North Carolina
2023 D-I Women’s Player of the Year: North Carolina’s Alex Barnett – Ultiworld
![2023 D-I Women’s Player of the Year: North Carolina’s Alex Barnett – Ultiworld 2023 D-I Women’s Player of the Year: North Carolina’s Alex Barnett – Ultiworld](https://cdn.ultiworld.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/usau_di_college_champ_wcb_80898_20230529_161453-ZF-7070-43993-1-003.jpg)
Recognizing the top performer of the 2023 season.
June 8, 2023 by Jenna Weiner in Awards with comments
Each year, Ultiworld presents our annual College Awards. Our staff evaluates the individual performances of players from throughout the season, talking to folks around college ultimate, watching film, and look at statistics, voting upon the awards to decide those to be honored. The regular season and the college Series are both considered, with extra emphasis for performances in the competitive and high-stakes environment at Nationals.
We begin our awards presentation with Player of the Year, our most prestigious award. Our Player of the Year winner is the best performer of the 2023 college season, and the highest vote-getter for All-American honors. The winner is not eligible for consideration in any of our other individual awards. The runner-ups up will be identified as the second and third vote-getters when the All-American Teams are revealed.
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- Player of the Year
- All-American First Team (Coming soon)
- All-American Second Team (Coming soon)
- Breakout Player of the Year Award (Coming soon)
- Rookie of the Year Award (Coming soon)
- Offensive Player of the Year Award (Coming soon)
- Defensive Player of the Year Award (Coming soon)
- Coaches of the Year Award (Coming soon)
D-I Women’s 2023 Player Of The Year
Alex Barnett (North Carolina)
Most often, when we talk about a player being at the heart of a team’s success, we mean it purely metaphorically, substituting words like “central,” “pivotal,” or “critical” for humankind’s most necessary organ. When it comes to Alex Barnett’s role this season for UNC, however, her place at the heart of the Pleiades was more than metaphorical.
After Stanford Superfly gave the UNC Pleiades their closest game of the season in quarters, we wrote this about the UNC offense: “The Pleiades have a particular tempo reminiscent of a heartbeat when they play zone offense, pulsing rhythmically as they pop and weave and dice through the defense.”
While we were talking more generally about the Pleiades offense, then, Barnett was indeed the beating heart that drove UNC forward. No player was steadier or more incisive than the Pleiades’ Callahan finalist, and Barnett set the pace for UNC whenever she was on the field.
She was peerless in her ability to slide open throwing windows even against otherwise smothering defenders, and ruthless in her slicing throws that slashed across, through, and over opposing defenses.
Of the many impressive facets of her game that set Barnett apart, perhaps most notable was the way that she could run an offense as if the defense wasn’t even there. Stanford’s zone? Not a problem for Barnett, a gap-finding wizard. How about a staunch person mark, determined to deny her any upfield throw? Barnett was more than content to pass the disc off and let her off-the-ball movement do the work. And when teams went box-and-one to try and make UNC earn it without Barnett involved? Well, you’re bound to find her following a second defender around as she intelligently and selflessly lets her teammates tear their opponents to shreds.
Together, it makes for a style of play that some (including us here at Ultiworld) have deemed to not be particularly showy. However, the Callahan finalist made sure that we knew she was hearing the chatter even as she was leading her team to a third straight title. “Y’all are Ultiworld, y’all are telling me that I’m not that flashy, not that interesting,” Barnett quipped after the Pleiades final win.
That’s more than fair pushback from the UNC superstar, and she certainly has shown plenty of capacity for highlight plays. Layout blocks and leaping grabs are well within her wheelhouse, but it’s of course her throwing that tends to draw the oohs and ahs out of the crowd. Take the Pleiades’ semifinal game against Vermont, where Barnett led UNC’s offense to a perfect turnover-less game with three goals and two assists, including an arcing bolt of a forehand to Dhara Buebel in the early going.
There’s always a question of what makes a Player of the Year, and this year the D-I women’s division offered up a plethora of candidates. For Barnett to rise above, then, there had to be something that made her distinctly honorary, though what that was would depend on who you asked.
Was it her incredible poise and her ability to lead the UNC offense to another outstanding season of success? Perhaps. Or maybe the manner in which she seemed nigh unstoppable at times, or the regularity with which she was able to conjure up spectacular, even showy1, plays? It’s definitely possible. But in this voter’s eyes, what made Barnett so special this season was the heart that she showed in her final season with UNC, as the vibrant heart of the best team in the division, and as the well-deserved 2023 D-I Women’s Player of the Year.
