Category Archives: UNC Basketball

Wilson leads No. 18 North Carolina past NC Central 97-53

Wilson leads No. 18 North Carolina past NC Central 97-53

By DOUG BONJOUR Associated Press

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Freshman forward Caleb Wilson scored 17 of his 21 points in the first half and added 13 rebounds for his second consecutive double-double, leading No. 18 North Carolina past North Carolina Central 97-53 on Friday night.

Henri Veesaar contributed 12 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks, and Luka Bogavac scored 13 for the Tar Heels (4-0). Zayden High had 11 points off the bench.

Wilson blocked four shots and was 7 of 8 from the floor, with all but one of those attempts coming before halftime. He played only four minutes in the second half with the Tar Heels leading comfortably.

Ramondo Battle II scored 14 points for NC Central (1-4), which shot only 24.2%. Gage Lattimore added 12.

The Tar Heels made 11 3-pointers and shot 54.5% overall.

NC Central missed eight straight shots and went scoreless for 5:57 in the first half as the Tar Heels pushed their advantage to double digits for the first time thanks to an 11-0 run.

UNC added a 10-0 spurt later in the half and went into the break leading 39-24. NC Central did not make a field goal over the final 3:41.

Up next

NC Central: Will host Toccoa Falls on Tuesday.

UNC: Will host Navy on Tuesday.

No. 25 North Carolina guard Seth Trimble breaks arm in team workout

No. 25 North Carolina guard Seth Trimble breaks arm in team workout

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — No. 25 North Carolina senior guard Seth Trimble is out indefinitely after suffering a broken left forearm during a workout. The school said a timetable for Trimble’s return will be determined following surgery this week. Trimble entered the season as a team leader on a roster with 11 new players and had a huge immediate impact in the Tar Heels’ 87-74 win over No. 19 Kansas on Friday. The 6-foot-3, fourth-year player rebounded from a quiet first half to score 13 of his 17 points in the second as North Carolina rallied from an eight-point halftime deficit. Trimble also played a crucial role defensively, helping to slow Kansas star freshman Darryn Peterson in the second half.… Continue Reading

Wilson, Veesaar, Trimble power No. 25 North Carolina’s 2nd-half push to beat No. 19 Kansas 87-74

Wilson, Veesaar, Trimble power No. 25 North Carolina’s 2nd-half push to beat No. 19 Kansas 87-74

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Freshman Caleb Wilson had 24 points and No. 25 North Carolina dominated the second half to pull away from No. 19 Kansas 87-74 in a battle of college basketball bluebloods. Big man Henri Veesaar added 20 points for the Tar Heels. UNC also got a big showing from senior Seth Trimble with 13 of his 17 points after halftime. UNC made 24 of 36 shots after halftime. That erased a 37-29 lead at the break. Kansas star freshman Darryn Peterson had 22 points to lead the Jayhawks. Kansas had won five straight meetings in the series.… Continue Reading

Newcomers Wilson and Bogavac power No. 25 North Carolina to a 94-54 rout of Central Arkansas

Newcomers Wilson and Bogavac power No. 25 North Carolina to a 94-54 rout of Central Arkansas

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Caleb Wilson scored 22 points and Luka Bogavac added 10 points and five assists in their North Carolina debuts as the No. 25 Tar Heels beat Central Arkansas 94-54 in the teams’ season opener on Monday night. Kyan Evans hit four 3-pointers and scored 15 points, Henri Veesaar added 14 points and 10 rebounds and Seth Trimble scored 12 points as the Tar Heels won their opener for the 21st consecutive season. Cole McCormick led Central Arkansas with nine points, though he went to the bench with his fourth foul early in the second half and fouled out with 4:56 left.… Continue Reading

ESPN icon Dick Vitale is back for start of another college basketball season after cancer fight

ESPN icon Dick Vitale is back for start of another college basketball season after cancer fight

