackles, recording seven solo stops and one tackle for loss, being one of the few who benefitted from opt-outs and NFL Draft declarations.

Looking ahead at North Carolina’s depth chart, LaVallee would be a likely starting 2025 linebacker.

Unfortunately, the Fenway Bowl is the last we’ll see of LaVallee in a Tar Heels uniform, as the freshman linebacker recently committed to ACC rival Florida State.

The Seminoles (2-10), who suffered through their worst season since 1974, need all the talent and help they can get. UNC beat FSU, 35-11, on November 2 in a game which Omarion Hampton scored five touchdowns.

Not having LaVallee next year will definitely be a loss for North Carolina, but it isn’t roster-altering, as Bill Belichick continues to land commitments in his first offseason as head coach. The Tar Heels’ greatest defensive get, through early January, is former Washington linebacker Khmori House.

Like LaVallee, House is a freshman who played more as the season came to a close. LaVallee totaled 14 tackles (eight solo, six assisted) across five 2024 games, while House collected 33 tackles (19 solo, 14 assisted), forced a fumble, intercepted one pass and deflected four more across nine contests.

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Getting to know UNC basketball’s next opponent: Notre Dame Fighting Irish

We give you a brief preview about UNC’s next basketball opponent: the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

It’s right back to the drawing board for Hubert Davis and the North Carolina Tar Heels, who struggled down the stretch in Wednesday’s 83-70 loss at Louisville.

UNC (8-6, 1-1 ACC) played fairly solid basketball until the final five minutes, when it only scored one point – on an Ian Jackson free throw. North Carolina never trailed by more than nine points, until the host Cardinals (9-5, 2-1 ACC) pulled away during those same five minutes.

The Tar Heels stay on the road to open up 2025, as they’ll head up to South Bend, Ind. on Saturday, January 4 for a 12 p.m. tip-off against Notre Dame.

UNC owns a 30-9 all-time record against the Fighting Irish (7-6, 1-1 ACC), whom we’re about to give you a deeper dive into.

Notre Dame started the year 4-0 by beating Stonehill College (89-60), Buffalo (86-77), Georgetown (84-63) and North Dakota (75-58), leading to hope amongst fans the Irish were back to their Mike Brey level of winning (13 NCAA Tournaments in 23 seasons).

A loss to a significantly-improved Elon squad on November 22 made the South Bend faithful think again, as Notre Dame began a 5-game losing streak. The Irish then snapped their skid, starting a 3-game winning streak against ACC rival Syracuse, but are fresh off a New Year’s Eve loss at an average Georgia Tech program.

North Carolina’s defense will face a tall task on Saturday, facing a Notre Dame offense with four double-digit scorers.

Markus Burton, a top guard in the ACC and one of the country’s best, leads the Irish with 18.2 points per game. Forward Tae Davis averages 16.6 points per game. Braeden Shrewsberry, starting guard and son of head coach Micah Shrewberry, contributes 16.2 points per game. Matt Allocco adds 10.2 points per game, rounding out Notre Dame’s collection of double-digit scorers.

The Irish are in a similar position to that of our Tar Heels, needing to start a winning streak that shows they’re capable of making the NCAA Tournament. Notre Dame hasn’t made the Big Dance since 2021-2022, while UNC is in danger of missing March Madness for the second time in three seasons.

Can North Carolina escape South Bend with a victory, or will prolonged issues persist and lead to a second-straight loss?

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PHOTOS: UNC basketball struggles down stretch in ACC loss at Louisville

Here’s a few photos from UNC’s New Year’s Day loss at Louisville.

The North Carolina Tar Heels were on the right track in their basketball season, entering Wednesday night’s matchup with Louisville off an upset win over UCLA and a blowout against Campbell.

When the final seconds ticked off the JumboTron at the KFC Yum! Center, UNC reverted back to its concerning struggles in an 83-70 loss.

North Carolina’s (8-6, 1-1 ACC) greatest red flag came down the stretch, as the Tar Heels only scored one point over the game’s final five minutes. I’ve watched this trend in recent losses: UNC ties or takes the lead late in second halves, then either can’t score or get stops down the stretch.

Wednesday night continued showing why North Carolina’s lack of a dominant post presence hurts them. Louisville (9-5, 2-1 ACC) bullied the Tar Heels in the post, particularly in transition, as Cardinals guards lofted easy passes over shorter UNC players for easy buckets.

Ian Jackson is North Carolina’s greatest offensive threat – and that’s even with reigning ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis on the roster. Jackson scored 23 points in Wednesday’s loss, his third-consecutive 20-point outing.

Give Louisville its credit where credit is due. The Cardinals look like a brand-new team under first-year head coach Pat Kelsey, who previously led Winthrop and College of Charleston to multiple NCAA Tournament berths.

