Tag: Harrison Ingram

Harrison Ingram reveals what motivated UNC in win over Michigan State

Here is what UNC basketball forward Harrison Ingram revealed the trash talking that Michigan State did to motivate the Tar Heels.

North Carolina entered Saturday’s round of 32 game against No. 9 Michigan State as a 3.5-point favorite. The line showed the Spartans were no normal underdog in this one and were hungry for the upset.

They played like that early, building a 12-point lead over the Tar Heels in the first half. During that run to build the lead and throughout the game, the Spartans let the Tar Heels hear it on the court with the trash talk.

And it was a little surprising to the Tar Heels.

Following the game, forward Harrison Ingram spoke on what he heard during the game from the Spartans and stated he wasn’t bothered by it. Heck, it likely motivated UNC, which closed the first half on a 23-3 run to take a 40-31 lead at halftime.

“I haven’t seen a team talk like that since our scrimmage at the beginning of the year, yeah it was ridiculous,” Ingram said. “I was like what? For what? Now they’re going home, so they see what it got them. It fires me up. I love it. Please talk. I hope everybody talks to us, it gets us going.”

It was likely a mixture of the Spartans’ trash talk and Hubert Davis’ interview during the game. He took that message into the huddle, which was followed by the Tar Heels going on a big run to take the lead. They never really looked back.

There were a few heated moments after the whistle between the two teams but nothing escalated. But as Ingram said, the trash talking fired up the Tar Heels and now they are heading to the Sweet 16.

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

Harrison Ingram and Armando Bacot are dominating the glass at record numbers

UNC basketball stars Harrison Ingram and Armando Bacot are dominating the glass at record numbers, we take a closer look stat line.

The North Carolina Tar Heels motto for decades has been rebounding, echoed by the late Dean Smith, Roy Williams, and Hubert Davis.

This season, two Tar Heels have dominated the glass, cleaning up boards at historic levels. [autotag]Armando Bacot[/autotag] and [autotag]Harrison Ingram[/autotag] became the first UNC pair to eclipse 300 rebounds each since John Henson and Tyler Zeller did in the 2011-12 season.

Bacot has 334 rebounds, averaging 10.1 rebounds per game, and Ingram has 303 rebounds, averaging 9.2. The duo has a good shot to reach Henson’s (348) and Zeller’s (365) rebounds, depending on how long they have their dancing shoes on.

Bacot and Ingram have been powerhouses for UNC, playing defense at a high level while also providing help on the offensive end. Bacot is averaging 14 points a game at a 54% clip. Ingram is averaging a career-high 12.2 points and 1.4 steals a game.

Both played a significant role in UNC’s win over Pitt, with Ingram playing lockdown defense on Blake Hinson, limiting the first-team All-ACC player to two field goals. On the flip side, Bacot snagged another double thanks to his ability to get in a good position and finish down low.

The pair will be counted on again in Saturday’s ACC championship game if UNC wants to bring the title back to Chapel Hill for the first time since 2016.

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 Saturday’s UNC vs. NC State ACC championship game

Here’s how you can watch Saturday’s ACC championship matchup between the UNC basketball program and NC State.

The UNC men’s basketball program will take on NC State in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship, looking to bring an ACC title back to Chapel Hill for the first time since 2016.

Oddly enough, the last time UNC won the ACC tournament was in the same building where they will play On Saturday night. To make things sweeter for the Tar Heels, it’s against a heated rival, and after sweeping Duke, what better way to cap off their ACC run than ending NC State NCAA tournament hopes?

UNC has had its way with NC State this season, sweeping them in conference play with an average win margin of nine points. [autotag]Harrison Ingram[/autotag] is the guy to watch in this one, in the first meeting, he finished with 19 rebounds, and in the second game, he had a team-high 22 points.

Enough back story, here’s how you can watch the ACC championship game.

