North Carolina
What North Carolina Wants to See Happen in the Sweet 16
The North Carolina Tar Heels were a first-round exit in this year’s NCAA Tournament, but that does not mean that what transpires the rest of the way does not matter for the program.
It has been less than a week since the Tar Heels blew a 19-point lead in the second half against the VCU Rams, en route to an 82-78 loss in overtime. The result has raised doubts about Hubert Davis’ future as North Carolina’s head coach.
With all of that being said, here are a couple of things the Tar Heels should be wishing to happen later this week in the Sweet 16.
Duke Falls Short
The North Carolina-Duke rivalry is arguably the best one in all of sports. It was a tantalizing matchup the first time these two squared off this year, with Caleb Wilson and Cameron Boozer going head-to-head, as both players are expected to be selected in the top five of the 2026 NBA Draft.
However, the discrepancy between the two teams was apparent, even though the Tar Heels split the season series. The Blue Devils entered the NCAA Tournameent as the No. 1-overall seed in the entire field, while the Tar Heels limped into the field as a six-seed.
While North Carolina would obviously prefer playing in the upcoming round, which starts on Thursday night, nothing would make Tar Heels fans happier than to see Duke fall to St. John’s in the Sweet 16.
The Blue Devils have been playing with fire in the first two rounds, at various points, but they ultimately advanced to the second weekend of the tournament. St. John’s is a formidable opponent that could legitimately take down Duke.
One of the Teams With a Legitimate Head Coaching Option To Lose
It has been well-documented that North Carolina is likely to be in the coaching market, as Davis appears to be on his way out in Chapel Hill. If this occurs, the Tar Heels need to make a substantial hire that will elevate the program back to competing for national championships.
There will be a slew of options for North Carolina to consider, but two names to keep an eye on are Iowa State’s T.J. Otzelberger and Alabama’s Nate Oats. You may be asking yourself, ‘Why should North Carolina be rooting for potential head coach candidates to lose?’
Here’s why: the transfer portal opens on April 7, and ideally, North Carolina would want its presumed new head coach in place well before then. Those coaches will not be the only two to watch for, but they are arguably the most ideal.
North Carolina
Former North Carolina officer charged in beating caught on doorbell camera video
SHELBY, N.C. — A former North Carolina police officer caught on a doorbell camera repeatedly punching a woman in the face was charged Monday with assault.
The video of Shelby Officer Karson Hyder pummeling Cherrie Moore on Friday has circulated widely on social media.
Hyder, 22, turned himself in to the Cleveland County Detention Center Monday morning and was released on a $10,000 secured bond. Court records do not list an attorney for him, and a phone number associated with his name was out of service.
Hyder, who was suspended Friday and fired on Saturday, was responding to a breaking-and-entering call when the scuffle ensued.
According to a warrant, Moore, 34, fled the residence on foot and resisted arrest, assaulting Hyder by “grabbing and ripping (his) uniform.”
A separate warrant filed Monday alleged Hyder “unlawfully and willfully did assault and strike Cherrie Moore” by grabbing Moore “by the arm, pushing her to the ground and striking her in the face with a closed fist, thereby inflicting serious injury possible broken nose and busted lip.”
The State Bureau of Investigation had announced Saturday it had opened an investigation into Hyder.
Moore was initially charged with breaking and entering, resisting arrest and assault on a public officer, but the latter two charges have since been dismissed. She was freed on an unsecured bond. A phone number associated with Moore was disconnected.
Her attorney, Ronald Haynes, told The Associated Press in an email that Moore “is recovering and receiving treatment for her mental health.”
“The heinous actions of former Officer Karson Hyder will forever negatively impact Ms. Cherrie Moore and her family,” Haynes continued. “It’s a small relief that city officials responded so promptly to terminate and charge Mr. Hyder.”
Copyright © 2026 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
North Carolina
North Carolina investigators use drone to arrest man in fatal shooting of Virginia deputy
DOBSON, N.C. — Investigators in North Carolina used a drone to find and arrest a man wanted in connection with the fatal shooting of a Virginia sheriff’s deputy who was conducting a welfare check, authorities said.
The suspect, identified as Michael Puckett, was found with a gun on Sunday night, two days after the shooting, as he was ringing the doorbell of a home several miles away from the Virginia state line. He was arrested in North Carolina’s Surry County and was booked without bond, the state’s bureau of investigation said in a news release. Multiple law enforcement agencies took part in the search.
Puckett, 55, faced an extradition hearing Monday in North Carolina. He did not have an attorney listed, a court clerk said. It was not immediately known where Puckett was from.
The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office said the fatal shooting occurred after law enforcement received a request from a family member to do a welfare check on Friday.
A man at the home began shooting, and the two sheriff’s deputies who had responded returned fire, the sheriff’s office said. Both deputies were hit.
Carroll County Sheriff Kevin Kemp said Deputy Logan Utt was killed. The second deputy, who was struck in his ballistic vest, was recovering at home and was in good condition, Kemp said at a news conference Sunday night.
Other people were in the home at the time. They were not hurt, Kemp said.
Utt, 31, was a military veteran who joined the department in 2023. A funeral procession was scheduled Monday afternoon from Roanoke, Virginia, to a funeral home in Mount Airy, North Carolina.
“He had a servant’s heart. He cared for others, he cared for his country, he cared for his family,” Kemp said.
North Carolina
Suspect seen on North Carolina camera after shooting Virginia deputies
The suspect who shot at two Virginia deputies who were conducting a welfare check in Virginia was apprehended in Surry County, North Carolina Sunday, said the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office.
The suspect, identified by the U.S. Marshals Office as 55-year-old Michael Timothy Puckett, was spotted on camera in North Carolina on earlier in the say, according to the Wytheville Police Department.
Police say the suspect he was seen on a wildlife game camera in Surry County, North Carolina, at 6:56 a.m.
A sheriff’s deputy in Carroll County died Friday after the suspect shot at the two deputies, according to law enforcement officials.
The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office said the fatal shooting occurred after law enforcement received a request from a family member to do a welfare check.
A man at the home began shooting, and the deputies returned fire, the sheriff’s office said. Both deputies were hit.
“One deputy sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased. The second deputy was struck in his ballistic vest and is currently receiving medical evaluation and is reported to be in stable condition,” the office said in a statement.
Sheriff Kevin A. Kemp identified the officer who died as Deputy Logan Utt, a military veteran who joined the department in 2023.
“Today, Carroll County has lost a hero, and a family has suffered an unimaginable loss,” Kemp said. “Please keep his wife, children, family, friends, and fellow deputies in your thoughts and prayers.”
-
California1 minute agoSteve Hilton says he is ‘well prepared’ to make changes in California
-
Colorado9 minutes agoMajor Northern Colorado cities warn lack of power generation could temporarily stunt region’s projected growth
-
Connecticut11 minutes agoRocky Hill firefighters honored for Connecticut river rescue
-
Delaware16 minutes agoLavender & Lambs Festival Returns to Brittingham Farms June 27 – Milford LIVE! – Local Delaware News, Kent and Sussex Counties
-
Florida24 minutes agoFlorida just wasted a silver-platter path to Super Regionals and beyond
-
Georgia26 minutes agoOklahoma WALKS OFF No. 2 overall seed Georgia Tech to win regional | Full 10th inning
-
Hawaii32 minutes ago
Hawaii’s Kilauea sets record for lava fountaining episodes in any 1 eruption for the volcano
-
Idaho39 minutes agoIdaho Man Chooses Chaos; Dives Off of Bridge With An Inflatable Unicorn