![](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np-logo.png)
North Carolina
Alabama man on work trip stops to buy $3 quick pick Powerball ticket, wins 6-figure jackpot
![Alabama man on work trip stops to buy quick pick Powerball ticket, wins 6-figure jackpot Alabama man on work trip stops to buy quick pick Powerball ticket, wins 6-figure jackpot](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/authoring-images/2024/08/02/USAT/74654762007-screenshot-15.png?auto=webp&crop=1164,656,x0,y114&format=pjpg&width=1200)
Christopher Baker of Leesburg, Alabama was on a work trip in Hickory, North Carolina, when he thought he’d try his luck on a lotto game. It turned out to be a lucrative Powerball win.
An Alabama man on a work trip in North Carolina bought a $3 Quick Pick Powerball ticket on a whim and walked away with a six-figure windfall.
Christopher Baker of Leesburg in northeastern Alabama bought his lucky ticket in July in Hickory, North Carolina, where had been traveling for work, according to Powerball.
When the numbers were drawn, Baker says he had to do a double-take when he realized he had a $100,000 winning ticket. He had matched four white balls and the red Powerball, which would have been $50,000, but a 2X multiplier doubled the win and the disbelief.
“I just kept looking at it to make sure I was reading it right,” he laughed, according to Powerball. “I told my family but they didn’t believe me. either.”
Baker, who called his win “a shocker.” said he plans to save his winnings to buy a house.
Baker will take home $71,501 after federal and state taxes are withheld.
How to play the Powerball
In order to purchase a $2 Powerball ticket, you’ll have to visit your local convenience store, gas station or grocery store − and in a handful of states, you can purchase tickets online.
To play, you will need to pick six numbers in total to mark on your ticket. Five numbers will be white balls ranging from numbers 1 to 69. The Powerball is red and one number which is between 1 and 26.
If you want to increase your chances of winning, you can add a “Power Play” for $1 which increases the winnings for all non-jackpot prizes. This addition can multiply winnings by 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X, or 10X.
Players can also ask a cashier for a “Quick Pick” where a cashier will give you a computer generated numbers on a printed Powerball ticket.
Drawings are held on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday nights. If there’s no jackpot winner, the cash prize will increase by millions.
Where to purchase tickets
Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.
You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Texas, Washington D.C. and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.
Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. Must be 18+, 21+ in AZ and 19+ in NE. Not affiliated with any State Lottery. Gambling Problem? Call 1-877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY); 1-800-327-5050(MA); 1-877-MYLIMIT (OR); 1-800-981-0023 (PR); 1-800-GAMBLER (all others). Visit jackpocket.com/tos for full terms.
North Carolina
Obituary for Kristie Lee Sturgill Blake at Market Street Chapel
North Carolina
NBA Draft Scouting Report: Texas’ Tre Johnson
![NBA Draft Scouting Report: Texas’ Tre Johnson NBA Draft Scouting Report: Texas’ Tre Johnson](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2209,h_1242,x_1298,y_403/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/nba_draft/01j462h25vxrtranzx37.jpg)
Drake Powell
Guard | UNC
Height: 6’5” | Weight: 185 lbs
2025 Draft Age: 19.78
As a natural wing or off-ball guard, Powell has what it takes to be an impact player at the next level. He boasts the positional size and athleticism to exploit his opponents on either end of the floor. Overall, he’s a very smart player with a competitive edge and is willing to adapt to what his team needs to win.
Powell is really best as an off-ball player offensively, especially given he’s not known for being a self-creator or primary ball-handler. However, he is a smart cutter and has found ways to position himself for success when finding space. To really take his game overall to the next level, the North Carolina freshman will need to prove he can become a better shooter. Whether it’s in the mid-range or beyond the arc, his jumper is inconsistent. Again, as an offensive prospect, he needs to improve to really become a two-way threat. The physical traits are there for him to get where he needs to be, but the development of his offensive game is a huge swing for Powell in terms of draft stock.
On the defensive end of the floor, Powell really shines. His athletic tools allow him to be all over the place and make plays on and off of the ball. He is quick, boasts length and is very smart as a defender. When thinking about what will differentiate him from other prospects at the next level, it will be his upside as a defensive prospect. He plays with tremendous energy and effort and he makes those around him better on the defensive side of the ball. In fact, he is one of the best defenders in the entire freshman class.
If Powell can convince NBA teams that he has the future projection of being a better offensive player, there’s no question he could be one of the most impactful players in the draft. In the meantime, he can lean on his defensive abilities to contribute to winning. The former five-star recruit is following in the footsteps of his father as a Tar Heel, as he played baseball for North Carolina when he was in school.
Mid to Late Lottery Pick in 2025 NBA Draft.
Want to know more about other potential 2025 NBA Draft prospects and where they might get selected? Check out our Draft Digest Big Board.
Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
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