Bret Strelow

Sports

A Look Back At 4 Years of UNC Sports

By Bret Strelow | April 30

There have been many memorable sports moments in the last four years at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.The senior class of 2001 was deprived the chance to see Dean Smith roam the sidelines, but few of the 22,050 fans in attendance at the Smith Center on the night of Feb. 5, 1998, will forget UNC's win against Duke and the off-the-glass-alley-oop-that-almost-was with Ed Cota and Vince Carter.These same seniors filled Kenan Stadium on Saturdays as freshmen to watch Mack Brown's Tar Heels. Most even came an hour or two early. A scene like the one at Kenan on Nov.

Sports

4 Tar Heels Selected in NFL Draft

By Bret Strelow | April 23

Sedrick Hodge finally learned he was headed to the Big Easy, even if waiting to find out where his NFL career would begin wasn't.Hodge, one of four North Carolina players picked in this weekend's NFL Draft, thought he would be chosen early in the second round.Nervousness set in when the New Orleans Saints, one of three teams Hodge visited before the draft, traded the 53rd overall pick to the Dallas Cowboys and received the 70th selection in return.The excitement -- and relief -- came when New Orleans snatched him up in the third round with the 70th pick.

Sports

NFL Draft to Decide Players' Futures

By Bret Strelow | April 20

Two former North Carolina football players are sure to hear their names called during Saturday's first three rounds of the NFL Draft.

Sports

Basketball's Seniors\Wrap Up UNC Careers

By Bret Strelow | March 20

NEW ORLEANS -- Brendan Haywood gave a quick glimpse at the Louisiana Superdome scoreboard, then slowly walked over to his teammates standing in front of the North Carolina bench.Thirty seconds remained in the Tar Heels' second round NCAA tournament contest against Penn State, but Haywood would have to watch the last half minute of his UNC career from the bench after picking up his fifth foul.The Tar Heels trailed 80-74, and Haywood realized the finality of the moment.

Sports

Ivory Proves Himself Against UNC

By Bret Strelow | March 19

NEW ORLEANS -- Titus Ivory walked the halls of North Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte hoping to one day play for North Carolina.North Carolina never showed similar interest, and Ivory didn't think he should go somewhere he wasn't wanted.Ivory was there on the court at the Louisiana Superdome on Sunday, but he wasn't wearing the home white North Carolina uniform.After the game, he wasn't wearing all of his navy blue Penn State one, either. As the team ran to the locker room following its victory celebration, Ivory's arms were raised above the fleet-footed herd.

Sports

Battle for ACC Tourney Title Looks to Be a Free-For-All

By Bret Strelow | March 9

The ACC's two headliners met at the Smith Center last Sunday with the media spotlight shining solely on Chapel Hill.The league's seven other schools only benefitted by what transpired on that rainy afternoon.Duke's 95-81 victory meant top-seeded North Carolina will head into this weekend's ACC Tournament losers of three of its past five games.

Sports

`Unselfish' Owens Learns to Embrace Bench Role

By Bret Strelow | March 7

Matt Doherty pulled senior Max Owens aside after North Carolina's win against N.C. State last Wednesday and made a brief, yet meaningful, gesture.Doherty apologized to Owens.Owens had just spent 34 of the game's 40 minutes on the bench. And he didn't attempt a single shot in the limited time he was on the floor.But for a player who has had to deal with his share of adversity, Owens didn't respond to Doherty by pouting or sulking."He said 'Coach, I understand. As long as you talk to me, I understand,'" Doherty said.

Sports

Forte Bounces Back from UVa. Game

By Bret Strelow | March 1

Joseph Forte emerged from his locker to talk to the media at 11:28 p.m.

Sports

UNC Gives FSU `Old-Fashioned Whipping'

By Bret Strelow | February 23

The 21,652 fans who packed the Smith Center on Thursday night hardly seemed interested that Florida State's Adrian Crawford had just drilled a 3-pointer with 3:59 left.Instead, the sellout crowd had its eyes focused on the four big screen televisions showing replays of Julius Peppers' alley-oop dunk 13 seconds earlier.Second-ranked North Carolina was well on its way to a 95-67 victory against the Seminoles, and Crawford's shot was -- at best -- trivial. Those who saw Crawford's make knew it cut UNC's lead to 25 points.

Sports

Pursuit of Dream Leads Keldorf on Long Path Back Home

By Bret Strelow | February 15

Chris Keldorf invested a lot of years in the pursuit of his dream.The path wasn't always a quick or smooth one, but it had its scenic stops along the way, including a renovated Kenan Stadium. The NFL possibilities for the former North Carolina quarterback seemed endless coming into his senior season in 1997.The 26-year-old Keldorf finally arrived as a professional last July. But standing on the sidelines inside the Hartford Civic Center wearing No. 15 for the New England Seawolves of the Arena Football League wasn't quite what Keldorf originally had in mind.