Black Ink taught me how to be a writer, the Daily Tar Heel trained me how to be a reporter and the Raleigh News & Observer showed me how to be a professional.
"One side will probably never concede that the other is better, but for Duke fans — good luck finding a counterargument for this Final Four game."
This weekend’s Final Four will feature some of the powerhouses of college basketball — and along with that, some household names. North Carolina will be represented by a man quickly making a case to enter that echelon of greats: Hubert Davis.
“Coming into the game, we weren't worried about who was going to be in the crowd or anything like that,” sophomore guard Caleb Love said. “We were focused on winning the game.”
Here are the keys for the Tar Heels to avoid an Elite Eight upset at the hands of St. Peter's — the first No. 15 seed to ever advance this far in the NCAA Tournament — and earn a trip to New Orleans.
Senior forward Leaky Black has seen the highs and lows of UNC basketball during his four seasons at North Carolina. But Sunday's Elite Eight game will be a first for Black, his head coach and everyone on UNC's roster this year.
“Any time Brady is on the floor, he impacts the game,” UNC head coach Hubert Davis said. “He's more than a jump shooter. He's a basketball player.”
After starters Brady Manek and Caleb Love fouled out of North Carolina's Round of 32 matchup against the top-seeded Baylor, reserve players like Justin McKoy and Dontrez Styles had to step up. With the game going into overtime, keeping the ship afloat was just as important as sailing it — which McKoy and Styles did. “The only thing that you are required to do is, when that opportunity comes, to be ready,” head coach Hubert Davis said. “And Justin and Dontrez were ready.”
Keeping the Bears off the boards and securing extra possessions could go a long way for UNC, especially in a close game.
After the technical fouls, scuffles and trash-talk, North Carolina is in a position to carry its hot hand into its Round of 32 game against the reigning champions, the Baylor Bears, on Saturday.
