North Carolina Tar Heels – Page 2

Clemson vs. North Carolina: How to Watch/Stream/Listen

A look at how and where Clemson fans can watch, listen, and stream Tuesday’s game vs. North Carolina.

Clemson’s fortunes have soured considerably since a promising 11-1 start to the season.

The Tigers suffered a heartbreaking 66-65 home loss to Virginia over the weekend that would have given them a much-needed victory and morality boost.

Instead, when Jack Clark missed a good-look 3-point attempt from the top of the key just a split second before the buzzer sounded on Saturday, Clemson had dropped its sixth game in nine tries since the start of the year.

A trip to Chapel Hill to face the ACC’s top-ranked team in No. 3 North Carolina will be the furthest thing from a soft landing spot that coach Brad Brownell’s squad can get.

NORTH CAROLINA

Talk about no rest for the purple-and-orange clad weary. The Tar Heels (18-4 overall, 10-1 conference) started 9-0 in ACC play, their best mark in 23 years, before falling a week ago to Georgia Tech in Atlanta to snap a 10-game overall winning streak.

Coach Hubert Davis’ team quickly rebounded for a convincing 93-84 victory over No. 7 Duke at the Dean Smith Center last Saturday.

6-foot-11 senior Armando Bacot has led North Carolina all season and did so again vs. Duke when he scored a game-high 25 points to go with 10 rebounds. Harrison Ingram also posted a double-double with 21 points and 13 boards.

CLEMSON

After its latest setback to a streaking Virginia team that’s won seven straight contests, Clemson (14-7, 4-6) had its third loss in the past month that was decided on the final play of the game; the Tigers had previously suffered similar heartbreaking defeats to Duke and Georgia Tech.

“We’ve gotten knocked back a little bit. I think we have a good group of guys and we’ll continue to rally and gain traction. Eventually, the worm will turn and we’ll win a couple of these games that have gotten away from us and be back in a good place,” Brownell maintained after Saturday’s loss.

PJ Hall led Clemson with 19 points against Virginia to match his team-best season average.

Series Notes and Recent History

Tuesday’s game marks the 147th meeting between Clemson and North Carolina. The Tar Heels hold a commanding 124-22 advantage in the all-time head to head series. In the last meeting between the two schools a month ago on January 6, Bacot tallied 14 points and 16 rebounds in a 65-55 North Carolina victory at Littlejohn Coliseum.

Clemson’s last win over Carolina was three years ago in February 2021 at Littlejohn. The Tigers have won only once all-time in Chapel Hill. That was on January 11, 2020 in a historic 79-76 overtime thriller that snapped a 59-game consecutive losing streak on the Tar Heels’ home court. It was longest such streak vs. a single opponent in NCAA Division I men’s basketball history — one that had dated back to 1926. The Tigers lost 91-71 in their most recent visit to Chapel Hill last season.

How To Watch

Here’s a look at how and where Clemson fans can watch, listen, and stream Tuesday’s game vs. North Carolina.

Date: Tuesday, Feb. 6

Time: 7 p.m. EST

Where: Dean Smith Center

TV Channel: ESPN

Live Stream: ESPN+

Radio: Clemson Athletic Network | TuneIn App | SiriusXM (Channel 389)

Broadcast Teams

ESPN: Rece Davis, Jay Williams

Clemson Radio: Don Munson, Tim Bourret

Bubba Cunningham confirms North Carolina’s potential NIL changes

Bubba Cunningham confirmed that North Carolina will look to join one collective for NIL.

North Carolina is attempting to re-tool their NIL collective, moving it all under one umbrella. The university currently has three collectives but the goal is to move them to one but will not prevent fans from donating to specific sports.

Inside Carolina reported the news earlier this week and it was confirmed by athletics director Bubba Cunningham confirmed in a letter distributed to fans on Thursday.

Here is what Cunningham said in the letter:

“This coming April, the NCAA will vote on whether to allow universities and athletic departments greater involvement in facilitating NIL for student-athletes,” Cunningham and Rams Club executive director John Montgomery said in the letter. “We anticipate that increased involvement will be allowed, and we are working to be ready. In preparation, the three collectives are in discussions to move under one umbrella so that both our Department of Athletics and The Rams Club can collaborate with them more effectively within the rules. This should help streamline communications and the process for those who want to support NIL efforts.”

The three collectives Heels4Life, Secondary Break Club, and NC Hall of Fame currently serve as UNC’s NIL efforts. The goal is to help promote them all under the one umbrella if possible.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

North Carolina stays undefeated in ACC with big win over Syracuse

The North Carolina Tar Heels dominated Syracuse on Saturday to remain undefeated in ACC play.

The North Carolina Tar Heels are one of few top ranked teams to not fall victim to an unranked program this week, winning by 13 at NC State on Wednesday and coming home and obliterating Syracuse, 103-67, on Saturday.

