North Carolina
College basketball bubble winners, losers: North Carolina fails to improve dreadful resume
Which NCAA men’s teams to watch on the bubble before March Madness
USAT’s Jordan Mendoza gives his teams to keep an eye on for ‘bubble watch’ as March Madness selection Sunday approaches.
Sports Pulse
North Carolina could almost taste it.
For much of the season, the Tar Heels couldn’t get the job done against top-tier opponents. They’d come close, only to fall short and miss out on getting a signature victory.
Needing that mark on their resume, North Carolina hosted heated rival and national championship contender Duke in the regular-season finale. A golden opportunity to prove it belongs in the NCAA Tournament.
Early in the second half, it looked like North Carolina would finally get it done. It had limited Cooper Flagg’s impact on the game and with a seven-point lead, the Dean Dome crowd was in a frenzy. A win − and a spot in March Madness − was in sight.
But as has been the case so many times this season, it all fell apart. The sleeping giant in the Blue Devils woke up and decided to dash dreams. Duke closed the final 13 minutes on a 29-10 run and sucked any life out of those in Carolina Blue en route to an 82-69 victory.
Don’t let the 20-12 record fool you. Thirteen wins came against Quad 3 and 4 opponents, and only one − against UCLA in December − was against a likely March Madness squad. In Quad 1 games, North Carolina entered the night a horrid 1-10. Even with the name on the front of the jersey, North Carolina needed to prove it could beat a quality opponent after failing to do so time and time again.
One of the first four teams out in the latest version of USA TODAY Sports’ Bracketology, a win could’ve catapulted North Carolina into the projected field and fix what’s been a frustrating campaign for Hubert Davis. Instead, the chance was wasted yet again. There’s nothing impressive about its 20-win season.
Barring a perfect run through the ACC tournament, it will be two missed NCAA Tournaments in three seasons for North Carolina, far from the standard expectations in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels fell short when they couldn’t afford it. They lead the bubble winners and losers on the final weekend of the regular season.
Winners
Indiana
What an incredible send-off for Mike Woodson. Coaching in his final home game at Assembly Hall, Indiana overcame a sluggish start against Ohio State with an emphatic finish. A 15-3 run midway through the second half got Indiana back in the game, and a 12-0 run in the final minutes helped cap off the come-from-behind victory to get the season sweep over Ohio State in one of the most pivotal bubble games played Saturday.
The late surge toward a spot in the NCAA Tournament is very much alive for Indiana, shaking off the collapse at Oregon on Tuesday to get its fourth victory in the last five games. The Quad 2 victory pushed the Hoosiers to 5-0 in such games, and it’s notable because even though they have 12 losses, they all came against Quad 1 opponents − they don’t have any bad losses. Plus, they made a case to take Ohio State’s spot in the field. The win gave Indiana the No. 9 seed in the Big Ten tournament to avoid the first round and set up a second-round matchup against the Ducks. The Hoosiers fell just short in their meeting earlier in the week; if they can change their fortune, the Big Dance could be in the cards.
Oklahoma
What a week it was in Norman as Oklahoma snatched two Quad 1 victories to end the regular season. The cherry on top is the last one, which came on rival Texas’ home court. It was a back-and-forth contest that showed how desperate each team was for a win, but Brycen Goodine’s 3-pointer with just over two minutes to go extended the lead to six points and the Sooners were able to hold off the Longhorns the rest of the way for the statement victory.
Things looked grim for Oklahoma heading into the week with six losses in its last seven games, resulting in it being pushed out of the projected bracket. But now, mix Saturday’s win with the one over Missouri on Wednesday and the Sooners are now 6-10 in Quad 1 games. Their chances are much higher.
There’s still plenty of work needed, and it won’t be easy with Georgia in the first round of the SEC tournament and Kentucky awaiting the winner. But Oklahoma was the first team out and Texas was the last team in the field. A flip-flop could be happening; the Sooners could start the final week before Selection Sunday with a First Four projection.
As RJ Melendez’s potential game-winning shot for Mississippi State bounced off the rim, Arkansas felt itself inching closer to dancing. The Razorbacks survived a chaotic ending with a one-point victory over the Bulldogs. A strong start to the second half looked like it would lead to a convincing Arkansas win, but a late 12-0 run from the Bulldogs flipped the script and had the Hogs sweating. Luckily, some clutch shots and a free throw from Jonas Aidoo with 11 seconds left were enough to avoid a disastrous end of the regular season.
