SUPPLY, N.C. — A day after confirming he wouldn’t be a candidate for Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Tuesday at a public event that he’s excited that Democrats “have a lot of great options for her to choose from.”
North Carolina
What to Expect: North Carolina at Indiana
Indiana will search for its seventh straight win to start the season when it hosts North Carolina Wednesday night time. The Tar Heels are 5-2 and ranked No. 18 within the newest Related Press high 25 ballot.
Wednesday’s sport is about for a 9:15 p.m. ET tip on ESPN:
The second of Indiana’s 4 main non-conference video games ideas tonight in Bloomington. North Carolina, the preseason No. 1 group within the Related Press high 25 ballot, involves Meeting Corridor on a two-game skid.
The Tar Heels dropped video games to Iowa State and Alabama in Portland over the weekend and dropped 17 spots within the AP ballot. North Carolina’s ultimate sport in Portland, a loss to Alabama, went 4 overtimes.
Whereas it gained’t be No. 1 coming to Meeting Corridor, Wednesday night time ought to present one other terrific late-night environment on Department McCracken Courtroom.
MEET THE TAR HEELS
North Carolina’s run to the nationwide championship sport final spring got here as a No. 8 seed and included wins over Marquette, Baylor, UCLA, Saint Peter’s and Duke. It could have been onerous to create a greater state of affairs for first-year coach Hubert Davis. The UNC grad beat Duke at Cameron in Mike Krzyzewski’s ultimate dwelling sport and ended Coach Okay’s tenure within the Last 4.
North Carolina returned 4 of its 5 starters from final season’s nationwide runner-up group and added Northwestern switch Pete Nance to switch the graduating Brady Manek.
What’s lacking proper now for the Tar Heels is depth. Davis doesn’t belief his bench and is enjoying his starters heavy minutes by way of seven video games. The numbers are a bit skewed due to the four-overtime sport, however all of UNC’s starters are averaging at the least 30.9 minutes per sport and 4 of them are averaging 34.4 minutes per sport or extra.
The UNC assault is spearheaded by the guard duo of Caleb Love and RJ Davis. Each gamers had IU presents out of excessive colleges and had been recruiting targets for the Hoosiers below Archie Miller.
The 6-foot-4 Love already has 4 video games with 20 or extra factors this season and scored 34 in UNC’s double-overtime loss to Alabama. His 20 factors per sport lead the group, however Love is capturing poorly from the perimeter by way of seven video games. After connecting on 36 p.c of his 3s final season, Love is capturing solely 24.5 p.c from distance this season. He’s a wonderful free throw shooter – 83.7 p.c for his profession – and can be making greater than 53 p.c of his 2s this season.
The 6-foot Davis can be struggling from the perimeter by way of seven video games. He shot 36.7 p.c from distance final season, however is capturing simply 27.8 p.c this season. Davis is third on the group in scoring at 15.7 factors per sport and has 22 assists in comparison with 13 turnovers, which isn’t an ideal ratio. Neither Davis or Love are pure level guards and each are able to going off from the perimeter in the event that they make a few photographs early.
Freshman Seth Trimble was a high 40 recruit from Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, however is on the perimeter of the rotation proper now. The 6-foot-3 Trimble is averaging simply 11.3 minutes per sport. Within the restricted run he’s obtained, Trimble is capturing 46.2 p.c from the sphere on 13 makes an attempt. Determining a technique to get Trimble extra built-in into the rotation could possibly be helpful long-term for North Carolina to keep away from carrying down Love and Davis because the season progresses.
The beginning frontcourt for UNC options Armando Bacot, Nance and Leaky Black.
Bacot is likely one of the nation’s premier massive males, however his ankle isn’t presently one hundred pc. The 6-foot-11, 235-pound ahead mentioned he felt “sharp pains” in his ankle in the course of the Alabama sport. By way of seven video games, Bacot is averaging 16.7 factors and 11.3 rebounds per sport. He’s one of many nation’s greatest rebounders. Final season, Bacot led the ACC in each offensive and defensive rebounding share. He’s capturing 57.6 p.c on 2s and 67.2 p.c from the free throw line.
Black is likely one of the nation’s high wing defenders who can guard a number of positions. He additionally appeared a bit hobbled within the Alabama sport as he went to the bench with a turned ankle, however got here again in. Black is capturing 41.2 p.c on 3s on restricted makes an attempt and is capturing 61.5 p.c on 2s. He’s fifth on the group in scoring at 8.7 factors per sport and second in rebounding at 7.1 per sport.