R.J. Davis continued his ACC Player of the Year campaign, dropping 22 points on 7-12 shooting with five steals, while both Armando Bacot (16 and 11) and Harrison Ingram (11 and 10) posted double-doubles.

Carolina pushed their win streak to six games, and they are now 13-3 on the year and a perfect 5-0 in conference play. With four of the top five teams losing this week, the Tar Heels should comfortably move into the top five when the polls come out on Monday.

Hubert Davis’ experienced team has taken care of business against lower quality opponents, with their only losses coming against Villanova, UConn, and Kentucky.

The Tar Heels were the preseason No. 1 team last year before a disastrous season resulted in not even making the NCAA Tournament, but this year’s team is balanced, efficient, and ready to exercise those demons and make a deep run in March.

Tar Heel Gymnastics hit the mat for first time in 40 years

UNC varsity gymnasts just received a great gift to open 2024, as gymnastics will be recognized by the NCAA for the first time in 40 years.

Occasionally, you’ll see schools drop athletic programs due to financial struggles.

The most recent example I can think of is UAB shutting down football – in 2014 – only to see it revived three years later.

It’s rare you see entire athletic conferences shut down a sport, like the ACC did with gymnastics in 1984.

After 40 years, young gymnasts around the ACC received wonderful news – their sport will again be sponsored by the NCAA.

The list of ACC teams includes UNC, N.C. State, Clemson and Pitt. As I write, the Tar Heels are currently hosting Ball State, Rutgers and Utah State in a quad meet.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C1uzKqQR6CR/?img_index=1

We want to clear one thing up – while UNC gymnastics is now sponsored by the NCAA, the Tar Heels have been competing for quite a while. They finished third out of eight teams in last year’s East Atlantic Gymnastics League Championships, but their previous history includes EAGL titles in 2002, 2005, 2006, 2010 and 2011.

Carolina men’s and women’s basketball might be the most highly-sought after Winter sports right now, but now fans have another sport they can add to the list. Make a trip over to Carmichael Arena if you want to see your Tar Heel gymnasts hit the balance beam.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

How to watch No. 27 North Carolina wrestling at the 2023 Soldier Salute

Want to watch #TarHeels wrestling compete against the best in the country? The two-day 2023 Soldier Salute tournament will be streamed live on B1G+.

Get ready for collegiate wrestling action on Friday, Dec. 29, and Saturday, Dec. 30, featuring No. 27 North Carolina at the 2023 Soldier Salute.

The second annual Soldier Salute, set to take place at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa, will include competitors from 10 ranked teams in the Intermat’s top 30 including No. 2 Iowa, No. 3 Missouri, No. 4 Nebraska, No. 5 Iowa State, No. 12 Minnesota, No. 13 South Dakota State, No. 15 Navy, No. 16 Oregon State, No. 25 Northern Iowa and No. 27 North Carolina.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch UNC wrestling in the 2023 Soldier Salute” link=”https://bit.ly/SoldierSession3″]

With all three losses this season coming against ranked teams, the Tar Heels have an opportunity to pick up multiple big wins throughout the tournament.

The Soldier Salute is hosted by the Iowa City Area Sports Commission and 100% of the annual tournament proceeds will be split between the United Service Organizations (USO) and a development fund targeted towards the continued growth of high school girls wrestling.

If you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place. Individual mat cameras will be available for all four sessions of the Soldier Salute. All action will be airing on B1G+.

Soldier Salute Schedule

Date	Session	Time (E.T)	How to watch
Fri, Dec. 29	Session 1	11 a.m.	Watch Session 1
Fri, Dec. 29	Session 2	4:30 p.m.	Watch Session 2
Sat, Dec. 30	Session 3	12 p.m.	Watch Session 3
Sat, Dec. 30	Session 4	6 p.m.	Watch Session 4

[afflinkbutton text=”Stream North Carolina wrestling in the 2023 Soldier Salute on B1G+” link=”https://bit.ly/SoldierSession3″]

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. Tar Heels Wire operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

Eric Montross was more than just a basketball player

Growing up in Chapel Hill, I personally knew Eric Montross. He was one of the kindest people I ever met and would stop to chat with anyone.

When I heard the news of former UNC basketball great Eric Montross passing on Sunday, it hit close to home.

I never had the opportunity to see Montross play live, as his college days were before my time, but I met him at a young age and credit him for my love of basketball.

I’ve been fortunate to meet several respectful athletes over the years, but none come close to how kind Montross was in every interaction I had with him.

I don’t recall my first time meeting Montross, but he was one of the first people (besides my dad) to help cultivate my love for basketball. He came back to Chapel Hill, where we won the 1993 NCAA Championship with the Tar Heels, after his NBA career and shared his love of the game with aspiring young basketball players.