Arkansas recovered from the disastrous loss to South Carolina a week ago with two quality wins against Vanderbilt and Mississippi State. The loss to the Gamecocks pushed the Razorbacks back to the bubble. They needed a perfect week to avoid having a shaky fate. One Quad 1 and 2 win each does wonders for John Calipari’s team, and gave them great positioning in the SEC tournament. It will get a crack to avenge the defeat to South Carolina in the opening round. A win in that game may just be enough to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Losers
Ohio State
The win was right in Ohio State’s hands, but it let it slip away when it couldn’t afford to. Entering a hostile environment at Indiana, the Buckeyes settled the crowd down early and Indiana could only muster up nine points in the first 12 minutes. They stayed ahead for much of afternoon and led by 10 points in the second half. Then mistakes happened, Indiana got back in the game and Ohio State could only watch pandemonium unfold inside Assembly Hall. The Buckeyes didn’t hit a field goal in the last five minutes in the six-point loss.
Ohio State couldn’t build off the double-overtime win over Nebraska earlier in the week and missed out on a golden chance to secure its seventh Quad 1 win of the season. Now, the Buckeyes are 6-12 in the category. Their 14 total losses are the most among at-large candidates. As a First Four candidate, Ohio State could see itself fall out of the field and will need an impressive outing in the Big Ten tournament to stay alive. Playing against the No. 15 seed in the first round, that means getting two wins, and possibly a third.
Texas
The Longhorns are going to be haunted by what transpired at home. They uncharacteristically turned the ball over too much, which resulted in 21 Oklahoma points, including the final one that came on a failed last-second shot. It was a night Tre Johnson would love to forget. The Longhorns star has become a potential NBA talent this season, but he was completely off as he 0-for-14 from the field, with all seven of his points coming from the free throw line. An unusual night at the worst time for Texas.
Texas was the last team slated to make the NCAA Tournament, but that spot is likely gone thanks to Saturday’s loss. It was a chance to even its Quad 2 record, but instead it’s now at 3-5. A win could’ve given Texas some cushion on the bubble, but instead it’s now in a must-win situation heading into the SEC tournament. It doesn’t get an easy first matchup with Vanderbilt scheduled on Wednesday, a team it already lost to earlier this season. If the Longhorns want a shot at the NCAA Tournament, it will have to fix their mistakes immediately.
Boise State dropped a critical home contest against Colorado State on Friday night. It was back-and-forth for much of the first half and the Broncos had a nine-point lead with 11 minutes to go, but the Rams closed the contest on an impressive 32-13 run for a 10-point victory.
It was a crushing defeat for a Boise State team that entered the night with five straight wins and was gaining momentum toward an NCAA Tournament spot. One of the last four teams in the field, the Quad 2 loss pushes its combined Quad 1 and 2 record to 6-7 and it’s now No. 49 in the NET rankings. While Colorado State is a good team that will be the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament, it isn’t projected to be an at-large tournament squad and those are teams Boise State has to beat. Now, with its March Madness hopes hanging in the balance, the Broncos must have a successful Mountain West tournament. It won’t be easy with San Diego State awaiting them in the quarterfinals.
The NC Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Sunday, April 26, 2026 results for each game:
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 26 drawing
Day: 8-0-7, Fireball: 1
Evening: 5-9-3, Fireball: 1
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 26 drawing
Day: 6-6-8-4, Fireball: 2
Evening: 3-0-8-2, Fireball: 7
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 5 numbers from April 26 drawing
02-09-18-26-42
Check Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Double Play numbers from April 26 drawing
16-21-22-31-43
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from April 26 drawing
02-03-06-17-56, Bonus: 03
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.
On Friday, North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar announced his decision to enter the 2026 NBA Draft, with no intention of removing his name from the process.
Hours after the news broke, the 6-foot-11, 224-pound center shared a heartfelt goodbye to Chapel Hill and the Tar Heel faithful.
What Veesaar Said
- “This journey didn’t happen alone,” Veesaar said in a statement. “To my family – thank you for every sacrifice, every late night, every moment you believed in me before anyone else did. To my friends, teammates and coaches – thank you for being part of the grind and helping shape me into who I am today.”
