ACC men’s basketball leaders as of March 17

No Notre Dame players.

The NCAA Tournament officially is here with five ACC teams among those seeking a national championship. The ACC particularly drew attention from the rest of the country after No. 10 seed NC State won the conference tournament for the first time since 1987. Strangely, no one on the Wolfpack concluded the ACC season as a leader in any of the major statistical categories. Some are going to March Madness though, and here they are:

Diamond Heels avoid series sweep with offensive explosion Sunday

The UNC baseball team lost its first series of the year, dropping two of three at Miami (FL). The series included two run-rule results.

For the first time all season, the UNC baseball team lost a series.

15th-ranked North Carolina came into its weekend series 17-2, with its only two losses to a ranked East Carolina squad. The Diamond Heels were blowing out opponents, with 22 runs between midweek games against Rutgers.

UNC traveled down to Miami (FL), one of college baseball’s elite programs with four College World Series titles. The Hurricanes are having an uncharacteristically slow start to the season, with an 11-8 record through 19 games.

Pin a hot North Carolina team against a struggling Miami squad – what do you think happens?

The Diamond Heels struggled big-time Friday, lost on a walk-off Saturday, then salvaged Game Three on Sunday.

Game 1: Miami 14, UNC 1

This game was ugly from the opening pitch.

North Carolina freshman pitcher Folger Boaz, who showcased his ace potential heading into this game, was rocked for eight runs on 10 hits and three walks. Boaz gave up three home runs before later exiting in the fourth inning.

The Tar Heels only notched five hits, with their lone RBI coming from an Anthony Donofrio fielder’s choice in the fourth. Their day ended early due to a mercy-rule, which is a 10-run deficit in the seventh-inning or later.

Game 2: Miami 2, UNC 1

Saturday was much different than the series opener, with both programs struggling to push runs across home plate.

North Carolina took the night’s first lead – again in the fourth inning – when Georgia transfer Parks Harber scored on a fielding error.

Despite a rebound in the pitching department, Diamond Heel pitchers gave up two home runs. The second was a walkoff to Dorian Gonzales.

Game 3: UNC 18, Miami 6

If North Carolina had any pent-up frustration on Sunday, it certainly showed on the scoresheet.

Two days after being run-ruled, the Diamond Heels did the same to Miami in a 12-run victory. They hit seven home runs in a game for the first time since March 9, 2013 at Wake Forest, with the big shot being a Gavin Gallagher grand slam.

Gallagher and Roberto Osuna each tallied four hits in Sunday’s finale, with Gallagher also mashing a team-high six RBIs. Relief pitcher Matthew Matthijs rebounded from giving up Saturday’s walk-off, earning his NCAA-leading eighth win in 2/3 innings.

UNC will return to Boshamer Stadium this week, facing UNC-Wilmington for a 6 p.m. first pitch on Tuesday.

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Armando Bacot now second in all-time ACC double-doubles

Armando Bacot played well despite an overall dud for UNC in Saturday’s ACC Championship, moving further up the ACC double-double list.

Last night was not a good one for the UNC men’s basketball team.

After being favored by nearly 10 points against NC State in Saturday’s ACC Championship, North Carolina lost by nearly 10 in an 84-76 defeat. It seemed like the Wolfpack couldn’t miss. They dominated down low, as the DJ Burns-Mohamed Diarra duo out-played Harrison Ingram and Armando Bacot.

Despite how poorly the Tar Heels played Saturday, there was one positive takeaway.

With his 18-point, 12-rebound double-double, Bacot passed Ralph Sampson on the ACC all-time double-doubles list. Bacot now has 85, breaking a tie with Sampson.

Bacot and RJ Davis played extremely well in the ACC Tournament. In fact, the two were the greatest reasons why UNC beat Pitt in the semifinals.

Bacot recorded a double-double in each ACC Tournament game, finishing with 51 points and 33 rebounds. Davis finished with 73 points.

North Carolina’s supporting cast wasn’t great, however. Harrison Ingram, Cormac Ryan and Elliot Cadeau struggled immensely in the ACC Semis and title game, making just 12 combined shots in the final two rounds.

If the Tar Heels want to do anything in the NCAA Tournament, everyone will need to step up – bench included. Hubert Davis’ reserves played well, so maybe the likes of Jalen Washington and Seth Trimble see more playing time.

One thing’s for certain – if UNC wants to win it all, will need the ACC Tournament version of Armando Bacot.

