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Tar Heels slide from preseason No. 1 to NCAA tourney bubble

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Tar Heels slide from preseason No. 1 to NCAA tourney bubble


CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Roughly 20 minutes had handed since his North Carolina staff had misplaced a grind-it-out battle in opposition to rival Duke, and Armando Bacot had taken his customary seat behind a small desk together with his again to a wall-mounted tv.

The questions began coming from a reporters surrounding him, probing what had gone incorrect. However they weren’t nearly one recreation. They had been about a complete season, one which has seen an skilled staff open with a No. 1 rating after a magical trip to the national-title recreation solely to shut the common season in precarious at finest standing for a return to the NCAA Match.

“Might you’ve gotten ever thought that you simply’d be on this place?” one reporter requested.

“No,” Bacot mentioned, “however I’m right here.”

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The Tar Heels (19-12) are flirting with changing into the primary staff to open at No. 1 within the preseason Related Press ballot and miss the NCAA Match since its growth to 64 groups in 1985. They’ve struggled to make exterior pictures or win shut video games, constructing a postseason resume stuffed with much more missed alternatives than high-end wins.

And that has them headed to this week’s Atlantic Coast Convention Match doubtless needing a number of victories — and perhaps nothing wanting the title — to make sure they hear their title known as on Choice Sunday.

They open play Wednesday as a No. 7 seed in a second-round recreation in opposition to the Louisville-Boston School winner.

There are a number of solutions for what has gone incorrect.

Second-year coach Hubert Davis has talked about his staff trying weighed down by a few of the excessive expectations to repeat final yr’s run, which included spoiling retiring Corridor of Famer Mike Krzyzewski’s remaining dwelling recreation at Duke after which handing him the ultimate lack of his profession within the Last 4 throughout an epic first-ever within the NCAA Match between the storied rivals.

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“We knew because the begin of the season,” beginning guard R.J. Davis mentioned. “Simply the expectations that had been being upholded, simply on the market within the media, simply the noise. … Typically you place an excessive amount of stress on your self and also you attempt to meet these expectations (as an alternative of) simply going on the market and simply play freely.”

Some issues are apparent, comparable to flirting with setting a program file for the worst 3-point taking pictures (.309) in a season — which has made it tough to house the ground for driving lanes or Bacot inside in contrast to final yr’s late run.

But there have additionally been bother with particulars and shutting out video games, a shock for a staff that returned 4 starters.

Take Saturday’s 62-57 loss to the Blue Devils. UNC missed a number of pictures for the lead or to tie late, the final being Caleb Love’s leaning 3-pointer down 60-57 with 8 seconds left. But each Hubert Davis and first-year Duke coach Jon Scheyer talked about one other telling sequence after UNC had hit back-to-back 3-pointers to take a 49-45 lead.

First UNC defender Puff Johnson allowed left-handed Duke wing Mark Mitchell drive to his sturdy hand and rating on a layup.

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Then Duke re-inserted Dereck Energetic II, a defensive-minded large man who scores by means of motion and exercise moreso than back-to-the-basket strikes. Virtually instantly, Duke level guard Tyrese Proctor noticed Energetic pick-and-rolling freely to the basket for a lob and tying dunk that erased momentum.

“That was the second for us,” Scheyer mentioned, “and that was the second to dig down.”

“I’ve talked to you guys all yr and to the staff in regards to the significance of self-discipline and particulars,” Hubert Davis mentioned. “That’s an ideal instance of self-discipline and particulars from a defensive standpoint. These are issues which have been advised and taught. These are the kind of belongings you simply can’t do down the stretch.”

Now the Tar Heels can solely stay up for what’s left.

They stood at 1-9 in Quadrant 1 video games atop the resume, the lone win coming final week in opposition to No. 13 Virginia at dwelling. The losses included a four-overtime setback in opposition to now-No. 2 Alabama in November.

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Of the 38 groups to be AP preseason No. 1 since 1985, practically half (18) have at the very least reached the Last 4. Six groups gained the championship — most just lately, the Tar Heels in 2008-09 — and 7 others reached the title recreation.

And of that group, nary a one has missed the sphere completely.

“Sure, we all know we’re in a troublesome spot,” R.J. Davis mentioned. “however we’ve simply acquired to go on the market and simply hoop.”

___

Observe Aaron Beard on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/aaronbeardap

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___

AP faculty basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Copyright 2023 The Related Press. All rights reserved. This materials is probably not printed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed with out permission.





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North Carolina

One-on-one with North Carolina QB commit Bryce Baker at the Elite 11 Finals

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One-on-one with North Carolina QB commit Bryce Baker at the Elite 11 Finals



The 2024 Elite 11 Finals are in the books. 20 of the nation’s premier class of 2025 prospects took take part in the prestigious event. Kernersville (NC) East Forsyth class of 2025 three-star quarterback Bryce Baker committed to North Carolina back on June 27, 2023. The 6-3, 195-pounder chose the Tar Heels over offers from Duke, Louisville, Penn State, and others.
(247 Sports)

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North Carolina man charged after shooting in Danville road rage incident

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North Carolina man charged after shooting in Danville road rage incident


DANVILLE, Va. – A North Carolina man is facing multiple felony charges connected to a road rage incident in Danville Tuesday, according to the Danville Police Department.

