Questions abound as ACC Football Kickoff comes to Charlotte

Once heralded as a basketball league, the ACC will feature the defending national football champion and a pair of major Heisman Trophy candidates when the 2019 season starts to unfold Wednesday and Thursday in Charlotte at the annual preseason kickoff. Players and coaches from all 14 ACC schools will be in town to discuss the upcoming season. (Fayetteville Observer)

Ryan Switzer working to perfect role as slot receiver for Pittsburgh Steelers

However the reps are handed out, Ryan Switzer is volunteering for duty. The 5-foot-8, 185-pound West Virginia native and North Carolina star entering his third NFL season has dedicated himself to perfecting the slot receiver’s craft. “It takes a different kind of guy to work the middle of the field, be able to be on the same page as the quarterback,” Switzer said. (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

The 25 Greatest Games in UNC Basketball History: No. 7 - The 1995 Double OT Game

“This game had everything: Dunks, Buzzer Beaters, Rasheed Wallace...” For all the games that UNC and Duke have played against one another, all the #1 vs. #2 matchups, all the ACC Tournament titles, the massive upsets, the classic finishes, there has never been a better game between them than the one played on February 2nd, 1995 in Durham. (Tar Heel Blog)

Updated ESPN Way-Too-Early College Basketball Top 25 for 2019-20

8. North Carolina - Given that Roy Williams lost his top five players from last season, Carolina being ranked inside the top 10 is an impressive feat for the Tar Heels. But it's indicative of how efficient they were revamping their roster in the spring. The biggest piece was No. 1 guard Cole Anthony, but ESPN 100 guard Anthony Harris also came aboard. (ESPN.com)

Colts’ Eric Ebron hosts youth football camp in Indianapolis

Colts tight end Eric Ebron was running drills at Park Tudor High School this weekend for his first youth camp in Indianapolis. The pro-bowler said that even though he’s only spent a year in the city, he wanted to show Indianapolis how much it means to him. “Indianapolis has just been great to me and my family. So welcoming, so loving," Ebron said. (WISH-TV)

The Method Behind Jay Bateman's Defensive Madness

By the time UNC’s spring game kicked off in April, Mack Brown had seen Jay Bateman’s defense enough to know that his rhetoric regarding attacking schemes was factual. That afternoon the public received a sampling of Bateman’s approach at Kenan Stadium, and while spring games are simplified, there was seemingly constant pressure on the offense. (247 Sports)

'We're a part of the campus:' UNC's long-term plan for Cosmic Cantina

After media reports detailed a UNC plan to recreate a stretch of its Franklin Street property — which would make beloved late-night eatery Cosmic Cantina the site of a grand campus entryway — the cantina’s owner emailed the University asking for details. Cosmos Lyles said he was caught off guard when stories about his restaurant’s future came out. (Daily Tar Heel)

The Basketball Tournament is coming to Greensboro. What is it and who's playing?

The Greensboro Coliseum’s Fieldhouse will host an eight-team regional in The Basketball Tournament starting Friday. Organized by Chris Paul’s Team CP3, the regional features players with local collegiate ties. Expect to see Paul, Juan Dixon, and Jeff McInnis coaching this weekend. On the court, Kennedy Meeks and P.J. Hairston are on the CP3 roster. (Greensboro News & Record)

Next goal for Crystal Dunn and Allie Long: Equal pay

As their floats bounded up the Canyon of Heroes on Wednesday, Long Island natives Crystal Dunn and Allie Long could not help but notice messages from their fans, words that they already knew all too well. Chants of "USA! Equal Pay!" were shouted while other spectators held up signs with similar sentiments. "It was literally unbelievable," said Long. (Newsday)

Oakland Raiders sign guard Jonathan Cooper

The Oakland Raiders have signed guard Jonathan Cooper. Cooper signs with the Raiders after five seasons with the Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns, and Arizona Cardinals. He has played in 46 career games with 31 starts. Cooper entered the NFL with the Cardinals as a first-round draft pick (seventh overall) out of UNC in 2013. (Oakland Raiders)