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Tar Heels can’t slow down DJ Burns or DJ Horne, fall in ACC Championship

RJ Davis and Armando Bacot stepped up again for UNC. No one else did, while NC State had four starters score in double-digits to win.

Before the ACC Championship game even started, I said that UNC players besides RJ Davis and Armando Bacot needed to step up in the scoring department.

North Carolina barely scraped by Pitt last night, needing huge efforts from its two stars late. Harrison Ingram, Cormac Ryan and Elliot Cadeau went a combined 5-for 24 from the field.

Davis and Bacot showed out again in Saturday’s championship, but NC State’s stars shined brighter. The Wolfpack won, 84-76, to win its first ACC Tournament since 1987 and head back to the Big Dance for the second consecutive season.

Arizona State transfer DJ Horne, who grew up in Raleigh (NC), led all scorers with 29 points. NC State big man DJ Burns bullied Bacot down lown, winning the battle by scoring 20 points and grabbing four rebounds.

Saturday hero Michael O’Connell scored 10 points, but it was Mohamed Diarra who truly dominated with a 11-point, 14-rebound outing for the Wolfpack.

If not for Davis, the Tar Heels (27-7, 17-3) would’ve lost by a lot more. Davis poured in 30 points, his fourth time reaching the marker this year, by making 10 shots from the field and six free throws.

Bacot also snagged yet another double-double, his 85th career game with on, scoring 18 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Bacot broke a tie with former UVA great Ralph Sampson, now sitting second in the ACC all-time in double-doubles.

Ingram reached 10 points for North Carolina, but he, Ryan and Cadeau combined for an ice-cold, 7-of-26 outing.

UNC never really seemed to get into a rhythm on Saturday, as it saw a significantly hungrier NC State team outplay them in every aspect. The Wolfpack needed to win tonight for a Big Dance berth, while the Tar Heels were just hoping to gain another quality win before a National Championship run.

Both North Carolina and its in-state rivals will discover their NCAA Tournament fate at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 17 for Selection Sunday.

Player of the Game

RJ Davis, who scored 30 points for the fourth time this season.

For the second consecutive night, Davis’ shooting was the major reason UNC was remotely close.

Bacot could also be Player of the Game, as he recorded another double-double, but I felt Davis made more of an impact.

What’s Next?

As part of Selection Sunday, the Tar Heels will find out their first round NCAA Tournament opponent on Sunday, March 17 at 6 p.m. North Carolina will either play on Thursday, March 21 or Friday, March 22.

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A UNC-NC State ACC Championship would clean up in North Carolina

Greensboro, NC is known as Tournament Town. A UNC-NC State ACC Championship would clean up at the Greensboro Coliseum.

While I personally think the ACC Tournament should stay in Greensboro, NC, I understand the conference’s decision to play it at rotating venues.

Playing in Greensboro would give UNC, NC State, Duke and Wake Forest home-court advantages, as no other ACC team resides in North Carolina.  The ACC Tournament has traveled to Atlanta, Ga., New York City and Washington, DC in recent years.

You could make the case for Atlanta and DC creating home-court advantage for Georgia Tech and UVA, respectively, but the college basketball following is nowhere near as large compared to North Carolina.

If sports are truly all about making money, it makes sense to keep the ACC Tournament in Greensboro. Think about tonight’s UNC-NC State ACC Championship game alone. Both schools are within a 75-minute drive and have extremely passionate fanbases. Greensboro would essentially shut down for the day and local business would be boomin’.

But the game is being played in the nation’s capital. Given the ACC Title game is on a Saturday, I’m sure there’ll be plenty fans who make the trip up. I also bet there will be more Carolina blue lining the stands at Capital One Arena, but a strong sea of red, too.

If tonight’s game isn’t packed to the brim, I think the ACC will take a long, hard look at making Greensboro the permanent, future host of its conference basketball tournament.

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Do Tennessee and Arizona losses lock up 1-seed for UNC?

A head-to-head win against Tennessee and eight straight wins help UNC’s case for a top seed in the NCAA Tournament. Will it get one?

With the way they’ve been playing, the North Carolina Tar Heels deserve a top seed in next week’s NCAA Tournament.

UNC (27-6, 17-3 ACC), the ACC’s top seed, has won its last eight games. Thanks to an RJ Davis-led second half push against Pitt on Friday, North Carolina will be playing longtime, in-state rival NC State in Saturday night’s ACC Championship (8:30 p.m. ET).

