North Carolina
At North Carolina's GOP convention, governor candidate Robinson energizes Republicans for election – WWAYTV3
GREENSBORO, NC (AP) — Before Mark Robinson, North Carolina’s GOP candidate for governor, even stepped on stage at the state party’s convention Saturday, several state candidates took time in their own speeches to energize the crowd by vouching for Robinson’s gubernatorial bid.
When the state’s lieutenant governor did take to the stage more than an hour and a half into the NCGOP Convention’s Old North State Dinner in Greensboro, Robinson started off his fiery speech denouncing the media for focusing too much on Donald Trump’s ongoing criminal and civil trials and not the “failures of the Democratic Party.” He also shared his vision for the state, which he said centers around improving the economy and education.
“Trust me, there are enough people in this state who are talented enough and share the vision that we have that we can make this a reality, folks,” Robinson said during his speech, which was livestreamed by Triad television outlet WGHP.
The 55-year-old Republican is embroiled in one of the most hotly contested gubernatorial races of the 2024 election against his Democratic opponent and state Attorney General Josh Stein. Robinson’s brash political style has intrigued Trump supporters, as well as the former president himself, who formally endorsed Robinson in March at a Greensboro rally and called him “Martin Luther King on steroids.”
Robinson has also caught the attention of critics who say his rhetoric on the LGBTQ community and restricting abortion access should be a cause for concern. The Greensboro native has previously defended his past remarks by saying he can separate his religious views from public office and wants to make North Carolina a “destination state for life.”
Calling himself “part of the winning team” during his speech, Robinson credited Republican policies with the state’s economic success and stressed the role of the governor’s office — under his leadership — to preserve that success.
“North Carolina is literally on the cusp of exploding economically,” Robinson said. “It’s time for us to direct that explosion in the right way and cause this state to be something better than it already is.”
Education in North Carolina is another priority for Robinson, who said the state’s education system is “in shambles.” But the state of education isn’t at the fault of teachers, Robinson said, adding that he puts schoolteachers in the same category as police officers.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum also was a keynote speaker at Saturday’s dinner, where he started off his speech calling Robinson the state’s next governor. He also reiterated sentiments from Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump and her husband, Eric Trump, who both spoke at the convention Friday, that North Carolina will be an important state in 2024 that could “determine the actual direction of our entire country.”
Finally, after a long wait, Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats are preparing for another marquee game, with this one coming against the North Carolina Tar Heels. This game is a part of the SEC/ACC Challenge, where the Wildcats will look to represent the conference with a win.
While the Wildcats are 0-2 in a ranked game this season, they have yet to play one in Rupp Arena, and this will change on Tuesday night when Pope’s team hosts North Carolina. The tip for this game is set for 9:30 on Tuesday night, which will be a bit weird, but Rupp Arena will be hectic.
With this being such an important game, let’s take a look at three reasons why the Wildcats will beat North Carolina.
One common theme in both of the Wildcats’ losses so far this season has been getting out to a slow start. In both of these games, the Wildcats faced a daunting halftime deficit, and it was too much to overcome. With this game being at home in front of the best fans in college basketball, the Wildcats need to flip the script and get out to a hot start.
North Carolina, like Michigan State, has two elite bigs, and this means Malachi Moreno will need to have a big game. If Moreno is able to get an efficient double-double for the Wildcats, it will go a long way to helping Pope’s team win this game. Kentucky was dominated down low by the Spartans with their elite frontcourt, and Pope needs to make sure that history does not repeat itself when the Tar Heels come to town.
Both Kentucky and North Carolina are good rebounding teams, with the Wildcats in the top five and UNC inside the top 20. In the loss to Michigan State, the Wildcats were dominated on the boards, losing this battle 42-28. If Kentucky gets dominated on the glass in this game, it will be hard to win. Like the Wildcats, the Tar Heels lost the rebounding battle to Michigan State but by a smaller margin. Who wins on the glass in this basketball game will have a direct correlation to who ends up with more points on the scoreboard when the final buzzer sounds.
Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats have not enjoyed a fairytale start to their season, but Tuesday evening’s matchup against North Carolina presents an opportunity to redirect their trajectory. Currently sitting at 6-2, this game could provide crucial insights into where Kentucky stands in the broader landscape of college basketball.
The Wildcats faced a setback against Michigan State, suffering an 83-66 defeat that raised questions about their ability to compete with top-tier teams. However, they rebounded impressively with a decisive 88-46 victory over Loyola Maryland, followed by a dominant performance against Tennessee Tech, winning 104-54 just days ago.