Ex-Texans QB T.J. Yates adapting well to coaching role

When the Texans hired former quarterback T.J. Yates as an offensive assistant in February, they hoped he would inject his work ethic and intelligence into the team. Yates is adapting well to his new role helping out offensive line coach Mike Devlin and offensive coordinator Tim Kelly. "He's smart, a hard-working guy, and you see that in what he's doing." (Houston Chronicle)

Never in Doubt: Coby White's Unprecedented Journey to the NBA

Coby White scrolled through his phone and made it a priority to get screenshots of as many of them as possible—tweet after tweet. He wanted a record of all the doubts that existed regarding him and his game. His phone soon was inundated with photos of social media posts. They all said it’d be at least a few years before the NBA would come calling. (SLAM Online)

Audio: Cam Johnson - "I'm In The NBA Now Because Of UNC"

Former North Carolina forward and 2019 NBA lottery pick, Cameron Johnson, joined the Wilson and Parcell show on WFNZ radio last week to discuss his surprisingly high draft slot, his appreciation for the opportunities afforded him at UNC, his analysis of Cole Anthony, and the recruitment of his brother, Donovan Johnson. (WFNZ)

Chansky’s Notebook: Statuses Uncertain

NBA Summer League news is some good and some bad for the Tar Heels. Theo Pinson of the Brooklyn Nets the only Tar Heel going to the playoffs. First the good. Tony Bradley, who I completely discounted recently, now has a decent chance to get a third year of his rookie contract from Utah after averaging a double-double for the Jazz’s summer league club. (Chapelboro.com)

Podcast: Phil Steele & Taylor Vippolis Preview UNC's 2019 Football Season

Taylor Vippolis of Inside Carolina is joined by Phil Steele of ESPN & philsteele.com to preview the upcoming Tar Heel football season. They discuss North Carolina's decision to bring back Mack Brown as head coach, the coaching staff that Brown has assembled in Chapel Hill, and what expectations might be for the 2019 Tar Heels in the win/loss column. (Player FM)

‘He is the program.’ UNC’s first and only fencing coach retires after 52 years.

Until late June, Ron Miller, 74, had been at the helm of the UNC fencing program for 52 years. He was the school’s only fencing coach since it started in 1967. He’d coached 14 collegiate All-Americans, five U.S. National Fencing Team selections and two Olympians, and he’d sent at least one UNC fencer to the NCAA Championships in each season of his career. (Durham Herald-Sun)

Matt Harvey triumphs with lockermate Tyler Skaggs in mind

Even through his struggles this season, Matt Harvey always had someone he could count on to keep his mind positive. Tyler Skaggs was his biggest cheerleader, reminding him that he was an ace with the Mets before injuries derailed his career. So when Harvey took the mound on what would’ve been Skaggs’ 28th birthday on Saturday, he kept Skaggs’ memory alive. (MLB.com)

Brice Johnson, other local athletes team up for Raleigh versus Durham celebrity kickball game

Star athletes from universities around the Triangle teamed up Saturday for the first-ever celebrity kickball game to raise money for the Boys and Girls Club. "We're one big family when it comes to stuff like this," said former UNC basketball player Brice Johnson. "Kids are our future. I'm always down to give back to the community, especially the younger folks." (ABC 11)

Video: Coby White Vocal In Leading Summer League Bulls

After only a few Summer League games it seems apparent that rookie Coby White is up to the task to lead the Chicago Bulls for the foreseeable future. Playing the point guard spot for the Bulls in the Las Vegas Summer League, White has been very vocal in encouraging his teammates, running the offseason, and focusing on details on defense. (Inside Carolina)

Healthy Elijah Hood mounts comeback for job in Carolina Panthers’ backfield

Carolina Panthers running back Elijah Hood suffered a setback last August when he tore the ACL in his left knee in the preseason finale in Pittsburgh. The rehab is ongoing, however, Hood is encouraged by his progress in minicamp. After last season on injured reserve for the Panthers, it’s about making the 53-man roster and playing in an NFL game. (Charlotte Post)

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