Tar Heels' dreadful season exhausting Roy Williams
Roy Williams says he can't eat or sleep. Less than a year after winning his second national title at UNC, Williams heard Maryland fans direct "NIT, NIT" chants at the Tar Heels during a 21-point rout Sunday. Those chants might have been generous. The loss dropped UNC to 2-6 in the ACC. For the freshman-laden Tar Heels, it would take an incredible turnaround to creep back into the NCAA picture.
(Charleston Post & Courier)
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Recruits changed storied UNC-Duke rivalry
Now Tyler Hansbrough and Josh McRoberts are together on the same team in Indianapolis. Despite their roles in the Duke-North Carolina rivalry, McRoberts said their college ties are not a topic of conversation in the Pacers' locker room. "We don't really joke too much about it," McRoberts said. "But he's a good guy, and he's probably one of my best friends on the team."
(Raleigh News & Observer)
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Lucas: UNC Basketball Mailbag
It's still possible you will see a few current NBA players/coaches show up this weekend. Wayne Ellington and Ty Lawson will definitely be there Saturday, when their jerseys are honored during pregame of the NC State game. Tyler Hansbrough, who has been battling an inner ear infection that may include vertigo, will be in town Wednesday for his jersey retirement and hopes to stay for Friday's Celebration of a Century.
(Tar Heel Blue)
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Blue Devils send slumping Tar Heel women to third straight ACC defeat
The points came from some new people for Duke. The rebounds came from just about everybody. The result: One of the Blue Devils' more lopsided routs of their fiercest rival. "This is the kind of game we like to have more often than not," coach Joanne P. McCallie said. It's not hard to see why. Duke dominated nearly every stat category during a 79-51 rout of UNC on Monday night.
(ESPN.com)
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No. 18 North Carolina Women Fall to No. 8 Duke
Bridgette Mitchell and Keturah Jackson scored 12 points apiece, and No. 8 Duke routed No. 18 North Carolina 79-51 on Monday night to bounce back from its first ACC loss. Krystal Thomas had 11 points for the first-place Blue Devils. They never trailed and dominated nearly every stat category - their 52-28 rebounding advantage included a 35-12 edge in the second half - in avoiding its first ACC losing streak in a decade.
(Tar Heel Blue)
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Heels need to re-assess their future
UNC’s 13-10 basketball record is not misleading. The Tar Heels are a bad basketball team. That’s a mysterious development for a team supposedly blessed with much raw young talent. What has to concern Roy Williams as much as the 10 losses and 2-6 ACC record has to be the alarming speed with which his team went from being slightly above-average in December to playing the absolute worst team ball in the league.
(Charlotte Observer)
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Blue Devils expect same old Tar Heels
Even if North Carolina looks a little different to Duke men’s basketball players heading into this week’s game in Chapel Hill, they say it shouldn’t matter. The eighth-ranked Blue Devils don’t expect North Carolina’s recent woes to mean much when they tangle Wednesday night in the ACC. The Tar Heels (13-10 overall, 2-6 ACC) have lost six of their last seven games.
(Burlington Times News)
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Duke's backcourt shows where the game is won
I don't know what's making this season sweeter for Duke. The fact that it's 18-4 (7-2 in ACC) and has a pretty good team atop the ACC standings. Or the fact that North Carolina doesn't know which way is up. Either way it could get a lot sweeter if the Blue Devils waltz into Chapel Hill on Wednesday night and do to North Carolina what everyone else is lately - crush them.
(WRAL Sports Fan)
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Duke women dominate Tar Heels
There were few moments in Monday’s nationally-televised game that the Duke women’s basketball team didn’t own against rival North Carolina. Pressing, trapping and scoring, the No. 8 Blue Devils dominated the No. 18 Tar Heels, rolling to a convincing 79-51 victory at Cameron Indoor Stadium before an announced crowd of 6,902. Duke (19-4, 7-1 ACC) captured its largest margin against UNC since 2003.
(Raleigh News & Observer)
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Duke players still respect Heels
As Duke prepares to visit North Carolina on Wednesday, the Blue Devils' players obviously are aware of the Tar Heels' struggles. Duke moved up to No. 8 in The Associated Press' rankings on Monday, and North Carolina is 13-10 overall, 2-6 in the ACC. "My reaction is, 'What's going on?' " said Duke junior guard Nolan Smith. "Because when I look at them, I know they are a very talented team."
(Raleigh News & Observer)
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Poll: Little hate in Duke-UNC rivalry
Even if there is no love lost between Duke and North Carolina basketball fans, there's not much hate in the rivalry, either, according to a survey released today by Public Policy Polling. Thirty-five percent of North Carolinians said they'd root for UNC Wednesday night, compared to 21 percent who said they'd root for Duke. Nearly half, 44 percent, said they don't care who wins.
(Raleigh News & Observer)
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Duke women storm past North Carolina
The points came from some new people for No. 8 Duke. The rebounds came from just about everybody. The result: One of the Blue Devils' more lopsided routs of their fiercest rival. "This is the kind of game we like to have more often than not," Joanne P. McCallie said. It's not hard to see why. Duke dominated nearly every statistical category during a 79-51 rout of No. 18 North Carolina last night.
