North Carolina
North Carolina men's basketball rides defense to win over Syracuse, 5-0 start to ACC play
At the beginning of the season, Hubert Davis showed his team a clip from NBA legend Kevin Garnett.
“[Garnett] was talking about defense and he says, ‘I’m only in the place where I was supposed to be because I knew my teammate was going to be where he was supposed to be,’ the head coach said, describing the clip. “And I said ‘That’s the type of trust we need to have out there on the floor.’”
In the UNC’s 103-67 blowout of Syracuse on Saturday, this defensive focus was evident. The Tar Heels — who rank seventh in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency per KenPom — held the Orange to just 37 percent shooting from the field and finished with 13 steals — its most in a game since Feb. 16, 2019. In total, seven different players for North Carolina tallied a steal and the Tar Heels have now held five consecutive opponents to under 40 percent shooting for the first time since the 2019-20 season.
The growth on defense is evident throughout the lineup. In particular, junior forward Harrison Ingram and graduate forward Jae’Lyn Withers have been sparks out of the transfer portal for Hubert Davis. Withers said him and Ingram feed off each other’s energy, which brings out the best in both of them.
“We both love it on the defensive end,” Withers said. “I think that’s how we get going. Once we lock in on defense, I think the offense comes second nature.”
Returners to the lineup have made an impact as well. Senior guard and ACC leading scorer RJ Davis also ranks top ten in the conference in steals. In Saturday’s contest, he added five more to his total, tying a career high that he set earlier in the season.
While most of the talk surrounding RJ Davis has been in reference to his scoring output, he said he takes pride on the defensive end as well.
“This is definitely, by far, the best team I’ve been on defensively,” RJ Davis said.
Ingram and Hubert Davis credited director of recruiting Pat Sullivan as a major reason for this success. Ingram said Sullivan is the defensive coach, and he’s made him feel more prepared on defense than he’s ever been. The Tar Heels spend time with Sullivan running over plays and sets, allowing them to switch up their look for each game.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — The North Carolina Arboretum has announced a new season of “Spring Into the Arb!”
The “Spring Into the Arb!” is in its second year, with its series of plant shows and sales, science and nature activities, music, and art, allowing people to reemerge and reconnect with nature.
The season begins with Nature Play Day on Saturday, March 14, continuing through April, May, and June with new activities every weekend.
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According to a news release, throughout the season, guests can enjoy the following:
- Asheville Orchid Festival, annual Ikebana and Rose shows
- Purchase plants at the Spring Plant Sale and Market
- Get back to their native roots with Native Azalea Day, Mountain Science Expo, and Nature Play Day
The series culminates with Bonsai in the Blue Ridge in June, according to the release.
The release says guests and members are invited to drop in on the newly-opened Arbor Eatery in the Arboretum’s Education Center, which is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Hours extend to 5 p.m. beginning April 1.
Spring Into the Arb events and programs are included with the regular Arboretum parking fee of $25 per vehicle. Arboretum Society Members get in free.
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According to the release, additional admission is required for the Asheville Orchid Festival and Bonsai in the Blue Ridge.
A full list of the Spring Into the Arb 2026 events includes:
- Nature Play Day: March 14
- Asheville Orchid Festival: March 28 to 29
- Music in the Mountains Day: April 4
- Arbor Day Celebration: April 11
- Native Azalea Day: April 18
- Mountain Science Expo: April 25
- World Bonsai Day: May 9
- Change of Seasons: Spring into Ikebana: May 16 to 17
- The Asheville-Blue Ridge Rose Society Exhibition: May 22 to 24
- The Arb in Focus: 40 Views for 40 Years: Opening May 23
- Spring Plant Sale and Market: May 29 to 30
- Bonsai in the Blue Ridge: June 4 to 7
For more information, visit here.
A copy of Michael Jordan’s 1983 “Sports Illustrated” cover debut sold for $229,360 on Saturday night at Goldin, obliterating the previous record for a graded magazine.
Before Saturday, the previous record was the $126,000 paid for Jordan’s 1984 SI debut in a Bulls uniform entitled “A Star Is Born.”
“Sports Illustrated” magazines are very common and people kept them, but collectors narrowed the category by making rarer newsstand copies most collectible, and graded condition of those copies to narrow the most desirable down further.
Then, in July, came PSA to challenge CGC in the grading space.
The record UNC Jordan, with teammate Sam Perkins on the cover, was the only PSA 9.6. The question is, with PSA’s grading just beginning, are there others our there?
It’s possible, but that Jordan issue presents a challenge because it has a gatefold that makes it more challenging to press out defects.
The big price will likely create a group of opportunists who will now take raw subscription copies of this issue and get them graded for potential arbitrage.
But it won’t be that easy. A CGC 8.0 newsstand edition sold for $4,636 in October.
Whether the big price also creates more grading and selling of rare magazines remains to be seen, but PSA’s entrance into the space has definitely turned heads.
PSA has graded more than 50 of this particular issue, the second most commonly graded after the “Star is Born” issue.
Darren Rovell is the founder of cllct and one of the country’s leading reporters on the collectibles market. He previously worked for ESPN, CNBC and The Action Network.
Warmer temperatures are bringing North Carolina’s ski season to a close, with several mountain resorts announcing closing dates. Beech Mountain will close after its annual Pond Skim on March 14, while Appalachian Ski Mountain plans to stay open through March 15 for its Meltdown Games.
Web Editor : Mark Bergin
Reporter : Eric Miller
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