The only issue – Arizona and Tennessee have been just a step ahead of the Tar Heels. Arizona (25-8, 15-5) is the PAC-12’s best team, while the Volunteers (24-8, 24-4) led the SEC.

Conference tournament results might have switched up the seeding a little bit.

Tennessee got smoked by Mississippi State in yesterday’s SEC quarterfinals, while Oregon won comfortably (67-59) against the Wildcats.

With UNC’s hot streak, which includes two ACC tournament wins already, there’s a strong case made for it to take that 1-seed in the Big Dance. North Carolina also has fewer losses – not a number that determines seeding – but is something worth looking at come Selection Sunday.

If UNC can beat NC State for a third time this season, that top seed will all but be locked up. Want to look at another reason for giving North Carolina a 1-seed? It beat Tennessee head-to-head.

Regardless of where the Tar Heels end up, they are playing their best basketball at the right time.

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Armando Bacot ties Ralph Sampson in career double-doubles

Ralph Sampson is one of the best big men in ACC basketball history. Star UNC center Armando Bacot is right up there with Sampson.

Ralph Sampson is one of the best college basketball players to ever come through the ACC.

He starred at UVA from 1979-1983 – winning the 1980 ACC Rookie of the Year, being named ACC Player of the Year three times (1981-1983) and National POTY three times (1981-1983). Ralph and his Cavalier teammates made the NCAA Tournament all four years, but never advanced further than the Final Four.

Sampson continued to enjoy a strong NBA career, being named an All-Star four times after the Houston Rockets took him first overall in the 1983 NBA Draft. Sampson never won an NBA Finals, making him arguably one of the greatest players to never win a title.

Another ACC basketball great – who’s currently taking the court by storm – is UNC center Armando Bacot. He could’ve gone pro after North Carolina’s unexpected run to the 2022 National Championship game, but came back to help his teammates finish the job.

Last year didn’t work out, but look at what Bacot’s done during his five years in Chapel Hill. He’s started all but one game over his five seasons, averaging a double-double (13.8 points, 10.1 rebounds per game). He now holds UNC’s all-time rebounds and double-double record.

Not only does Bacot own North Carolina’s double-double record, he’s also been climbing up the ACC list.

In Friday’s 72-65 win over Pitt, Bacot tied Sampson with his 84th career double-double.

There’s a very solid chance Bacot passes Sampson in tonight’s ACC Championship Game, but he’ll have to go through the tank that is DJ Burns to do so.

If Bacot is able to break a tie with Sampson, it would be his first double-double against NC State this year. Bacot was limited to just nine points and five rebounds on Jan. 10 in Raleigh, while he scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds on March 2 in Chapel Hill.

Bacot will be under a close watch eye through the NCAA Tournament, as he needs just four more to pass Tim Duncan for most in ACC history.

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UNC and NC State have a brief history in the ACC Tournament

UNC and NC State last met in the ACC Championship during 2007, with the top-seeded Tar Heels beating the 10-seed Wolfpack.

We’re a week out from March and madness is in full swing.

In one of the more competitive conference tournaments so far, the ACC Tourney sported two memorable games on Friday.

First, UNC came back from a 2-point halftime deficit to down Pitt, 72-65, behind a game highlighted by RJ Davis reaching the 2,000-point club. Despite facing a significantly taller Panthers squad, Armando Bacot bullied his opponents for career double-double 84, tallying 19 points and 11 rebounds to tie UVA great Ralph Sampson for second-most in ACC history.

In the nightcap, NC State and UVA battled it out for NCAA Tournament positioning. The Cavaliers appeared to be pulling away late, only for the Wolfpack’s Michael O’Connell to send things into overtime with a 3-pointer as time expired. NC State big man DJ Burns then took over in the extra frame, scoring seven of the Wolfpack’s 15 points.

There you have it – UNC and State for the ACC Championship.

North Carolina swept both regular-season matchups, but the Wolfpack team it’s facing tonight is fighting for a spot in the Big Dance.

These two actually have a brief history in the ACC Tournament. When NC State last made the championship game – in 2007 – it played the Tar Heels.

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The Wolfpack were also a 10-seed back in 2007. That year’s squad was led by the forward trio of Brandon Costner, Gavin Grant and Ben McCauley,who each averaged 14 points per game.