(Winston-Salem Journal)
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Duke expects tough game from UNC
UNC is a seriously flawed team, but to every member of the Duke program it's still the defending NCAA Tournament champion. When the teams play each other on Wednesday in Chapel Hill, Coach Mike Krzyzewski of Duke is expecting a battle that might be decided by the very last play. Krzyzewski considers UNC talented and athletic, and capable of shoving aside its numerous problems to defend home turf.
(Winston-Salem Journal)
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Duke women get big win over rival Tar Heels
The Duke Blue Devils played with a purpose on Monday night, while the North Carolina women's basketball team looked for a purpose to be on the court at Cameron Indoor Stadium. No. 8 Duke handed the No. 18 Tar Heels their worst loss in the series since 2003 with a 79-51 demolition of the Tar Heels. "It was a total team effort," Duke coach Joanne P. McCallie said.
(Durham Herald-Sun)
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Hansbrough in street clothes won't be threat to Duke's 'bigs'
Tyler Hansbrough again will be a part of the Duke-UNC rivalry Wednesday night, but the Blue Devils needn't worry. Hansbrough will be on hand at the Smith Center (9 p.m., WRAL) to have his jersey retired, the final stamp for a legacy built partially at Duke's expense. The Blue Devils certainly don't mind that Hansbrough will be dressed up rather than dressed out.
(Durham Herald-Sun)
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Celebration Of A Century To Be Available Online Friday
As part of the sold out Celebration of a Century event on Friday, Feb. 12, live online video of the 100th Anniversary Alumni basketball game, slotted for 8pm EST, will be available across the nation as a special pay-per-view event. The special presentation of this game will be available live and on-demand via Internet video streaming for a one-time payment of $9.95.
(Tar Heel Blue)
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Bonfire forum discusses alternatives
Students proposed two alternatives to the student-generated bonfires that erupt following important basketball wins. Jones presented an idea to supply the crowds with beach balls and DJs on rooftops. The other was a proposal for a bonfire to be organized by the town. Jones said things like beach balls and a DJ would occupy students and prevent them from starting fires out of boredom. “We can have a rave mob like Oprah,” she said.
(Daily Tar Heel)
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Tar Heels in danger of earning inglorious distinction
Only twice in the past 21 years has a defending national champion failed to play in the NCAA tournament the following season. Kansas, the 1988 national champion, was ineligible to play in the '89 tournament because of NCAA probation. Florida, which won back-to-back national titles in 2006 and '07, failed to make the tournament in '08. Barring a complete turnaround, UNC is about to become the third defending national champ to accomplish the dubious feat.
(ESPN.com)
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Williams: If you don't enjoy the good times, bad times can kill you
Roy Williams has said a number of times he's dealing with things he has not yet dealt with in his 21 years of coaching. The year has been a mess when compared to last year's national championship winning team. This year has shown one of the best college basketball programs in history that winning isn't easy. It's difficult to stay on top every single year. Williams views that as more of a reason to cherish those moments of success.
(WRAL Sports Fan)
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ACC Hoops Power Rankings, Feb. 8
10. North Carolina (13-10, 2-6) At this point, you can’t even say the NIT is a certainty for the Tar Heels. After a 21-point loss at Maryland, you have to wonder if Roy Williams can repair his squad’s shaky psyche. Previous Rank: 10. Schedule this week: Wednesday vs. Duke, Saturday vs. N.C. State.
(ACC Sports Journal)
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Monday Roy Williams Quotes
Is facing Duke a good thing for this team? “Yeah, if you tell me we’re going to win, then it comes at a great time. But if your team is struggling and you’re facing a big rival, you are going to be enthused about playing them anyway. Now if you’re struggling, you know how difficult it’s going to be, but you also have that concern about your confidence levels."
(Inside Carolina)
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Halfway home and still no separation
5 Negatives: 1. Terrible Tar Heels: Maryland’s fans taunted North Carolina with taunts of “NIT, NIT” in the final minutes of Sunday’s rout. But the way the Tar Heels’ season has been going, with six losses in the last seven games, they’ll be lucky to end up in college basketball’s consolation tournament.
(Wilmington Star News)
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The crash of Carolina basketball
Less than a year after he stood on a stage at Ford Field in Detroit and hoisted the national championship trophy, Roy Williams is enduring the most difficult season of his Hall of Fame career. Sunday’s loss at Maryland dropped the Tar Heels to 13-10 overall and 2-6 in ACC play. All of a sudden the coach with two national title rings and seven Final Four appearances is in danger of not making the NCAA tournament for the first time in 20 years.
(Yahoo!)
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Sam Pittman, Part I: Stoic Leadership
One of the burning topics of the off-season will continue to be the state of the offensive line. We decided that the issue was so important that we’d go to the source: offensive line coach Sam Pittman. Pittman actually didn’t recount all the games missed by starters because of injuries, or dwell on who was able to play and who wasn’t. Offensive line coaches are generally a stoic bunch that accept their fate, and Pittman is no different.
(Inside Carolina)
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Observations from the UNC-Maryland game
Credit junior guard Will Graves for the most direct answer possible on what it will take to get North Carolina out of its current hole: "Get some wins, point-blank and simple." Forward Ed Davis matched a season high with 16 rebounds, though he did so in an inconspicuous manner. The bigger Tar Heels had only a 40-39 edge on the glass. The sophomore also scored 10 points.
(Raleigh News & Observer)
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