Police said at around 4 p.m. Tuesday, officers responded to a report of shots fired in the area of the 700 block of Halifax Road. A short time later, a victim reported that his vehicle had been shot into during a road rage incident.

Through information gathered at the scene, the suspect vehicle and driver, 28-year-old Marlowe Cobbs, of Milton, North Carolina, were identified and found in Caswell County, North Carolina.

Cobbs has been extradited back to Virginia, and was charged with the following:

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  • Shooting from a vehicle

  • Attempted aggravated malicious wounding

  • Use of a firearm in commission of a felony

  • Discharging a firearm in public

  • Child endangerment

  • Shooting at an occupied vehicle

He’s being held in the Danville City Jail without bond.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Danville Police Department by either calling patrol at 434-799-6510 option 4, investigations at 434-799-6508 option 1, and option 1 again, calling 911, contacting Crime Stoppers at 434-793-0000, approach any officer you see, through social media, via email crimetips@danvilleva.gov, or use our crime tips app CARE at www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=818#.

Copyright 2024 by WSLS 10 – All rights reserved.



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NC Republicans call on election officials to testify about treatment of third-party candidates

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NC Republicans call on election officials to testify about treatment of third-party candidates


North Carolina elections officials are being called to testify before a legislative committee to talk about their treatment of third-party candidates.

The North Carolina State Elections Board on June 26 blocked requests by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Cornel West, and Constitution Party candidate Randall Terry to be listed as presidential candidates on the November ballot. Democrats who control the board said they want more time to review each candidate’s petition before making a final decision at a later date.

On Tuesday, leaders of North Carolina’s House Oversight and Reform Committee sent a letter to Alan Hirsch, chairman of the state elections board, asking him to testify before their committee on July 9. State Reps. Jake Johnson and Harry Warren, co-chairs of the committee, wrote to Hirsch:

“At the hearing, please be prepared to address this information, including:

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  • The grounds by which the Board denied the petitions of these political parties, even after timely submission.
  • Anticipated schedule to resolve questions on the submitted petitions.
  • Any communications the Board has had with third-party organizations concerning its decision to leave these political parties off the ballot.
  • Any underlying or perceived political motivations the Board may have to exclude these names from the ballot.”

Johnson and Warren also invited other board members and Karen Brinson Bell, the board’s executive director. Paul Cox, the state board’s general counsel, told WRAL Wednesday that the hearing is still up in the air.

The state elections board plans to meet on July 9 and continue reviewing the third-party petitions, Cox said.

“My understanding is that the committee is looking to reschedule, because they weren’t aware that the State Board was planning to meet next Tuesday to consider petitions,” Cox said in an email. The board is scheduled to meet at 1:30 p.m. on July 9.

Staff for the legislative committee leaders didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

The legislators’ request comes a day after Republican members of Congress also inquired about the board’s decision. On Monday, Republican chairmen of the House Administration and House Judiciary committees asked the state elections board to provide them with documents and other information related to the board’s decision.

The committees “are concerned that the NCSBE’s decision was politically motivated and may have been done to influence the 2024 presidential election by limiting the candidates for which voters may cast their ballots,” Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Bryan Steil, R-Wisconsin, wrote in a letter to the state elections board. Jordan chairs the judiciary committee and Steil chairs the administration committee.

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The board intends to provide the committees with the documents they seek, Cox confirmed earlier this week. Many of them are already publicly available on the state board’s website.

North Carolina voters have signaled that they’d like to have options for president besides Republican Donald Trump and Democratic President Joe Biden. The board’s review of third-party candidates comes as Democrats have raised concerns about Biden’s ability to defeat Trump following his heavily-scrutinized performance in a recent debate.

The three candidates petitioning to get their names on North Carolina’s ballot are hoping to do so by having their political parties formally recognized by the elections board. Kennedy would represent the We The People Party, West would represent the Justice For All Party, and Terry would represent the Constitution Party.

Board members raised different issues with each petition.

Democrats on the state elections board expressed concern that Kennedy is using the We the People Party to circumvent state law — and that the proposed party doesn’t represent a group of voters with a specific set of policy beliefs.

In North Carolina, state law makes it harder for individual candidates to get ballot access than for new political parties. Board members asked We The People representatives about a script they provided to volunteers, which said the purpose of the petition was to create a new political party and get Kennedy’s name on the North Carolina ballot.

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As for the Justice For All petition, board members said they worried that volunteers misled signatories about the purpose of the group, which espouses liberal ideals. West is a former honorary chair of the Democratic Socialists of America.

Italo Medelius, chair of Justice For All Party of North Carolina, told the board at its June 26 meeting that its petition materials may have been accessed by Trump supporters. The party’s petition, board members noted, should be signed by people who want to advocate for a common set of beliefs.

The Constitution Party’s petition, meanwhile, is hung up on a technical issue.

State law requires party petitions to include a legitimate address. The group’s petition listed the address of a former residence for Al Pisano, chair of the state party.

Pisano told board members that he wasn’t sure if he needed to change the address. The party was on North Carolina’s ballot in 2020. Its presidential nominee, Don Blankenship, received 7,549 votes of the 5.5 million cast.

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Pisano said that he had previously reached out to elections board staff about the address issue and didn’t receive an answer. Board members delayed their decision on the Constitution Party to review records exchanged by Pisano and board staff.

Democratic board member Siobhan Millen said that, before the address issue came up, she had expected the party’s petition to be “probably a slam dunk.”



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