Who was on UNC back then? Future NBA stars Tyler Hansbrough, Brandan Wright, Wayne Ellington and Ty Lawson.

This years’ NC State team is led by Burns and electric guard DJ Horne, who transferred from Arizona State in the offseason.

Saturday night. 8:30 p.m. Two rivals for the ACC Championship.

Time to lock in!

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RJ Davis reaches 2K career points in UNC’s ACC Tournament Semifinal victory

It’s rare for a college hoops player to reach the 2,000-point club. UNC guard RJ Davis did so on Friday in the ACC Tournament against Pitt.

Pitt’s toughness was exactly the kind of wake-up call UNC needed.

North Carolina, the ACC Tournament’s top seed, went back-and-forth with the 4-seeded Panthers all night on Friday.

The Tar Heels were determined to get back to the title game, though, as they closed out Pitt late in a 72-65 victory.

As has been the case all season long, UNC (27-6, 17-3) was led by another stellar scoring effort from star guard RJ Davis. The senior from White Plains, NY, who’s also the ACC Player of the Year, scored 25 points on 8-of-8 shooting from the field (3-of-10 from downtown) and a 6-of-8 mark from the free throw line.

RJ entered Friday’s game with 1,975 career points, so you know what Friday’s output meant: he now has 2,000 career points.

There’s another Tar Heel you might recognize who reached the 2,000-point mark earlier this year: Armando Bacot.

In addition to Bacot, Davis joins Charlie Scott, Al Wood, Lennie Rosenbluth, Sam Perkins, Phil Ford and Tyler Hansbrough in the 2K point club.

If this is Davis’ last year in Chapel Hill, he’ll likely pass Scott (2,007), Al Wood (2,015) and Rosenbluth (2,047) on the all-time scoring list. If Davis returns for his COVID year in the Fall, there’s a chance he surpasses Psycho T (2,872) as the all-time leading scorer.

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Boston College Adds NFL Pedigree with Doug Marrone to Coaching Staff

BC adds a third coach with NFL experience to their coaching staff. The latest is Doug Marrone.

Boston College is making a bold statement by incorporating an unprecedented level of NFL expertise into its coaching staff. The Eagles, not content with just two former NFL coaches, are upping the ante by adding a third, Doug Marrone, as a senior analyst for football strategy and research.

For those keeping score at home, Marrone is not just any ex-NFL coach. We’re talking about a guy who helmed the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars, bringing years of top-tier football acumen to Chestnut Hill. While his NFL record might not be the stuff of legends, his balanced tenure at Syracuse demonstrates that he has the chops to influence the collegiate game significantly.

Now, one might wonder why this move is a game-changer for the Eagles. Marrone, alongside Bill O’Brien—the same O’Brien who steered the ship for the Houston Texans—and Rob Chudzinski, who brought his insights from the Cleveland Browns to BC over the past four seasons, are forming a triumvirate of NFL-bred wisdom. Not just about adding resumes to the roster; it’s about injecting a professional perspective into Boston College ball, a strategy that could well redefine how the game is played in Chestnut Hill.

Imagine the synergy—Marrone’s strategic mind-melding with O’Brien’s leadership and Chudzinski’s experience. O’Brien and Marrone are not strangers to collaboration, having crossed paths at Georgia Tech and Alabama. At Georgia Tech, Marrone was molding tight ends and offensive linemen, while O’Brien was honing his craft with running backs and later as a graduate assistant.

At Alabama, their roles were amplified—Marrone as the offensive line coach, bringing his NFL head coaching experience to refine the Crimson Tide’s talented front, and O’Brien as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. This isn’t their first rodeo, and if history indicates, their partnership could bring out the best in the Eagles.

However, here lies the critical point: Boston College is coming off a decent season, not earth-shattering, but solid. With this highly experienced coaching staff, what lies ahead? Are we looking at a team that’s poised to shake up the ACC, or is this an experiment in coaching star power that might not translate to on-field success?

Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure—Boston College is not playing it safe. They are going all in, betting big on NFL coaching experience to elevate their team. As the Eagles prepare to kick off their season against Florida State, all eyes will be on this newly minted-coaching lineup.

Will this NFL infusion be BC’s secret sauce to soar to new heights? The college football world is watching, waiting, and, let’s be honest, a tad envious of the Eagles’ bold strategy. Boston College football just got a whole lot more interesting.