All articles tagged with #unc tar heels
Duke coach Jon Scheyer says he understands and sympathizes with Hubert Davis after Davis was fired by North Carolina, noting the pressures and fragility of leading a storied program; Scheyer, who also followed a legendary coach at Duke, emphasizes the demanding nature of coaching as Duke eye s a return to the Final Four.
UNC begins a national coaching search after the Hubert Davis era, hiring Turnkey ZRG to screen candidates with Chad Chatlos assisting. The goal is to find the best coach, not limited to internal candidates, as Bubba Cunningham and Steve Newmark lead the process; Newmark is set to assume the top job July 1 while Cunningham moves to an advisory role, and a timeline for an official announcement remains undecided.
UNC fired Hubert Davis after five seasons and launched a high-profile coaching search for the 2026-27 season, listing candidates from both college and NBA ranks such as Scott Drew, Nate Oats, Jay Wright, Billy Donovan, Todd Golden, Dusty May, Jai Lucas, Brad Stevens, Mark Byington, T.J. Otzelberger, Kenny Smith, Tommy Lloyd, Mark Few, and Brad Underwood, with notes on each candidate’s current status (e.g., Oats’ buyout, Golden’s Title IX investigation outcome, and UNC ties for several others).
North Carolina has parted ways with Hubert Davis and will conduct a national search for its next head coach, eyeing elite candidates such as Tommy Lloyd, Billy Donovan, Dusty May, and T.J. Otzelberger. The process faces challenges including large buyouts, NIL costs, and UNC's funding constraints, and the school will use Turnkey ZRG to aid the search; two names reportedly not in consideration are Todd Golden and Nate Oats.
Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown publicly endorses UNC's Hubert Davis, praising his representation and leadership amid NIL-era challenges, noting the players' trust and the program's coaching lineage; Brown argues for continuity even as insiders say a coaching change is expected.
VCU erased a 19-point second-half deficit to upset UNC 82-78 in overtime in the NCAA Tournament. UNC squandered the late chances with free-throw misses and turnovers as VCU surged to shoot 62% in the second half. Terrence Hill poured in 34 for VCU, while Henri Veesaar tallied 26 points and 10 rebounds for UNC but two late OT free throws haunted him. UNC’s bench was outscored 42-7, and the Tar Heels set more difficult first-round NCAA history, with Seth Trimble likely playing his last game for Carolina; questions loom about the program’s direction after back-to-back early exits.
UNC collapsed in the second half against Duke, surrendering a 30-6 run after a competitive first half. The Tar Heels committed 14 turnovers and were dominated on the boards (Duke with 18 offensive rebounds to UNC's 5), leading Henri Veesaar to bluntly say they were outworked. With Caleb Wilson sidelined for the season, UNC faces a tougher path into the NCAA Tournament unless they address effort and rebounding."
UNC forward Pat Ngongba is questionable for Saturday’s UNC-Duke game with a foot injury, following Caleb Wilson’s season-ending broken thumb; if Ngongba can’t go, Duke could lean on Maliq Brown and Nik Khamenia, while UNC’s depth will be tested.
Carolina rallied from a second-half deficit to beat Clemson 67-63 on Senior Night at the Smith Center, led by Luka Bogavac's 20 points (17 in the second half) and a pair of late free throws, with key contributions from Jarin Stevenson and Henri Veesaar as UNC extended its home winning streak to 18-0 and positioned itself for ACC Tournament seeding.
UNC center Henri Veesaar is questionable for Saturday’s road game at Syracuse after a lower-extremity injury, with coach Hubert Davis saying he’s improving but limited in practice; he hasn’t played since the Miami game, while UNC also contends with other frontcourt injuries and absences, leaving Jarin Stevenson and Zayden High to share the workload as UNC seeks to rebound in ACC play.
UNC center Henri Veesaar remains day-to-day as he recovers from a lower-extremity issue and illness, with coach Hubert Davis saying he’s improving each day but still held out of practice and ruled out for Tuesday’s loss to NC State; the Arizona transfer is UNC’s second-leading scorer and a key contributor (16.4 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 44.8% 3PT) with 13 double-doubles this season, and the team willwait for an update Friday ahead of Saturday’s game against Syracuse.
NC State routed UNC 82-58 in Raleigh, as UNC played without Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar. The Tar Heels shot just 5-for-33 from three and committed 12 turnovers, while State shot 48.4% overall and went 9-for-20 from deep with a 40-28 edge in the paint. Zayden High led UNC with 13 points and a career-high 10 rebounds for UNC’s first double-double of the season, but the backcourt struggled (Derek Dixon 4-for-26 over his last three). The loss worsens UNC’s ACC Tournament double-bye chances (now 8-5 in ACC) and sets up a trip to Syracuse next.
UNC adds former Western Carolina QB Taron Dickens via the NCAA transfer portal, highlighting a 3,508-yard, 38-TD, 2-INT season with 74.2% completion and a career 5,063 yards, 51 TDs on 74% completion. He’s expected to compete for QB1 in Chapel Hill as UNC also added two other transfer QBs, Billy Edwards and Miles O’Neill. The piece also touches on Bill Belichick’s Hall of Fame vote outcome, noting he fell one vote short of first-ballot induction.
UNC lists Henri Veesaar as probable for Saturday’s game vs. Pittsburgh after a lower-body issue; he played 33 minutes in Tuesday’s loss to Miami with 11 points and 6 rebounds and is expected to be ready, while Isaiah Denis is also listed as probable. Caleb Wilson is out indefinitely with a fractured left hand, and James Brown and Ivan Matlekovic remain sidelined, leaving UNC to rely on its available roster as it tries to rebound from the Miami defeat.
Caleb Wilson scored 22 points and delivered a standout first-half dunk as UNC defeated Georgia Tech 91-75, turning a snow‑bound trip to Atlanta into a celebration of the Carolina basketball family. The moment was amplified by a hallway reunion with Tar Heel legends like Charlie Scott and Mitch Kupchak, while Tyler Hansbrough praised Wilson’s clutch moments and coach Hubert Davis emphasized the program’s legacy of playing hard, smart, and together as the rotation around Wilson continues to take shape.