UNC-NC STATE, RADIO, AND STREAMING INFORMATION

WHAT: North Carolina (27-6, 17-3 ACC) vs. NC State (21-14, 9-11 ACC)

WHEN: Saturday Mar. 13 at 8:30 p.m. ET

LOCATION: Capital One Arena in Washington, DC

TV: ESPN (Watch and stream the game live on ESPN)

SATELLITE RADIO: SiriusXM (81 or 193)

WEBSITE: WatchESPN

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

Harrison Ingram had motivation in matchup against Pitt

UNC Basketball forward Harrison Ingram was fueled by motivation from Blake Hinson in the win over Pitt.

It’s no secret that there is a certain level of intensity that Harrison Ingram has brought to North Carolina in his first year with the Tar Heels. It’s a certain fire that the Tar Heels were missing last year.

After North Carolina’s semifinal win over Pitt to advance to the ACC Tournament Championship, Ingram discussed his matchup with Blake Hinson, the second time they’ve met this year. And Ingram had some motivation this time around

“I took that matchup personally,” Ingram said via Josh Graham. “They put him on the first team (All-ACC). They put me third team. I think I’m better than him personally. And I took that matchup personally”.

Hinson struggled in this game scoring just 5 points on 2-of-12 shooting which went a long way for UNC winning. Ingram struggled as well, scoring just six points and grabbing six rebounds. But it was his defense that really stood out in this game.

Ingram did compliment Pitt after the game as well saying that they are a good team and Hinson is a good player. He went as far as saying that he does believe they are an NCAA Tournament team and should get in.

As Pitt waits for Selection Sunday, North Carolina will begin to prepare for a matchup with NC State on Saturday night.

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

Three keys to a Duke victory against UNC

Taking a look at three keys to a Duke win vs UNC on Saturday as the Blue Devils close out the regular season.

It is time for the round two.

Tobacco Road’s biggest titans are set to square off one final time for the regular season on Saturday evening. The stakes will be a bit higher than they were when the two hit the hardwood the first time in February. An outright ACC title is on the line for UNC while a share of the ACC title is still up for grabs for Duke.

That doesn’t even include the possible implications for NCAA Tournament seeding either. Both schools are still firmly in the mix for a No. 2 seed at this juncture, and a massive Quad 1 win like this would only boost that case.

All those storylines aside, it’s Duke and North Carolina. The bragging rights matter and Duke, specifically, has revenge on their mind.

The loss in Chapel Hill in February felt like a lifetime ago. Duke played passively, didn’t play a crisp game (nine of their eleven turnovers were live ball), and defensively, they had some major hiccups.

Credit is due to the Tar Heels. They played great. But Duke didn’t put forth their best effort.

Saturday gives the Blue Devils one final chance to show how much of a force they’ve become. There is no mistaking them now. They’ve got a bench unit that’s starting to flourish despite being without Caleb Foster at least through the ACC Tournament, per head coach Jon Scheyer. And Tyrese Proctor has found his swagger again.

These all bring us to our three keys for the game on Saturday.

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie

Duke’s chances to truly be Final Four contenders rest on the shoulders of their sophomore Australian point guard, Tyrese Proctor. Proctor can control and dictate a game on both ends. In the first UNC matchup, he played 26 minutes and scored two points on 1/6 shooting. It felt as if he wasn’t even out there at points. He wasn’t aggressive, and he seemed reluctant to get downhill.

In the last three games, he’s found himself. He kept Duke afloat early in Raleigh despite NC State connecting on the first punch. His 11 first-half points, spearheaded by three massive three-pointers, kept Duke from spiraling. He can shoot, he can pass and he can defend. All three of those things Duke will need against UNC.

Look for Proctor to be a factor early.

The bench needs to show up

Ryan Young, Sean Stewart, and TJ Power look solidified as Duke’s bench right now. Caleb Foster joins that when, or if, he gets back, and Duke officially is nine deep.

For right now, they are eight deep, and that will have to be enough. Power and Stewart have started to become consistent players off the bench in the last three games. Stewart had his best game as a collegiate player against NC State. He played 26 minutes and had 12 points, five rebounds (four offensive), three blocks, two assists, and two steals. It was incredible. If Stewart provides that kind of impact, Ryan Young hits the glass, and TJ Power can hit one or two open threes, Duke will be in a much better position to win.