ESPN broadcasting icon Dick Vitale is back for another season opener after his long fight to return from cancer. Vitale will call Tuesday’s game between No. 6 Duke and Texas in an event named in his honor. ESPN Events had announced the creation of the Dick Vitale Invitational over the summer. A lengthy cancer fight kept Vitale off the airwaves for two years until he returned late last season. In an AP interview, Vitale says he feels “lucky” to be able to keep working at 86 years old after that lengthy fight.… Continue Reading

No. 6 Duke keeps its frequent perch as favorite in ACC race featuring No. 11 Louisville, No. 25 UNC

No. 6 Duke keeps its frequent perch as favorite in ACC race featuring No. 11 Louisville, No. 25 UNC

Sixth-ranked Duke is the preseason favorite to win the Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball race. The Blue Devils open Jon Scheyer’s fourth season after a Final Four run. The 38-year-old Scheyer also became the first coach to twice win the ACC Tournament in his first three seasons. Duke lost all five starters but adds the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class. No. 11 Louisville is the top challenger in its rapid rise under Pat Kelsey. The ACC has four new coaches in Florida State’s Luke Loucks, Miami’s Jai Lucas, N.C. State’s Will Wade and Virginia’s Ryan Odom.… Continue Reading

March Madness in October? Top programs using exhibitions to cash in and check team chemistry

March Madness in October? Top programs using exhibitions to cash in and check team chemistry

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The last weekend of October now looks like the second week of March Madness even though the games don’t count. The NCAA recently changed rules to allow more exhibitions without requiring proceeds to go to charity. This has led to more high-profile matchups between top programs before the season officially starts. The games provide a chance to test chemistry with rosters being overhauled every season because of transfers. They also provide a new revenue source for cash-hungry schools sharing revenue with athletes.… Continue Reading

No. 6 Duke picked to win ACC again; NC State’s Darrion Williams named Preseason Player of the Year

No. 6 Duke picked to win ACC again; NC State’s Darrion Williams named Preseason Player of the Year

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The No. 6 ranked Duke Blue Devils have been picked to repeat as Atlantic Coast Conference champions, despite losing Cooper Flagg and four other players to the NBA draft. Duke received 34 of 49 first-place votes from the media panel. Louisville, which lost to Duke in last season’s ACC championship game, received the other 15 first-place votes and was selected to finish second. N.C. State’s Darrion Williams has been named the conference’s Preseason Player of the Year. Williams was also named first-team All-ACC, along with Duke’s Cameron Boozer, who was named Preseason Rookie of the Year.… Continue Reading

The ACC has been going through a sideline overhaul. This year that includes 4 new head coaches

The ACC has been going through a sideline overhaul. This year that includes 4 new head coaches

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Atlantic Coast Conference’s multiyear coaching overhaul will include four new head coaches for the 2025-26 season. Those are Florida State’s Luke Loucks, Miami’s Jai Lucas, N.C. State’s Will Wade and Virginia’s Ryan Odom. The league has seen 14 of its 18 programs change coaches at least once going back to the 2020-21 season. Those losses include retiring Hall of Famers in North Carolina’s Roy Williams, Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski and Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim. Loucks said during the ACC’s preseason media days that there’s “a new wave of youthfulness” among the new coaches coming into the league.… Continue Reading

UNC announces AD transition plan from Bubba Cunningham to RFK Racing president Steve Newmark in 2026

UNC announces AD transition plan from Bubba Cunningham to RFK Racing president Steve Newmark in 2026

North Carolina has announced its transition plan at athletic director from Bubba Cunningham to RFK Racing team president Steve Newmark for next summer. The school said Tuesday that Cunningham received a two-year contract extension and will serve as AD for the 2025-26 sports season. Newmark will report to him through the year as an executive associate AD working on “revenue-driving initiatives,” particularly related to the school’s football and men’s basketball programs. Then Newmark would take over as AD next summer. Cunningham has been the Tar Heels’ athletic director since 2011.… Continue Reading

Recent News

Powered By SoCast