North Carolina
NC State Signee Paul McNeil Jr. Breaks the North Carolina High School Scoring Record
For the first time since 1988-89, NC State has started ACC play 5-1, defeating Wake Forest 83-76 tonight.
The Wolfpack didn’t lead in this game until the 2:17 mark in the 2nd half.
With 3:31 left in the 1st half, NC State head coach Kevin Keatts was hit with a double-technical foul, after a no call on a foul on Dennis Parker Jr. As a result, Wake Forest hit all 4 free throws, putting the Deacs up by 10, which is what they ultimately led by at the half.
At one point, Wake Forest led by 12 points right before halftime.
NC State shot the ball well all night, shooting 55.6% in the first half, 51.9% in the 2nd, and 53.7% for the game. Oddly enough, the Wolfpack just won a game in which they didn’t hit a single three-point shot, going 0-8 from beyond the arc.
On the other hand, NC State locked down on defense in the 2nd half. The Demon Deacons shot 53.8% from the field in the first half, hitting 4 three pointers. In the 2nd, the Wolfpack weren’t having it, holding Wake to 33.3% in the 2nd half, making only 2 three-pointers.
Senior Guard DJ Horne led the Pack in scoring once again, pacing NC State with 21 points, hitting 9 of his 19 shots. The Wolfpack were +17 with Horne on the court, which was the best on the squad.
With that being said, my MVP of the night was Junior big fella Ben Middlebrooks, who scored a career high 14 points, shooting a perfect 5 of 5 from the field, and 4 of 4 from the charity stripe. He also grabbed 6 boards. The Wolfpack were +15 with Middlebrooks on the court, which ranked 2nd on the team.
With 46 seconds left on the clock, Middlebrooks made an And-1 layup, and as he walked away hyped up, he incidentally bumped into Wake’s Hunter Sallis, who instantly got in Middlebrook’s face. The result was a technical foul on each, with the technical fouling Middlebrooks out of the game. Mohamed Diarra somehow felt the need to go get in the face of Sallis, which resulted in the two of them receiving technicals for “head-butting” each other, leading to the ejection of both players. In my opinion, there was no head-butting, and Diarra alone deserved a technical, which would have put the Wolfpack in a very precarious position. NC State got lucky in this instance.
It was an emotionally charged game, culminating with DJ Horne giving the referee the double bird after he turned his back with 2.2 seconds left, which went unseen to the referee, but not the television camera. Not a good look for Horne.
With that being said, kudos to Horne for owning it after the game. We all are guilty of making poor choices at times when emotions are high.
My sincere apologies for what happened at the end of the game. I got caught up in the heat of the moment and made a disrespectful gesture that I should have never done. That’s not who I am!
— DJ Horne (@djhorne0) January 17, 2024
Did I mention that DJ Burns left the game early, and was throwing up in the tunnel.
In the end, NC State has shown some extreme resolve as of late. Against Notre Dame, they led for the first time with 0.6 seconds left. Tonight, they led for the first time with 2:17 left.
It hasn’t always been pretty, but the Wolfpack deserve respect for starting 5-1 in the ACC.
The Wolfpack will look continue to hang out in 2nd place in the ACC standings on Saturday, when they host Virginia Tech at Noon.
The North Carolina Tar Heels will be a young program across the board next season, with well over two dozen freshmen and numerous additions from the transfer portal this offseason. Expectations for the 2026 season are lowered dramatically after a disastrous first season for head coach Bill Belichick, though those expectations could help the Tar Heels fly under the radar.
As the Tar Heels approach the end of spring ball, it is time to look at the veterans of the team—the ones who have the experience to lead, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Let’s look at three underrated seniors for the 2026 football season.
Ade Willie, Cornerback
Willie joins the Tar Heels program after four years with Michigan State, as the former 4-star player in the 2022 recruiting class gets an opportunity to not only provide depth to the secondary, but potentially start Week 0 against TCU.
Willie played in over 30 games with the Spartans and brings experience in the secondary at cornerback and safety, along with quality length and closing speed to the football. For a defense that needs players to step up, the redshirt senior from IMG Academy will be asked to do so.
Isaiah Johnson, Defensive Lineman
The defensive line is beginning to look like one of the Tar Heels’ strengths for the 2026 season. Johnson, a former transfer from Arizona, enters his redshirt senior year looking to add another year of production after 40 tackles and two sacks this past season.
North Carolina has an impressive group of starters with Malkart Abou-Jaoude, Leroy Jackson, and incoming transfer Jaylen Harvey. Johnson adds value to the group as a run defender with the ability to penetrate the pocket. While not discussed as a key player, Johnson’s name will be used plenty during the regular season as a potential standout for the program’s defensive front.
Coleman Bryson, Safety
Bryson was a reserve player for the Tar Heels’ secondary last season as a big nickel defender in the rotation. Heading into his redshirt senior year, the former Minnesota Gopher is looking to become a full-time starter in the secondary.
It wasn’t long ago when Bryson was making plays as the 2022 Pinstripe Bowl Defensive MVP. His special teams abilities were valuable for North Carolina last season, and he flashed at times in coverage against tight ends, including a pass breakup in the season-opener against TCU. The Waynesville, North Carolina, native could be a key defender on the back-seven in 2026.
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Friends and family members gathered in Washington state on Saturday, remembering former Miss North Carolina Carrie Everett, who died on Easter Sunday. Another memorial service is planned in North Carolina next month.
Web Editor : Sydney Ross
Posted
Virginia 3, North Carolina 0 | First Quarter
Virginia 3, North Carolina 0 | Q1 8:19
After a faceoff win by Henry Metz, Brendan Millon finds Truitt Sunderland to give the Hoos a 3-0 lead. Timeout North Carolina.
Virginia 2, North Carolina 0 | Q1 9:00
Brendan Millon gets the scoring started for the Cavaliers with a question mark style goal. On the defensive end, Jake Marek opens the game with three early saves with his third save setting up a transition goal by Tommy Snyder.
Virginia vs North Carolina pregame notes
UVA owns a 59-33 advantage since the series began in 1938.
The 59 wins are UVA’s most against any opponent in program history (followed by 51 against Duke).
In Chapel Hill last year, the Tar Heels defeated the Cavaliers 18-9, snapping UVA’s six-game series win streak.
UVA has won nine of the last 11 meetings, dating back to 2018.
The Hoos have won the last two meetings with Carolina at Klöckner Stadium, 11-4 in 2022 and 14-6 in 2024.
The Tar Heels’ four goals in 2022 marked the fewest goals in a game under Joe Breschi, who was named UNC’s head coach in 2006.
The last time the Tar Heels knocked off the Cavaliers at Klöckner was a 16-13 decision during the first of three games between the two teams in 2021.
Later that year, UVA claimed back-to-back meetings against the Heels, including in the NCAA semifinals on the way to capturing the 2021 national title over Maryland.
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