Despite their storied history of finding ways to win, the challenge remains: can Kentucky consistently triumph over elite opponents? Losses to Louisville on the road and Michigan State exposed vulnerabilities in their defense and tempo control. In both games, Kentucky struggled with interior defense and depth issues.
Looking ahead, there is still plenty of basketball left in the season, including Tuesday’s late-night showdown at Rupp Arena—a clash between two blue blood programs from the ACC and SEC. Historically, North Carolina leads the series against Kentucky 25-18. This year’s Tar Heels roster features some of the most lethal players in college basketball. If Kentucky allows North Carolina to dictate the pace of play, they risk facing another long night and missing out on a significant opportunity.
For Kentucky to succeed, controlling tempo will be paramount as they confront this talented Tar Heels squad. Mark Pope’s team must focus on containing North Carolina’s “Big Three”: freshman forward Caleb Wilson (averaging 19.9 points per game), junior center Henri Veesaar (15.9 PPG), and freshman guard Luka Bogavac (a key scorer adept at navigating ball screens). Collectively, these three players contribute significantly to UNC’s offensive output.
Limiting Wilson, Veesaar, and Bogavac is essential if Kentucky hopes to avoid another loss. Should they fail to do so, North Carolina will likely capitalize on second-chance scoring opportunities.
The Tar Heels currently shoot 46.8% from the field but struggle from beyond the arc at just 31.8%. This presents a potential opening for Kentucky; if they can restrict UNC’s effectiveness inside the three-point line, they may have a chance to stifle one of their primary sources of offense.
However, North Carolina boasts depth with multiple capable shooters. The Wildcats must prioritize protecting the paint and preventing any easy scoring chances—an area where they faltered against larger opponents like Louisville and Michigan State.
Another vulnerability for UNC lies in turnovers; they average 11.6 per game—a statistic that could allow Kentucky to seize control of the game’s direction if exploited effectively. Despite recent struggles, Kentucky possesses athleticism on the perimeter that could be advantageous in setting an early tempo against UNC.
Tuesday presents a significant opportunity for the Wildcats to demonstrate their ability to compete against formidable opponents like the University of North Carolina. A victory in this matchup could alter the trajectory of Mark Pope’s team. Despite some recent missteps, analytics platforms such as KenPom project a favorable outcome for Kentucky, predicting a score of 84-75 over UNC.
The Tar Heels will undoubtedly present numerous challenges, and Coach Pope will need to carefully assess his roster based on player availability leading up to the game. Nevertheless, Kentucky has the potential to redefine its season. It is important to remember that it is still early in the basketball calendar; any sense of urgency to push the PANIC button just yet on this team’s performance may be premature.
Tip-off is scheduled for 9:30 PM ET at Rupp Arena.
First-year head coach Bill Belichick appeared to find his groove with the University of North Carolina by early November.
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The Tar Heels defeated Syracuse and Stanford in back-to-back weeks after starting out 0-3 in ACC play.
However, UNC lost its third consecutive game on Saturday as rival NC State mauled Belichick’s program 42-19 in front of 56,919 fans at Carter-Finley Stadium. North Carolina dropped a close 32-25 game to rival Duke in Week 13.
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Following the loss to the Wolfpack, Belichick finished the regular season 4-8.
During the season, Belichick was linked to the New York Giants after Brian Daboll was fired. Belichick put those rumors to rest as he finished the season with the Tar Heels.
“Look, I’ve been down this road before,” Belichick said before North Carolina played Wake Forest. “I’m focused on Wake Forest, that’s it. That’s my commitment to this team. Next week it’ll be to our next opponent and so forth. I’m here to do the best I can for this team.”
Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the former New England Patriots head coach is expected to draw interest from multiple NFL teams this offseason.
“Some think one or more pro franchises will explore hiring Belichick, who can leave at any time for a buyout of only $1 million,” Florio wrote. “However, he has received only one interview during two hiring cycles since the Patriots fired him after the 2023 season.
“The 73-year-old Belichick took the UNC job last December, apparently due in part to the unwillingness of any NFL team(s) with a current or expected vacancy to indicate that he’d be hired. This time around, he’s available to be discreetly interviewed. If anyone chooses to interview him.”
Belichick should draw at least a discreet interview.
The head coach of six Super Bowl victories has 302 wins, which is third all-time in the NFL behind George Halas (318) and Don Shula (328). Belichick would have a chance to pass both in a few seasons if he had success with a new team.
For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.
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