Defending Bacot

RJ Davis is likely going to win ACC Player of the Year. And rightfully so. He’s had a phenomenal season. Davis can get his season average in points. Stopping fellow senior Armando Bacot is the real challenge for Duke. They have bodies to throw at him, but in an attempt to limit foul trouble for Flip, they tried to double Bacot last game and it helped result in open threes or driving lanes for others.

How Jon Scheyer and this coaching staff choose to play Bacot matters. Do they double him? If they do, do they leave Elliot Cadeau, a 21% 3-point shooter, open and force him to shoot the ball? Or do they play Bacot straight up and leave Flip to defend him one-on-one? Either way, one wrong decision would be to leave Harrison Ingram open. He shot 5/9 from distance in game one. 

That’s the game within the game and one matchup that will likely decide the winner. 

Senior night for captain Jeremy Roach, Ryan Young, and Spencer Hubbard. A share of the ACC title is on the line for Duke. The number one seed in the ACC Tournament is still up for grabs. All the storylines are there. Duke just needs to play a bit cleaner than they did in Chapel Hill and they’ll have a chance to wrap up a very good regular season.

The man in the mirror is the final hurdle Duke must clear as they prepare for rematch with UNC

The Duke Blue Devils have to win against themselves in order to win against UNC.

Sir Edmund Hillary said it best: “It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.”

It feels like the perfect quote to summarise the Duke basketball experience this year and focus on what’s ahead of the team as they prepare to try and get revenge for an early February loss to their rivals, UNC. The Blue Devils have been fighting the team in the mirror all season. It’s time they conquer that.

If they can, the Blue Devils will head to Washington, D.C., for the ACC Tournament, with their share of the 2023-2024 ACC regular season title; if the Tar Heels win, they are the outright title winners. Losing that also likely eliminates Duke from having any shot at a 2-seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

For Duke, it’s simple: UNC is the best opponent (not named Arizona or Baylor) on their schedule. They beat Baylor in Madison Square Garden, which stands out as a great Quad 1 win, but the Blue Devils know they need more. Hubert Davis’ team is undoubtedly in the Final Four-capable tier of teams, so a win against North Carolina would be the perfect confirmation that this Duke team has grown and evolved and is playing its best basketball.

It’s easier said than done, as UNC will have everything to play for on top of the sheer fact that this is a rivalry, and it could be Armando Bacot and RJ Davis’ last game against Duke ever. They’ve ruined big nights in Cameron Indoor Stadium before.

Duke played a rough basketball game against UNC in the first round in Chapel Hill. They were not strong on the court, and their defensive plan wasn’t strong. Ultimately, the Heels just played better.

Duke shot 26.3% from three, compared to almost 38% from UNC. Harrison Ingram was the thorn in Duke’s side from the outside, going 5/9 from deep. Duke also had 11 turnovers, which led to 19 UNC points. Eight of those turnovers were live-ball, which makes it even harder to get back on defense against a transition offense-focused team like UNC.

Kyle Filipowski struggled with foul trouble, and when his team needed him to contain Armando Bacot without a double team, he couldn’t. Tyrese Proctor had one of his worst games, registering just two points and one assist on 1/6 shooting in 26 minutes.

So, what has to change this time around? Duke has to put together a complete performance as they have in games on the road at Miami, NC State, Virginia Tech, or as they did recently at home versus Virginia. This team has shown that it can play a full 40 minutes on both ends of the court, and when they can, they will blow teams away, as eight of their conference wins have been by 15 points or more.

Duke is a deeper team now. The bench has lengthened a much-needed development due to limitations with guys like Jaylen Blakes and Ryan Young. They are decent role players but certainly guys with deficiencies. The answers were the 6-foot-9 five-star freshman Sean Stewart and the 6-foot-8 four-star small forward TJ Power.

Power’s shooting ability is among the best on a team of great shooters this season, but the lack of opportunities hasn’t allowed him to showcase that. Stewart is hyper-athletic and an incredible shot disruptor combined with pure energy and hustle, allowing him to provide the energy on 50/50 plays Duke needs.