Veesaar transferred to North Carolina last offseason after spending two years at Arizona. In his lone campaign with the Tar Heels, the junior center averaged 17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting 60.8 percent from the field and 42.6 percent from three-point range. Veesaar spoke on the impact the university has made on him.
- “The University of North Carolina – thank you for the memories, the lessons and the brotherhood. It’s something I’ll carry with me forever. I’m proud to say I’m taking the next step and declaring for the NBA Draft. Thank you to everyone who’s been part of the journey.”
North Carolina’s season abruptly ended in the first round of the NCAA against VCU. That did not appear to be the end result, as the Tar Heels held a 19-point lead halfway through the second half. Veesaar, who led the team with 26 points and 10 rebounds, shared his love for North Carolina, which should have been a sign that he was leaning towards entering the upcoming NBA draft.
- “I love the school, I love the people, I love the university, they’ve given me so much,” Veesaar said.
Overall Thoughts
Veesaar declaring for the draft is a monumental loss for head coach Michael Malone and the Tar Heels heading into next season. Now, Malone and his staff must adjust on the fly and plan accordingly. With the transfer portal closing on April 21, the options have dwindled significantly, putting North Carolina’s brass in a serious bind.
While the Tar Heels would love to bring in someone like Arizona State’s Massamba Diop, who was dominant rim protector and effective offensive piece in his freshman season in 2025. The 7-foot-1, 230-pound center does not possess the shooting ability that Veesaar has in his repertoire, but Diop still averaged 13.6 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 56.9 percent from the field.
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RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — North Carolina’s largest craft beer festival returned to downtown Raleigh, continuing on Saturday, bringing thousands of visitors and dozens of breweries together for the second day of the two-day event.
Organizers said Brewgaloo was expected to draw about 50,000 people, with nearly 80 breweries from across the state offering samples.
The festival began Friday evening with a ceremonial keg tapping, followed by a block party. Attendees enjoyed unlimited three-ounce samples, including limited releases, barrel-aged beers, and sours.
Saturday’s street festival ran from noon to 8 p.m. along Fayetteville Street, featuring dozens of breweries, food trucks, vendors and two live music stages. Although some much-needed rain cut the iconic Brewgaloo festival short, many called the festival a massive success.
“It’s nice to be able to see a lot of people from different areas and a lot of different breweries in one location. All I have to do is buy a ticket and I get to support local brewers,” said Raleigh resident Ryan Walker.
Festivalgoers were able to sample more than 350 craft beverages by redeeming drink tickets for either a pint or a three-ounce pour.
Admission to Brewgaloo was free, but tickets were required for beer sampling.
This was the fifth year that Goldsboro Brew Works participated in the festival.
“There’s double the amount of kegs that we normally bring, so here’s hoping,” said Zachary Fein, one of the owners of Goldsboro Brew Works. “Every single time we get people after Brewgaloo, we get them wanting to buy kegs, we get them coming to the taproom on the way to the beach.
“We’re remote, we’re 45 minutes down 70 from here, we’re east,” Fein said. “A lot of these folks have never heard of us before and it’s really kind of great for us to get our name out.”
This year’s event came amid amplified concerns about safety downtown. In the past few weeks, several people were stabbed during a brawl on Fayetteville Street and a man was seriously injured in a shooting in Glenwood South.
“It’s always concerning to see any incident in Raleigh,” Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell said. “We are doing several things working with our police chief. Reallocating resources based on data and crime patterns. I think we’ve found that this is going to be one of the areas.”
According to Cowell, the city council is also exploring adding more police officers in the upcoming budget.
For Brewgaloo specifically, Raleigh police had barricades and barriers in place to protect the tens of thousands who were expected to enjoy the festivities this weekend.
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“Overall, Raleigh’s a safe place,” Cowell said. “I think when there’s a lot more people is when we actually have fewer incidents because you’ve got so much activity, eyes on people, feet on the sidewalks.”
This year’s event also came on the heels of recent controversy involving Shop Local Raleigh, the group that organizes Brewgaloo. Executive director Jennifer Martin apologized after making an anonymous social media comment, stating “there is “there’s no such thing as a transgender son.”
The backlash led to the creation of a separate event, the “Y’all Means All” North Carolina Beer Festival, which is scheduled for Saturday at the same time as Brewgaloo. More than 16 breweries are expected to participate in that event, hosted by Raleigh Brewing Company, with a portion of proceeds benefiting the LGBT Center of Raleigh.
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