Junior forward (15) Garrison Brooks celebrates after a dunk during the game against Virginia Tech on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020 in Cassel Coliseum. UNC lost to VT 79-77.

After fifth straight loss, UNC's leaders are struggling to cope with their new roles

By Ryan Wilcox

A double overtime loss to Virginia Tech left the Tar Heels' veterans searching for answers.

North Carolina fell to the Hokies in double overtime Wednesday night, 79-77, resulting in a sixth straight ACC loss and leaving UNC's other veteran leaders searching for answers in an 8-10 season that's becoming historic for all the wrong reasons.

A five-game slide has seen the Tar Heels lose in a variety of ways, but perhaps none hurt more than the most recent, in which they had not one, but two extra periods to give head coach Roy Williams his 880th career win. 

Instead, the Hall of Famer remains stuck: at 879, next to his mentor Dean Smith, and in the midst of a trying season with a limited roster, one that he admitted was the least talented of his Chapel Hill tenure.

Men's basketball

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Photo by Dustin Duong. 

‘A really cool little ecosystem’: A look at the world of UNC basketball Twitter

By Ryan Wilcox

North Carolina men’s basketball is one of the few college teams in the country that can boast a veritable and vibrant community of amateur pundits, hashtaggers and meme creators. This season notwithstanding, the Tar Heels are one of the most successful programs in the history of the sport; with that success comes a certain level of online fandom and — it’s fair to say — fanaticism.

UNC junior forward Garrison Brooks fields questions from members of the media following a game against Pitt in the Smith Center on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020. The Tar Heels lost to the Panthers 65-73.

After UNC's seventh loss of season, the Smith Center paints a bleak postgame scene

By Chapel Fowler

If any of UNC’s seven losses this season truly cast a shadow of doubt on the team’s NCAA Tournament chances, it was this one. Michigan, Ohio State, Gonzaga and Virginia are all ranked teams. An optimist could twist Wofford into a feel-out game, Cole Anthony's first on the sideline, and Georgia Tech into one of those early blips ACC teams so often have when conference play begins. After Wednesday's loss to Pittsburgh, Roy Williams stays next to Dean Smith on the NCAA’s all-time Division I wins list.

UNC forward Garrison Brooks (15) shoots the ball during the game against Georgia Tech in the Smith Center on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020.

After loss to Georgia Tech, the clock is ticking on UNC basketball's season

By Ryan Wilcox

After more than 13 minutes of game time, a Garrison Brooks hook shot finally ended UNC's field goal drought. North Carolina missed its first 15 shots from every which way — in the paint, from deep, at the elbow, in the corner — before Brooks' bucket. The Smith Center crowd went into a frenzy. North Carolina had just cut the lead to 22.