Each player has played at least 10 minutes in the last three games. Stewart had a season-high 26 minutes of game action at NC State, where he had his proverbial breakout game, scoring 12 points, five rebounds, three blocks, two steals, and two assists. He was a menace on defense, and four rebounds came on the offensive glass, giving Duke extra possessions.

They must be factors in this rematch, and the rest of the team needs to be more assertive with the ball. If Duke hadn’t been forced into so many live-ball turnovers, they could’ve shaved off at least six points they allowed. Tyrese Proctor must play better, especially considering Caleb Foster will still be out. He’s had some encouraging performances since being inserted back into the starting lineup with Foster out, and Monday night in Raleigh showcased that.

Kyle Filipowski needs to be a factor for the entire 40 minutes. Jon Scheyer must find a better way to defend Bacot while not allowing RJ Davis to explode. Do not respect Elliot Cadeau’s shot. Make him shoot more jumpers than layups, and respect Ingram as a solid spot-up shooter.

It won’t be easy, but Duke can beat UNC. Aside from the implications mentioned above about the ACC title, this win is about Duke playing well enough to beat an elite opponent as it pursues a sixth NCAA title in two weeks.

They missed the mark early against Arizona and in Chapel Hill. In both games, Duke was the loser, but there was a clear sense that Duke didn’t play well enough to beat that caliber of team. Can they conquer themselves and raise their level of play to conquer their goals? We’ll find out on Saturday.

WATCH: Harrison Ingram throws down big one-handed jam early vs. NC State

Watch as UNC basketball forward Harrison Ingram throws down a big one-handed jam against NC State on Saturday.

North Carolina looks to keep their lead of sole possession in the Atlantic Coast Conference as they host NC State on Saturday afternoon in the Dean Dome. It’s the second meeting between the two teams after the Tar Heels beat the Wolfpack in January.

In that game, Harrison Ingram made his presence felt, finishing with 9 points and 19 rebounds in the win. And early on in this game late in the year, Ingram is making his presence felt.

He scored the first five points of the game for the Tar Heels and then threw down a big one-handed dunk going through the lane:

If UNC wants to make a run in March and achieve its goals, getting Ingram going and playing well will be key. Since transferring to UNC from Stanford, Ingram has been good for the Tar Heels this season and has been one of the best transfers in the conference.

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

Bleacher Report NBA Mock draft has Harrison Ingram trusting the process

Harrison Ingram is the missing piece UNC never knew it needed on the basketball court. Where is he slated to land in the upcoming NBA Draft?

If you’re defending against the UNC men’s basketball team – good luck.

The Tar Heels don’t have just one offensive star, but three – RJ Davis, Armando Bacot and Harrison Ingram. Davis and Bacot have been program mainstays who’ll almost certainly have their names in the Dean Dome rafters, while Ingram’s arguably been UNC’s best transfer portal pickup since Brady Manek.

Ingram is so important because not only is he a double-double machine (12 already this year), but he’s also extremely versatile. North Carolina’s mainly utilized him at power forward, but he could also play small forward, either guard position or center in an emergency.

Ingram’s strong play has earned him some NBA Draft consideration, with Bleacher Report projecting the Philadelphia 76ers to take him 37th overall (second round).

“Harrison Ingram may have moved the needle with 21 points, five threes, 13 boards and four steals against Duke,” Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman said. “He’s made real strides with his shooting this year, a key development that can help scouts look past his athletic limitations inside the arc. Impressive shot-making and defensive sequences have helped him change the narrative this season. And there may still be some untapped playmaking/passing ability that we saw more of at Stanford, where he was used frequently as a pick-and-roll ball-handler.”

If taken by Philly, Ingram would be joining a young forward group that includes former Kansas Jayhawk KJ Martin, former Texas Longhorn Mo Bamba and Kenny Lofton Jr.

There’s no given Ingram would even consider leaving UNC, as he has yet to announce his plans for 2024. He’s currently trying to help his new team capture their seventh NCAA Championship, with the Tar Heels’ next game slated for Saturday against UVA.

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

Social media reacts to UNC’s rollercoaster loss to Syracuse

Social media reacts to UNC’s inability to stop Syracuse’s onslaught, continuing their bad stretch of Tuesday’s games.