I happened to be one of those kids. I have fond memories of going to 4 C’s Basketball Camp at Smith Middle School in Chapel Hill, with one of the basketball stars I learned from being Montross. When I was a bit older, Montross coached one of my rec league basketball teams.

I didn’t realize it at the time because he was a family friend on mine, but I was learning basketball from a piece of UNC royalty. Looking back, that was probably one of the coolest experiences of my athletics upbringing.

Outside of my playing days, I became friends with Eric’s only son, Andrew. I was never in Andrew’s close friends circle, but I knew him from youth basketball.

We both went to Carrboro High School. Me being the sports fan that I am, I would always go see Andrew’s games. I actually tried out for the team one year – didn’t make it, but I recall setting screens and running sets with the younger Montross.

Even though he wasn’t my coach anymore, I would always say hello to Eric in public. I have fond memories of shaking hands with him, then having deep conversations about life and sports.

I feel so bad for Eric’s wife Laura, his daughter Sarah and Andrew – all of whom embodied that selfless, friendly spirit Eric shared.

It’ll be sad not seeing that bright smile light up Chapel Hill anymore.

Thanks for all the memories and sharing your love of basketball with me, Big E.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Ryleigh Heck captures well-deserved National Player of the Year honor

UNC Field Hockey sophomore Ryleigh Heck, who scored the winning shootout goal in the 2023 National Championship, is also Player of the Year.

If it weren’t for sophomore Ryleigh Heck, there’s a strong chance the UNC Field Hockey team wouldn’t be celebrating its 11th National Championship.

With the Tar Heels and Northwestern Wildcats failing to break a 1-1 tie in overtime, a shootout ensued. Carolina took a one-goal lead in the shootout, only for Northwestern to score two straight and grab that lead right back.

UNC tied the shootout at two on its next attempt, which then set up the visiting Wildcats for a sudden death conversion attempt. Tar Heels goalie Maddie Kahn saved Northwestern’s attempt, which then gave Heck a chance to win it all.

Heck did exactly that, drawing Wildcats goalie Annabelle Skubitz out of net. Heck spun around, put the ball on her stick, then blasted it into the goal and sent Chapel Hill into pandamonium.

As a result of her National Championship performance, which was just a microcosm of her successful Year Two as a collegiate field hockey player, Heck was tabbed the National Field Hockey Coaches Association’s National Player of the Year.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C049AhFuQ8E/?img_index=1

Heck ended her sophomore season with 13 goals, second-most on the Tar Heels behind freshman Charly Bruder, who started the title game scoring with a 33rd-minute tally. Heck and Bruder were the lone Tar Heels with double-digit goals, as Paityn Wirth was the next closest with seven goals.

With Heck expected to come back next year, barring a transfer, UNC should be a favorite to repeat and capture its 12th Natty.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Soccer loss to Oregon State continues long trend of misfortune against Beavers

Regardless of what sport, UNC always seems to struggle with Oregon State. That proved true on Saturday night in a huge men’s soccer clash.

In sports, every team has an opponent that they can’t ever seem to beat.

The Denver Broncos can’t ever seem to get by the Kansas City Chiefs (snapped a 16-game skid this year). The Atlanta Braves seem to struggle against the Philadelphia Phillies in postseason play. In recent years, particularly since Tom Brady retired, the New England Patriots struggle against the Miami Dolphins.

In the collegiate sports landscape, UNC has its own version of kryptonite – Oregon State.

The Tar Heels’ latest misfortune against their cross-country rivals came on Saturday night, when the UNC men’s soccer team dropped a 1-0 home contest in the NCAA quarterfinals. This was Carolina’s best finish since 2020, when it lost in the College Cup semifinals to Marshall.

The visiting Beavers scored in the 36th minute, then were able to keep Carolina off the board despite six Tar Heel corners. Saturday night was UNC’s first time failing to score since Friday, Oct. 27, when it lost a low-scoring, 1-0 contest at rival UVA.

Saturday’s lost continued a long string of misfortune for the Tar Heels – not in men’s soccer, but in general against Oregon State.

Between baseball, women’s basketball and men’s soccer, UNC drops to 4-7 all-time against the Beavers.

The most memorable Carolina-Oregon State matchups have come in the College World Series, where UNC has only won twice in seven tries (Saturday, June 24, 2006 and Saturday, June 16, 2018. Carolina made both the 2006 and 2007 CWS finals – only to lose to the Beavers in the finals both times.

UNC’s 2018 win had baseball fans hopeful the streak was over, only for a loss four days later to re-start the pain.

Regardless of when the next UNC-Oregon State matchup is, let’s just say the Tar Heels may not want to schedule the Beavers.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.