North Carolina
Basketball Preview: North Carolina at Clemson
Clemson 11-2 (1-1) at North Carolina 10-3 (2-0)
When: Saturday, 1/6, Noon
Location: Littlejohn Coliseum – Clemson, SC
TV: ESPN2
Clemson heads home after suffering an ACC loss at Miami, where the Hurricanes got red hot and looked like they have not taken any step back from last year’s Final Four run. Waiting for the Tigers is the ultimate blue blood of ACC basketball, the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Like Clemson, the Tar Heels fell just short of the NCAA tournament last season finishing with 20-wins and rejecting an NIT invitation (something that no longer seems ridiculous after Clemson’s ridiculous loss to Morehead St.) They lost Caleb Love from that team, but return Armando Bacot, RJ Davis, and they’ve added Cormac Ryan — a fifth year senior who transferred from Notre Dame.
Also like Clemson, UNC challenged themselves with six non-conference games against top 100 teams. They came out with victories against Arkansas, Tennessee, and Oklahoma. The two teams appear improved from last season when the Heels ran the Tigers out of the Dean Dome with a 20-point loss. Now, they each find themselves inside KenPom’s top 25 with UNC ranked 11th and Clemson 23rd.
Armando Bacot may be the biggest name on Carolina’s roster and rightfully so as he leads the ACC in rebounding with 10.8 per game. Clemson’s Ian Schieffelin is behind him in second place with 9.8. Bacot also provides scoring and rim defense averaging 14.9 points and 1.9 blocks per game. He will provide a stiff challenge for Hall and Schieffelin in the paint.
As always, North Carolina has a talented guard who can score inside and outside the 3-point arc, RJ Davis. He is the ACC’s leading scorer at 21.1 points per game (yes, they have the league’s leading rebounder and the leading scorer.). He has an efficient .396 3P%, but also can attack from inside where he is likewise efficient. He is a focal point of the offense and leads the Heels in 3-points shots made and is only behind Bacot in 2-point shots made.
Beyond those two, SF/wing Cormac Ryan is an example of the rich getting richer in the transfer portal. Taken from Notre Dame, he is an savvy veteran who can knock down clutch shots in the biggest moments. He has struggled with his 3-point shot this year, but was one of the best players on Notre Dame.
Harrison Ingram is a junior post-player who gives UNC a big man duo that rival’s Clemson’s Hall-Schieffelin combo. All four UNC starters mentioned are veterans. The lone underclassman they start is Elliot Cadeau at point guard. He averages 7.0 points, 3.5 assists, and doesn’t provide much threat from the 3-point arc (4 3-pointers made). This is a matchup Clemson must win. Chase Hunter averaged 13.8 points last season, and is down 2.4 points from that. After a 5-game slump, he has scored 16 points in each of the last two games. A big game from Chase Hunter would go a long way in securing a victory.
Earning this victory is paramount. Clemson holds a rock solid 11-2 record, but they’ve lost their last two games against high-major competition (Memphis and Miami) with two “buy games” (Queens and Radford) sandwiched in-between. As football season ends, casual fans tuning in cannot be shown the same ole Clemson basketball that has tormented them for years.
I know the program’s histories are very different, but when I picked Clemson football to go 11-1 with a road loss to NCSU, I was berated for being negative. When Clemson basketball is 11-2, this is the negativity #Clemson fans spew. Its crazy! https://t.co/3D54eq5TfM
— Ryan Kantor (@ryan_kantor) January 4, 2024
While Clemson fans tend to be endlessly positive towards the football program, history has taught them to guard their hearts whenever the basketball program shows signs of a potential downturn. Losing three-straight to high-major teams would definitely show that and be a big reason for concern.
Conversely, if Clemson can host KenPom’s second ranked team in the ACC (Duke is first at #9 and Clemson is third at #23), they will have seen with their own eyes how this year’s Clemson basketball team is different. It would further prove that this team’s goal of not just making the NCAA playoff but advancing is feasible.
Clemson has great wins against Alabama, TCU, Pittsburgh, South Carolina, and Boise State, but this would be their best. KenPom slightly favors the Tigers giving them a 52% chance to win this game. Hopefully reserve wing Jack Clark can return and give the Tigers additional depth, but even without him this should be a close competitive game. Home court advantage matters way more than it seems like it should, and UNC has only played one true road game (a win at Pittsburgh). Clemson fans will turn out and help push the Tigers over the finish line in what should be a great ACC basketball battle. I like KenPom’s score prediction so I’ll share it here:
Clemson: 80
North Carolina: 79
The NC Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Sunday, April 19, 2026 results for each game:
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 19 drawing
Day: 6-2-0, Fireball: 6
Evening: 4-1-7, Fireball: 5
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 19 drawing
Day: 7-6-9-4, Fireball: 4
Evening: 8-1-5-6, Fireball: 6
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 5 numbers from April 19 drawing
02-21-32-35-37
Check Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Double Play numbers from April 19 drawing
18-26-27-31-42
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from April 19 drawing
32-42-52-53-55, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All North Carolina Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599.
For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at North Carolina Lottery Offices. By mail, send a prize claim form, your signed lottery ticket, copies of a government-issued photo ID and social security card to: North Carolina Education Lottery, P.O. Box 41606, Raleigh, NC 27629. Prize claims less than $600 do not require copies of photo ID or a social security card.
To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a prize claim form and deliver the form, along with your signed lottery ticket and government-issued photo ID and social security card to any of these locations:
- Asheville Regional Office & Claim Center: 16-G Regent Park Blvd., Asheville, NC 28806, 877-625-6886 press #1. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- Greensboro Regional Office & Claim Center: 20A Oak Branch Drive, Greensboro, NC 27407, 877-625-6886 press #2. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- Charlotte Regional Office & Claim Center: 5029-A West W. T. Harris Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28269-1861, 877-625-6886 press #3. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- NC Lottery Headquarters: Raleigh Claim Center & Regional Office, 2728 Capital Blvd., Suite 144, Raleigh, NC 27604, 877-625-6886 press #4. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
- Greenville Regional Office & Claim Center: 2790 Dickinson Avenue, Suite A, Greenville, NC 27834, 877-625-6886 press #5. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- Wilmington Regional Office & Claim Center: 123 North Cardinal Drive Extension, Suite 140, Wilmington, NC 28405, 877-625-6886 press #6. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://nclottery.com/.
When are the North Carolina Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily.
- Pick 3, 4: 3:00 p.m. and 11:22 p.m. daily.
- Cash 5: 11:22 p.m. daily.
- Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Carolina Connect editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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
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