Tag: game preview

UNC at Miami (FL): Game preview, prediction and more

If UNC wants to maintain positioning atop the ACC, it has to beat Miami on Saturday. What do the Tar heels need to do exactly to win?

The UNC men’s basketball team looked sluggish, slow and unprepared during Tuesday’s rare home loss to Clemson.

North Carolina star center Armando Bacot and power forward Harrison Ingram even said so in Tuesday’s postgame presser. Head coach Hubert Davis highlighted the practices between the Duke win and Clemson loss weren’t great.

It’s tough to think of many positives, but despite the letdown, UNC still is first place in the ACC. There’s much less margin for error, but all is well again if the Tar Heels beat the University of Miami (Florida) on Saturday afternoon.

The Hurricanes were one of March Madness’ greatest surprises last year.

After winning the ACC regular-season title for just the second time, Miami lost in its second game of the ACC Tournament to eventual champion Duke. The Hurricanes hit the reset button en route to an historic run, making their first Final Four appearance in school history.

Miami still has stars Norchad Omier, Nijel Pack and Wooga Poplar from last year’s run, but it hasn’t played at the level many expected. Wins over a formerly-ranked Clemson and a tough Kansas State squad will certainly help its case come NCAA Tournament time, but a win over North Carolina Saturday is likely needed, too.

How can the Tar Heels avoid yet another letdown?

UNC Basketball vs. Clemson: Game preview, prediction, info and more

When the UNC and Clemson men’s basketball teams matched up in January, both teams were ranked. They’ll play each other again on Tuesday.

The college basketball world enjoyed a plethora of exciting games yesterday, but none more exciting that perhaps the Tobacco Road rivalry – UNC vs. Duke.

This game had all the hype surrounding it – both teams were Top 10 in the AP Poll, Top 2 in the ACC and featured a bunch of star power. Some could say Duke had the upper hand, winning its past two matchups in the Dean Dome, but there’s no doubt UNC is the better ballclub this year.

The Tar Heels pretty much dominated from the opening tip. Both rivals shot very similarly from the field (UNC 50%, Duke 50.7%) and were nearly even on the glass (UNC 35 rebounds, Duke 34), but it was North Carolina’s ball security that made the difference. UNC scored 10 points off turnovers in the first half – en route to building an 8-point halftime lead – complementing that with five turnovers throughout the game.

UNC and Duke won’t meet again until Saturday, March 9 in Cameron Indoor Stadium, meaning there’s a full month of basketball ahead.

North Carolina will now turn its attention to a reeling Clemson program, which just lost a 1-point heartbreaker against UVA yesterday. The Tigers (14-7, 4-6) were ranked when they hosted UNC during the first Saturday of 2024, but have struggled against conference opponents. Clemson has been competitive in several ACC losses (1-point defeats against Duke and UVA), so it makes you wonder if the Tigers are better than their record shows.

What do the Tar Heels, who just enjoyed double-doubles from Armando Bacot and Harrison Ingram, need to do for a season sweep of Clemson?

UNC Basketball vs. Duke: Game preview, prediction, info and more

UNC-Duke basketball is finally here, with the two archrivals facing off on Saturday, Feb. 3 inside the Dean Dome. Who will emerge on top?

The day sports fans have all been waiting for is nearly here.

On Saturday, Feb. 3, the 192nd installation of UNC-Duke will tip-off at 6:30 p.m. ET. North Carolina will be hosting this round, before heading to Cameron Indoor Stadium for the season finale on Saturday, March 9.

There’s suddenly a lot more pressure on the Tar Heels for Saturday, as they lost a disappointing, 74-73 battle at sub-.500 Georgia Tech on Tuesday night. UNC was able to battle all the way back and take a late 1-point lead, thanks to RJ Davis’ layup, only for that clutch bucket to be undone by Georgia Tech’s Naithan George.

Since losing to Pitt on Saturday, Jan. 20, Duke has won three straight games. The Blue Devils blew out ACC basement-dweller Louisville on the road, barely beat Clemson by one point and – on Monday – pulled away from Virginia Tech in a 10-point victory.

Last year wasn’t too kind to North Carolina in the Tobacco Road Rivalry, as it lost both games by just two possessions. The Tar Heels led late in the March 4, 2023 matchup in Chapel Hill, only for Duke to escape with a 62-57 victory.

This year, UNC leads the ACC and – outside of Tuesday – looks like a National Title contender. Duke is playing solid basketball, but is nowhere near the success it achieved last season.

UNC Basketball at Georgia Tech: Game preview, prediction, info and more

The North Carolina Tar Heels have historically dominated Georgia Tech in men’s basketball. They both match up on Tuesday in Atlanta.

Even with a scare against Florida State on Saturday afternoon, the UNC men’s basketball team kept its long winning streak intact and stayed undefeated atop the ACC.

North Carolina (17-3, 9-0) trailed by five at halftime, but nine quick points from Cormac Ryan and improved defense helped it regain the lead. National Player of the Year candidate RJ Davis gave the Tar Heels some much-needed breathing room late, knocking down a mid-range jumper and icing the game with a pair of free throws.

After returning to Chapel Hill for a short period of time, UNC will hit the road for a Tuesday night battle with Georgia Tech. This SHOULD be an easy victory for the Tar Heels, but it’s also a trap game.

If this were football, we already know what the result would be.

The Yellow Jackets (9-11, 2-7) fared well in the 2023 portion of their season, highlighted by a 72-68 upset of Duke on Saturday, Dec. 2.