The Tar Heels, on the other hand, are a shell of the head-turning squad we witness last season. UNC continues to trend towards missing the Big Dance in March, which would be its second time in three seasons under Hubert Davis.

If you couldn’t watch tonight’s game, check out some photos from the New Year’s Day action.

Front court struggles appear again in UNC basketball’s loss at Louisville

UNC’s lack of post production continued hurting them on Wednesday at Louisville.

For the first time in as many seasons I remember watching them, the North Carolina Tar Heels lack a consistent post presence on their current basketball roster.

After learning behind Armando Bacot for two seasons, Jalen Washington hasn’t panned out in his first year as UNC’s starting center. North Carolina recruited 4-star center James Brown, but Hubert Davis rarely plays him. Ty Claude looks good in limited action, but he also rarely plays, while Ven-Allen Lubin isn’t scoring at his Vanderbilt level.

The Tar Heels’ post struggles came to a boiling point during Wednesday’s 83-70 loss at Louisville (9-5, 2-1 ACC), particularly on the offensive end.

Washington only played 17 minutes, but he was UNC’s (8-6, 1-1 ACC) best big man, scoring seven points (3-of-5 field goals, one made free throw) and grabbing six rebounds.

Jae’Lyn Withers, who started the season as North Carolina’s power forward, scored just two points (1-of-2 on field goals) and grabbed five rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench. Claude saw the court for just three minutes – and collected two fouls.

“They were very physical. In the first half, I thought our shot selection could’ve been better,” UNC head coach Hubert Davis said during his postgame press conference. “I felt like there was opportunities where we could attack the basket. I feel like there were opportunities where we attacked the basket and instead of going strong, we double-pumped in the lane and missed a number of layups, whether it’s in the post or penetration.”

Lubin, who started the past several games at center for the Tar Heels, struggled immensely in 21 minutes off the bench. Lubin scored just five points, making three of four free throws and one of five field goals attempts.

A late-second half stretch highlighted Lubin’s struggles in particular.

UNC trailed the host Cardinals by just one point, 70-69, with 2:59 remaining in regulation. For whatever reason, Lubin guarded Louisville guard Chucky Hepburn on the perimeter. Lubin fouled Hepburn, who drained three consecutive free throws,

“Especially in late game situations, with four minutes to go, the discipline and details just have to be there,” Hubert said. “Defensively, you’ve got to get stops, you’ve got to defend without fouling. You’ve got to box out, get loose balls. Offensively, you have to execute.”

North Carolina’s issues go far beyond post production, but if UNC wants to salvage any of its season, its big men need to produce.

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Bill Belichick to face National Championship winner in first season

Bill Belichick and another legendary football coach will face off in Kenan Stadium.

All the current hype in college football surrounds the North Carolina Tar Heels – and they aren’t even playing in the College Football Playoff.

UNC will face UConn in the Fenway Bowl on Saturday, the sixth-straight season UNC will play postseason football, but there’s something much larger capturing everyone’s attention.

North Carolina hired longtime NFL legend Bill Belichick as its head coach on Wednesday, December 11. Belichick entered the Tar Heels’ head-coaching search late in the process – as a surprise candidate – but wound up with the job.

Belichick’s hiring is already catching the eye of several big-name recruits, include the Class of 2026’s top-ranked quarterback and a former 5-star defensive lineman.

Speaking of big names, Belichick will face one of the best coaches in college football during UNC’s 2025 football season.

The coach in reference here is Dabo Swinney, Clemson‘s longtime head man, who led his teams to the 2016 and 2018 National Championships. The Tigers are back in the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2020 (2021 Sugar Bowl), when they lost to Ohio State.

North Carolina doesn’t know when it will play Clemson, but we do know Clemson will be traveling to Kenan Stadium. Belichick will help the Tar Heels try and snap a 6-game losing streak to the Tigers, who are the standard for ACC football.

Belichick knows a thing or two about big matchups himself, as he won Six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and appeared in the playoffs 19 times (once with the Cleveland Browns).

Facing Clemson will be a great “welcome to college football” moment for Belichick. Then again, the greatest coach of all time doesn’t need any introduction.

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UNC women’s soccer program wins record 23rd National Championship

The UNC women’s soccer team snapped its long championship drought on Monday night, beating a fellow ACC rival.

Despite being the winningest program in women’s college soccer history, the North Carolina Tar Heels last won a National Championship in 2012.

That quickly changed on Monday night.

Only needing a free kick from sophomore Olivia Thomas in the 62nd minute, UNC captured their record 23rd National Championship in program history, winning 1-0 against in-state ACC rival Wake Forest.

North Carolina (22-5, 7-3 ACC) didn’t gain a ton of opportunities against a stout Demon Deacons (16-4-4, 7-2-1 ACC) defense, but made the most of its chance midway through the second half.