The 6-foot-11 Nance is conversant in Indiana and the Huge Ten from the 4 seasons he spent at Northwestern. Nance is capturing 41.7 p.c on 3s, 64 p.c on 2s and 80.8 p.c from the free throw line. At 6-foot-11, he may guard a number of positions and provides the Heels versatility up entrance.
Puff Johnson is the one bench participant moreover Trimble averaging in double-figure minutes. The 6-foot-8, 200-pound ahead is averaging 5.5 factors and a couple of.5 rebounds, however has solely performed within the final 4 video games after beginning the season with tightness in his knee. Johnson performed 48 minutes towards Alabama.
TEMPO-FREE PREVIEW AND THOUGHTS ON THE MATCHUP
All nationwide rankings on this chart are legitimate by way of Monday’s video games.
North Carolina is an elite offensive group that can check Indiana’s protection. The Hoosiers had been shaky defensively in an 81-79 win at Xavier as they surrendered 1.11 factors per possession to the Musketeers.
The Tar Heels are a gifted, battle-tested group that gained’t be intimidated by the setting in Meeting Corridor. That mentioned, it’s honest to surprise what North Carolina can have left within the tank after its journey to Portland together with potential damage points. Bacot was hurting sufficient that he was on the bench late within the Alabama loss. Well being and fatigue may actually be an element for the Tar Heels.
The keys for the Hoosiers are maintaining Bacot off the offensive glass and containing the duo of Love and Davis. Neither guard has shot it significantly properly by way of seven video games, nevertheless it’s solely a matter of time earlier than that adjustments.
WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO
The KenPom projection is Indiana by six with a 70 p.c probability of victory for the Hoosiers. The Sagarin rankings favor Indiana by 7.5.
On the numerous sportsbooks, Indiana is a 4.5-point favourite at FanDuel, 5.5-point favourite at Caesars, 5.5-point favourite at BetMGM and a 5-point favourite at DraftKings.
This can be a crucial sport for Indiana to win. The Hoosiers have already got a sure-fire Quad 1 win at Xavier on the ledger and a win over the Tar Heels would have endurance on the NCAA match resume.
Apart from the Xavier sport, Indiana’s non-conference schedule has been comfortable and issues are about to warmth up with a neutral-court sport towards Arizona and a highway journey to Kansas. Indiana has the benefit of enjoying at dwelling with 4 full days of relaxation between video games and this is a chance the Hoosiers must seize to shut out the month of November.
(Picture credit score: North Carolina Athletics)
Filed to: North Carolina Tar Heels
Cooper, barred by term limits from seeking reelection this year, had been among roughly a dozen potential contenders that Harris’ team was initially looking at for a vice presidential pick. He’s been a surrogate for President Joe Biden’s reelection bid and now for Harris.
“I am going to work every day to see that she is elected,” Cooper told WECT-TV. “I believe that she will win, and I look forward to this campaign because she has the right message and she is the right person for this country.”
In making his decision, Cooper confirmed Tuesday that he was concerned in part about what Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson could do if he left the state to campaign as part of the Democratic ticket. The state constitution says that “during the absence of the Governor from the State … the Lieutenant Governor shall be Acting Governor.” Robinson is running for governor this fall.
“We had concerns that he would try to seize the limelight because there would be a lot, if I were the vice presidential candidate, on him, and that would be a real distraction to the presidential campaign,” Cooper said.
Cooper pointed to when he traveled to Japan last fall on an economic development trip. As acting governor at the time, Robinson held a news conference during his absence to announce he had issued a “NC Solidarity with Israel Week” proclamation after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack inside the country.
Cooper also said Tuesday that he informed Harris’ campaign “early in the process” that he would not be a candidate, but that he didn’t reveal publicly that decision at first so as not to dampen enthusiasm for Harris within the party.
“My name had already been prominently put into the media and so I did not want to cause any problems for her or to slow her great momentum,” he told WRAL-TV while in Supply, located about 160 miles (258 kilometers) south of Raleigh. Cooper said he announced his decision when “there had begun to be a lot of speculation about the fact that I was not going to be in the pool of candidates, and in order to avoid the distraction of the speculation.”
Tuesday’s event at Green Swamp Preserve celebrated a $421 million grant for projects in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Maryland to reduce climate pollution. The money will be used to preserve, enhance or restore coastal habitats, forests and farmland, Cooper’s office said.
The state of North Carolina is uber-important to the Tennessee Volunteers on the recruiting trail and should only get more important in the coming years.
The Tennessee Volunteers are currently on a hot streak on the recruiting trail. They added commitments from Toombs County safety Lagonza Hayward and Derby High School tight end Da’Saahn Brame over the weekend, putting them at the No. 8 overall class in the 2025 cycle. They still have several important announcements in the near future, several from the state of North Carolina.
