North Carolina
College basketball winners and losers: North Carolina saves season, Auburn dominates
Can the UConn Huskies three-peat in a stacked men’s college basketball field?
Dan Hurley turned down NBA coaching offers to lead the UConn Huskies on a journey for three straight titles, but a stacked field of teams stand in their way.
Sports Seriously
It’s not even the end of December and North Carolina badly needed a win.
The schedule was tough, and almost every test resulted in a loss. The promise that came with a top 10 preseason ranking was fading; and the Tar Heels were headed toward spending the rest of the season on the NCAA men’s basketball tournament bubble
But the Tar Heels finally came through with a defeat of UCLA in New York City.
What has hurt North Carolina for much of the season has followed the same script: slow starts that mostly has been too much to overcome. It happened against unbeaten Florida team. UNC managed to lead in the second half before the Gators rallied.
Against UCLA it looked like it was headed down the same path. The Bruins came out hot, and after the Tar Heels showed some fight, UCLA got the lead to 16 points with 12 minutes left. Then North Carolina stopped making mistakes. The baskets started to go in. Senior guard RJ Davis overcame some earlier mistakes by hitting the game-winning free throws to knock off the Bruins.
Come tournament time, North Carolina will benefit from playing one of the nation’s toughest non-conference schedules All five losses have been by teams ranked in the top 20. Saturday’s victory was the second Quad 1 win for the Tar Heels. They’ll need more to justify putting a spot in the field.
Still, there’s most of the ACC schedule to play, and Hubert Davis’ squad has some much-needed momentum heading into January, making North Carolina one of the biggest storylines from the past weekend of hoops.
Auburn looks like the best team in the country
Yes, there’s no No. 1 next to Auburn’s name. Nevertheless, the Tigers are playing like the top team in the nation after another crushing win over a ranked team.
Purdue hung around for about eight minutes before Auburn went on a 16-2 run over a seven-minute span. It was the Tigers’ ninth double-digit victory and sixth against a Quad 1 opponent.
As Auburn has looked like the top team in the country, its big man Johni Broome continues to look like the best player in the country. His 23-point, 11-rebound performance was his eighth double-double of the season, and he did it on a bad shoulder.
Ohio State plays big against Kentucky
What a Saturday it was in Columbus. Not only did the football team win its first-round game of the College Football Playoff on campus, but the men’s basketball squad went to New York City and handled Kentucky by 20 points. It was the most surprising result of the weekend given how good Kentucky has looked under Mark Pope and how shaky Ohio State has looked.
It was one of the worst shooting nights for one of the best offenses in Kentucky, but the Buckeyes deserve credit for taking advantage of it by controlling the paint and getting a career-night from junior guard Bruce Thornton. One week prior, Ohio State lost to Auburn by 38 and didn’t look like much. Seven days later, the Buckeyes look capable of competing in a crowded Big Ten.
Connecticut back as a contender
Remember when the sky was falling in Storrs after Connecticut didn’t win a single game in Maui?
It seems like ages ago with the Huskies not faltering since then, winning six-straight that includes wins over Baylor, Texas and Gonzaga. The latest result came with UConn holding off a pesky Butler team on the road to move to 2-0 in Big East play.
Mississippi State overpowers Memphis
As if the SEC needed another solidified contender, Mississippi State picked up the best win in the conference with a thrashing of Memphis on the road. The Bulldogs went into FedEx Forum and quickly forced turnovers while knocking down their 3-point shots, and by the time Memphis realized what happened, Mississippi State had already had a firm grasp on the game.
The key to Mississippi State’s success has been taking care of the ball and generating steals. While the Bulldogs uncharacteristically turned the ball over more often on Saturday, they were stripping the ball away from Memphis with 15 steals, the fourth time they’ve had at least 10 in a game this season.
The dominant win over Memphis gives Mississippi State three Quad 1 wins. It’s a crowded SEC, but Mississippi State is looking less like a bubble team and more like one eyeing a top four seed in the tournament.
Creighton shoots its way to much-needed win
Before the season, Creighton was expected to be a squad that could possibly dethrone UConn in the Big East. It hasn’t looked like one to start the season, but the Bluejays got a boost by beating Villanova.
Creighton lives and die by the 3-point shot and they made 14 on Saturday. While both teams could’ve used the victory, the Bluejays needed it with a slate coming up that includes St. John’s and Marquette next and Connecticut in the middle of January. It could be a slate that determines whether Creighton is legit or not.
Rutgers gets stunned and continues to drop
The arrival of Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey gave optimism for Rutgers to be a relevant basketball team. So far, it’s not working out well.
The Scarlet Knights had a win snatched away by Princeton in the final second for their fourth loss in six games. To be fair, Harper and Bailey have been sensational and have lived up to expectations. The problem has been the defense, which is allowing opponents to stick around and capitalize late. It’s those mistakes that currently doesn’t have Rutgers on a trajectory toward the tournament, which would be a massive disappointment for Steve Pikiell given the talent he brought in.
At least two people are dead and “several” others are injured after a “planned fight” at a North Carolina park escalated into a mass shooting, authorities said.
Police have identified several victims and suspects after Monday’s shooting at Leinbach Park near Jefferson Middle School, according to the Winston-Salem Police Department.
Authorities confirmed there were multiple victims in the shooting, but did not provide an exact number. The suspects were still at large over two hours later.
Officers were called to the park just before 10 a.m. after reports of a fight, which then escalated into multiple people shooting each other.
Area schools are not in lockdown, and classes are operating as normal, police said.
“Due to the number of people involved, efforts are ongoing to account for everyone. At this time, some of those involved in the incident are juveniles,” police said.
According to local news station WFMY, at least three people were taken to the hospital. Officials have not shared their conditions.
Police said the shooting was an isolated incident and remains under investigation.
This is a developing story
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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