Thomas collected herself, curled a shot over Wake’s wall and past the outstretched arms of goalie Valentina Amaral. The Demon Deacons entered Monday’s championship match allowing just three combined goals in the NCAA Tournament, making Thomas’ goal against them a rarity – but one the North Carolina faithful expected of Thomas.

Speaking of goalkeepers, Tar Heels goalie Clare Gagne was a brick wall between the goal posts. Gagne made three saves on the night, including a couple point-blank ones early in the first half.

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UNC almost added a second goal in the closing seconds, but Amaral averted the threat.

Many outside of Chapel Hill wondered if North Carolina would even make the NCAA Championship, with longtime head coach Anson Dorrance retiring on August 11, after 45 seasons at the helm. The Tar Heels quickly tagged soccer mind Damon Nahas, an assistant coach with the program since 2015, as their interim head coach.

With Nahas leading UNC to a National Championship his first season as head coach, it’s time for him to be named the permanent head coach.

After yet another successful year, the Tar Heels are back at the top where they belong: the queens of college soccer.

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RJ Davis, guards able to earn transition baskets vs. Georgia Tech

UNC’s big advantage in fast break points helped it beat Georgia Tech on Saturday and snap a 3-game slide.

If there’s one area the North Carolina Tar Heels will consistently out-perform opponents in, it’s transition offense.

On Saturday, Dec. 7 in its 68-65 ACC-opening victory over Georgia Tech, UNC’s transition offense shined through once again.

North Carolina (5-4, 1-0 ACC) outscored the Yellow Jackets, 16-5, in fast break points. This was in part due to the Tar Heels’ improved rebounding, particularly from center Ven-Allen Lubin, but also due to their guards’ ability to quickly sprint up the court.

After the game, reigning ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis elaborated on why UNC’s transition game was so important – and why today’s production needs to continue.

“I told my teammates in the huddle that we’re really good in transition – and not a lot of teams can stop us in transition – because of the guards we have,” Davis said. “We are quick, we’re athletic. We have to get stops in order to run. That’s what we did, we were able to get out. I think Elliot (Cadeau) did a good job pitching the ball ahead. We ran a small lineup today, so myself, Seth (Trimble), Ian (Jackson), Elliot (Cadeau) did a good job of coming in – helping out with the bigs and the rebounds. We were able to leak out and get some transition buckets.”

Trimble anchored North Carolina’s scoring attack with 19 points, plus he added seven rebounds and four steals. Davis added 16 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Jackson scored 15 points, grabbed two rebounds and dished out one assist, while Cadeau filled up the stat sheet with nine points, six rebounds, four assists and game-high three steals.

Lubin and Jalen Washington combined for 14 rebounds, as the Tar Heels out-rebounded Georgia Tech by a 48-37 margin.

Even though UNC struggled throughout – and trailed late in the second half – it’s good to see that transition offense can still lead it to victory.

North Carolina will need consistent fast break opportunities to generate some positive momentum – and get back to playing a consistent brand of winning basketball.

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Seth Trimble says bigs played a major role in UNC’s victory, need to be consistent

Centers Jalen Washington and Ven-Allen Lubin played big roles in helping UNC down Georgia Tech Saturday.

The North Carolina Tar Heels have been searching for post production all season long, particularly given they don’t have the dominant presence of Armando Bacot anymore.

UNC targeted several big men in the transfer portal this offseason, but swung and missed on the biggest names.

North Carolina still has yet to find its go-to big man, but Saturday’s 68-65, ACC opening-victory against Georgia Tech showed it has not one – but two – centers who are capable of filling that role.

Ven-Allen Lubin started in place of Jalen Washington, recording five points, one block, a steal and led the Tar Heels with eight rebounds in 16 minutes. Washington played solid defensive basketball in 20 minutes off the bench: scoring two points, generating a steal and pulling down six rebounds.

North Carolina won the rebounding battle, 48-37. Nearly every Tar Heel recorded multiple rebounds.

“He brought a big presence down low, which is exactly what we needed,” UNC junior guard Seth Trimble said about Lubin. “Every big had a rough first half this game, but he (Lubin) had a really good first half, he had some offensive boards. He defended well, other than fouling out. But he did what we asked him to do. J-Wash had a really good second half I felt like as well. My biggest thing with them is, they need to come out the gate with their motive – and with a response right away – because we’re going to need them. They’re showing that they’re capable of it already this year. They just need to get back going.”

Lubin, who started every game for Vanderbilt last year, is the more experienced option for North Carolina. Washington spent the last two years learning behind Bacot – and despite still trying to grow into his potential, Washington looks like he took a step forward from last season.

Just like Trimble said: if Lubin and Washington can start producing consistently, the Tar Heels will play drastically better basketball.

Lubin and Washington did just enough on Saturday against Georgia Tech – and UNC finally is back in the winning column.

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