Since the calendar turned over to 2024, Georgia Tech has only won one game – a road overtime upset of Clemson. The Yellow Jackets are coming off one of their worst games in the entire season, a 24-point loss against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.

Returning to McCamish Pavillion could prove valuable for Georgia Tech, but they have to face a red hot North Carolina team.

What should we be looking at for the Tar Heels?

UNC Basketball at Boston College: Game preview, info, prediction and more

A red-hot UNC basketball team and decent Boston College team collide on Saturday, Jan. 20 at 2:15 p.m. ET. Who is going to win?

As former UNC basketball standout Justin Jackson said recently, it’s never easy winning an ACC game on the road.

Up to this point, the ACC-leading Tar Heels (14-3, 6-0) have played well away from home. They’re 6-3 in those contests – 3-3 in neutral-site events, plus a perfect 3-0 in true road games.

Where Carolina’s about to play next, however, is no easy task.

UNC will put its 7-game winning streak to the test on Saturday, Jan. 20, facing a feisty Boston College squad looking to win its second-consecutive game. The Eagles (11-6, 2-4) have historically struggled, but are looking to nab their first winning record since the 2017-2018 campaign.

The Tar Heels were scared by Louisville on Wednesday night, but pulled away late for an 86-70 win. While Carolina guard RJ Davis led all scorers, Jae’Lyn Withers stole the show with a double-double against his old team.

Boston College started the year hot, winning its first four games and ending non-conference play 9-3. This is great for a program that hasn’t won many games in years’ past.

The Eagles are a dangerous offensive team, with four players averaging double-digits in points. Tall, sharp-shooting Quinten Post is the main offensive cog, leading Boston College in points (16.9), rebounds (7.4) and blocks per game (2.1), plus his 44.4 percentage mark from downtown in second-best on the team.

Let’s take a deeper dive into what UNC needs to do for its eighth-consecutive victory.

Eagles eliminated from playoffs after 32-9 loss to Buccaneers

Eagles eliminated from playoffs after 32-9 loss to Buccaneers

The Eagles are set for a dramatic overhaul following the team’s shocking 32-9 loss to the Buccaneers in the wild-card round of the NFC playoffs.

Philadelphia was 0-11 on third and fourth downs combined, tallying 268 total yards on ten offensive drives in a sloppy affair that saw missed tackles and no answer for the Tampa blitz as the Eagles were held to 38 rushing yards on the night.

Baker Mayfield outplayed Jalen Hurts, going 22-36 passing for 337 yards, three touchdowns, and 0 interceptions with a 119 quarterback rating.

Rachaad White was strong on the ground, rushing 18 times for 62 yards on the night.

The Eagles will now head into an uncertain offseason, having lost six of the final seven games played, and an overhaul could include head coach Nick Sirianni with the likes of Jim Harbaugh, Bill Belichick, and others available after mass changes around the league.

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Eagles Twitter reacts to humiliating 32-9 loss to Buccaneers in wild-card round

We’re looking at the social media reaction from Philadelphia fans after the Eagles loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card round

The Eagles are set for a dramatic overhaul, and there’s nobody safe outside of Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Jalen Carter following the team’s shocking 32-9 loss to the Buccaneers in the wild-card round of the NFC playoffs.

Philadelphia was 0-11 on third and fourth downs combined, tallying 268 total yards on ten offensive drives in a sloppy affair that saw missed tackles and no answer for the Tampa blitz as the Eagles were held to 38 rushing yards on the night.

With a long offseason set to begin, here’s how Twitter reacted to the madness.

Eagles vs. Bucs: 10 takeaways from first half as Tampa leads 16-9 in NFC wild card game

We’re looking at then takeaways from the first half as tthe Buccaneers hold a 16-9 lead over the Eagles in the NFC wild card game

The Eagles were nearly run out of Raymond James Stadium, but after some timely drops by the Buccaneers and a renewed effort on defense, they trailed 16-9 at halftime.

Julio Jones had three catches in the first half for 22 yards before exiting with a concussion, and Philadelphia held Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to a combined two catches for 30 yards on seven targets.

With the second half set to begin, we’re looking at takeaways from a hard-fought first half.

Eagles vs. Bucs inactives: Avonte Maddox to start at safety with Reed Blankenship ruled out

Reed Blankenship is among seven Eagles ruled out for Philadelphia’s wild card matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Eagles will be without two key starters for tonight’s NFC Wild Card Round game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after Reed Blankenship was ruled out with a groin injury.

Blankenship was listed as questionable, but after a light pregame workout, the talented safety will miss Monday’s matchup at Raymond James Stadium.

All-Pro wide receiver A.J. Brown will also be out with a knee injury suffered in the Week 18 loss to the Giants.

Jalen Hurts was a limited participant during Thursday’s practice before being upgraded to a full participant on Friday and Saturday.

Cornerback Darius Slay, wide receiver DeVonta Smith and D’Andre Swift were full participants in the final practice of the week and had no game status designations.

Eagles vs. Bucs wild card matchup: Who has the edge at each offensive position?

We’re looking at who has the edge at each position when the Philadelphia Eagles meet the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in an NFC Wild Card Game

The Eagles will face a familiar foe on the road when they travel to Tampa to face the 9-8 Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium without an injured A.J. Brown.

The most recent postseason meeting came just two years ago, in 2021, in Jalen Hurts’ first road playoff start; Tampa won 31-15.

With kickoff a little over eight hours away, we’re looking at who has the edge at each position on the offensive side of the football.