The Vols have been adamant about successfully recruiting the state of North Carolina for years, and as more blue-chip talent continues to come from the Tarheel state, the more Tennessee will spend its time within that footprint. They’re firmly in the race for Providence Day School offensive tackle David Sanders Jr., who ranks as the No. 2 prospect in the 2025 class. He announces his decision on August 17th, and the North Carolina native is quite high on the Vols.
Additionally, Grimsley High School quarterback Faizon Brandon decides between Alabama, LSU, North Carolina State, and Tennessee this weekend. The No. 9 prospect in the 2026 class also hails from North Carolina and is Tennessee’s top target at the quarterback position.
There are plenty of examples of future standouts coming from the state and past ones who’ve made an impact at the University of Tennessee – the school’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2015 was North Carolina native Jaylen Wright, who was selected in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel met with the media ahead of fall camp and discussed why they continue investing so much in the state.
“It is a border state,” Heupel explained to media on Tuesday. “For us, we believe and look at it and view it as part of our footprint. We are intentional in how we recruit that state.”
Other Tennessee News:
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Enthusiasm is growing among Asian Americans in North Carolina.
With Kamala Harris stepping into the race and the potential for the country’s first president of Asian American heritage, it’s ignited excitement in the community.
“I’ve already participated in a half dozen Zoom calls about ways members of the Asian American community can help and turn out the vote,” said Sen. Jay Chaudhuri, a Democrat representing portions of Wake County.
Harris marked many “firsts” when she became vice president after the 2020 election: she was the first woman, first Black person, and first Asian American in that position. Her father is Jamaican and her mother is Indian.
Now she has the opportunity to become the first Asian American presidential candidate if she secures the Democratic Party’s nomination.
“What people are excited about is recognizing the historical significance of it, that her lived experiences as an Asian American and Black woman really bring a different, inclusive level of representation to the highest level of government,” North Carolina Asian Americans Together communications director Jimmy Patel-Nguyen said.
The organization is focused on channeling that energy into voter outreach efforts, as well as raising awareness and education about key down ballot races.
The Asian American and Pacific Islander population in North Carolina has steadily increased in recent years.
It’s grown 63.3 percent since 2012 for a population size of about 456,655 in 2024, according to AAPIVote — a nonpartisan group dedicated to strengthening civic engagement for Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.
There are roughly 235,900 eligible Asian American and Pacific Islander voters in North Carolina, marking a 55.4 percent growth in voter eligibility from 2012 to 2022.
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders make up 2.97 percent of the electorate in the swing state. In 2020, then-President Donald Trump narrowly won North Carolina by less than 75,000 votes.
“It’s really important for us to acknowledge that major campaigns cannot ignore us anymore,” Patel-Nguyen said. “We are too consequential to elections — every election, local, state, and federal, where we’re changing the political landscape in North Carolina.”
The population is concentrated around urban areas. Wake, Mecklenburg, Guilford, Durham, and Orange counties have the highest proportions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Nearly 60 percent of Asian American adults in North Carolina speak a language other than English at home, according to AAPIVote.
Along with low voter contact, language barriers have accounted for low voter turnout for Asian Americans.
“We do see the gaps when it comes to language access and communication,” Rep. Maria Cervania, a Democrat representing portions of Wake County, said. “We know that we need to continue that and more so now.”
That’s why groups like NCAAT work to make voting as accessible as possible. In the past, NCAAT has translated mailers into different languages and made an effort to reach out to voters in their native tongue.
Another issue is avoiding treating the Asian American community as a monolith. With so many different backgrounds and cultures, there’s a wide variety of views across the political spectrum.
“A majority of AAPI voters in North Carolina are registered unaffiliated,” Patel-Nguyen said. “We’re really independent thinkers who are voting on issues and not all party lines.”
Top issues vary for individual voters, but there are general themes.
Younger voters prioritize lowering the cost of living, protecting abortion access and reproductive rights, and making healthcare more affordable, according to a poll by NCAAT. Older voters are more concerned about crime and public safety, as well as the economy and job creation.
The Harris campaign has invested more money into more media than ever in order to reach Asian American voters, according to the campaign.
“In just the first week since Vice President Harris became the presumptive nominee of our party, we’ve seen a groundswell of support from AANHPI voters across North Carolina who are fired up to elect Kamala Harris as the first Asian American president in U.S. history,” according to Natalie Murdock, the campaign’s North Carolina political and coalitions director.
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