The UNC men’s basketball program traveled North, taking on Syracuse, and it was deep waters early for the Tar Heels.

UNC’s trend of unlucky Tuesdays continued, with Syracuse getting off to an insane start from the field. The Oranges shot 63.2%(12-19) from the field and 57.1%(4-7) in the first 13 minutes of action grabbing a double-digit lead. However, UNC was able to weather Syracuse’s storm, going on a 17-6 run to retake the lead.

UNC got hot shooting 55.6%(15-27) from the field and 53.8%(7-13) from three in the first period. A large part of the Tar Heels’ offensive success came from their transfers, with [autotag]Cormac Ryan[/autotag] and [autotag]Harrison Ingram[/autotag] combining for half of the UNC first-half points.

The two Tar Heel’s names flooded social media, grabbing the spotlight as college hoop fans reacted to their fiery start. The first half ended at 42 a piece, with both teams having a piece of the momentum heading into the locker room.

The second half started in more disarray for UNC, starting 0-8 from the field. It was becoming more apparent that an upset could be on the horizon and the overreaction was all over social.

The roller coaster game continued, with the Tar Heels eventually regaining the lead despite Syracuse shooting 62% with under seven minutes left to play. That lead didn’t last long as the Oranges kept pouring it on. The Tar Heels were able to keep the game close, but the unbelievable shooting was too much, giving UNC their second road loss of the season.

The Tar Heels will be back in action Saturday as they welcome Tyler Nickel and Virginia Tech back to Chapel Hill. Before we get too ahead, we take a look at the social media reactions to UNC’s rollercoaster loss.

UNC’s X-factor for remainder of season predicted by The Athletic

UNC basketball wing Harrison Ingram was named the Tar Heels’ biggest X-factor by The Athletic in their power rankings.

North Carolina’s lead in the Atlantic Coast Conference has shrunk to one game after losing two of the last three. The Tar Heels were upset in Atlanta by Georgia Tech before beating rival Duke and then having a letdown on Tuesday against Clemson.

Going into this Saturday’s game against Miami, the Tar Heels have a one-game lead on Virginia for first place with the two teams still set to meet one time in Charlottesville this month. But as the season goes on, it’s becoming clear that UNC is going to need big games from their X-factor.

And that X-factor is Harrison Ingram.

Brendan Marks and Kyle Tucker released their updated power rankings on The Athletic, with the X-factor for every team. For North Carolina, they picked Ingram:

Can one of a team’s top three players be an X-factor? Debatable. What isn’t, though, is how impactful Ingram has been for the Tar Heels. The Stanford transfer turned in arguably his best performance of the season in his first UNC-Duke game — a season-high 21 points, 13 rebounds, a career-high-tying four steals, and a career-best five made 3s — and has been the do-everything wing piece Hubert Davis lacked last season. Ingram didn’t have a single double-digit rebounding game last season for the Cardinal … but he’s already got 10 such performances in only 23 games at UNC. (And eight of those 10, importantly, have come in conference play.) Plus, he’s shooting 42.3 percent from deep, more than 10 percent better than he shot at Stanford. UNC is 7-0 this season when Ingram has a double-double.

When Ingram is out, UNC doesn’t have a replacement for everything the 6-foot-7 junior brings to the table. He temporarily left the second half vs. Clemson on Tuesday with cramps — of course, he also drained a game-tying corner 3 as soon as he re-entered the game — and then didn’t attempt a shot over the final four minutes of UNC’s 80-76 loss. For as good as R.J. Davis has been all season, and as strong as Armando Bacot has come on this week, it’s Ingram’s inside-out versatility that makes the Tar Heels’ offense work. Brady Manek has been the gold standard for UNC transfers under Hubert Davis, but Ingram is quickly nearing that same vaunted territory. Expect a heavy dose of him from here on out, as the Tar Heels move on from losing two of their last three games. — Marks

Marks is right. He brings up good points about Ingram and how UNC is different with and without him.

We know what RJ Davis and Armando Bacot bring to the table but getting an Ingram that can get double-doubles is a big deal. Let’s hope he can play at that level moving forward.

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