Moment of the press conference.
Cormac Ryan interrupts RJ Davis and sticks up for his teammate.
“He’s one of the greatest Tar Heels of all time. For anybody to come and say anything negative about RJ is unacceptable.”
Video courtesy of NCAA Media Hub.
One of my favorite moments from last night:
Cormac Ryan is interrupted by Armando Bacot as he speaks to the media following No. 7 UNC's 84-79 win over No. 9 Duke.
Bacot: “He’s psychotic! He’s sick in the head! Take him to a mental hospital!”
Ryan: *grins* "Um"
Seth Trimble’s mother (left) and aunt (right) react to the sophomore guard’s monster slam.
UNC is up 72-48 over FSU. The Tar Heels are just having fun at this point.
There’s a new
@dailytarheel
sports editor dropping into town…
I’m thrilled to announce that I will be serving as the DTH sports editor for the 2023-2024 school year. This is a dream come true and I am so excited to get to work with our writers!
#commitment
#allin
The student ticket line for tonight’s matchup between No. 17 UNC women’s basketball and No. 13 Duke has extended to at least the UNC student stores. Crazy stuff.
“Going to a school like North Carolina you never get a break,” Armando Bacot said. “I'll order DoorDash and the driver will be like 'Man, you done messed up my parlay!' And I’m just like, 'Whatever. I’m sorry.'"
More thoughts on prop bets in my column:
With Seth Trimble’s transfer portal announcement, I’m reminded of my interview with him after UNC’s Sweet 16 loss to Alabama.
He spoke about how much this season meant to him and the bonds he will carry with him.
Great composure and thoughtful reflection.
See below:
Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella on playing in the North Carolina heat: “(The heat) is going to be very difficult for us. I am a British boy now so I will suffer a lot.”
He also said he hasn’t seen much of Chapel Hill so far, but UNC campus reminds him of High School Musical.
Honored is an understatement. I’m thrilled to announce that I was awarded first place in the Feature Writing Competition of the 2023-2024 Hearst Journalism Awards. Special thanks to
@johnrobinson
for his help.
See the press release here:
#HearstAwards
Tez Walker's mother, Ivey Cody, celebrates her birthday today.
I called Walker's grandmother, Loretta Black, shortly after news of his eligibility broke today.
"This will be a beautiful birthday gift for her," Black said.
@dailytarheel
@dthsports
Anderson Clayton, current chair of the NC Democratic Party, speaking on UNC’s campus today. She is urging people to encourage others to register to vote in the upcoming election cycle.
“Power comes from the ground y’all.”
Excited to announce I’ll be contributing to the
@newsobserver
’s coverage of UNC football this fall!
I’m looking forward to working alongside
@ice_chip
and delivering those narratives.
Fall practice begins tonight, so expect some preseason content coming soon!
How lucky am I to get to do what I do?
Incredibly blessed to be covering
@UNCFootball
’s season opener in what is likely my last game for
@dailytarheel
. It’s been an incredible three years.
Not crying just yet. I’ve got a gamer to file and a sidebar to crank out.
Armando Bacot said he thinks this past Saturday was the loudest he’s heard the Dean E. Smith Center get in his five years as a Tar Heel. And where would he place the crescendo, the peak of all the noise?
When Kyle Filipowski was at the free throw line.
Here at Kenan Stadium getting an inside look at the renovations ahead of the Chelsea FC and Wrexham AFC friendly, set to take place on July 19.
Over the course of two days, about 1.5 million lbs of Tifway 419 Bermuda GameOn Grass grown in Indian Trail, N.C., is being laid down.
I am thrilled to announce that I’ve been awarded the Joe Sullivan Scholarship by the Associated Press Sports Editors. I’ll be putting the money towards my tuition this upcoming semester. Super grateful for this award and the APSE membership that comes with it!
#APSEscholarship
Just completed my final print proof at
@dailytarheel
, thus ending my tenure as
@dthsports
editor.
Thankful isn’t the right word. Grateful doesn’t do it justice either. I’m simply blessed to have held this role.
Excited for what’s next! 🙏
Excited to share that I’m one of the 2024
@APSE_sportmedia
Scholarship winners!📰
Honored to receive the Roy Hewitt/Tim Wheatley Scholarship and to be named alongside fellow SJI alum
@WyntonJackson
and the other talented recipients.
Yesterday, I went to Raleigh and took pictures at this demonstration for
@dailytarheel
.
Now, I am currently in the DTH office in lockdown. There is another "armed, dangerous person on or near campus."
This is the second time this has happened this school year at UNC.
#enough
Yesterday, UNC MFOL and other students got kicked out of the NC legislature for demanding gun safety.
Today, they're back in lockdown at UNC Chapel Hill for the second time in two weeks. WHEN IS ENOUGH ENOUGH?
After UNC's Sweet 16 loss to Alabama, Armando Bacot characterized his last season in one word: fun.
“I think the bonds that I’ve created with these guys are greater than I’ve created with any team I've been on."
More on brotherhood and bonds that last:
I’m happy to say a feature I wrote in
@johnrobinson
’s class earned a
@TheNCPress
award!
My story "From NIL to social evolution, women in sports now have more control of their own style" won first place in the sports feature writing category.
Read here:
Super excited to announce that I'll be part of SJI's 2024 cohort!
Thanks to
@pjdaman12
and
@jxholloway
who introduced me to the program and encouraged me to apply.
I'd also like to extend a thanks to
@aaronbeardap
,
@CJM_UNC
and countless other mentors.
I'm thrilled to announce I'll be joining Women in Sports Elevate (WISE) at UNC as a Sports Journalism Co-Chair for the 2024-25 school year!
Excited for this opportunity and looking forward to promoting an inclusive space for women in sports.
Learn more:
Growing up in the area, I always knew "Big E" from his Fathers Day camp and community outreach. I only later found out he was a darn good player.
If you have a story you'd like to share about Eric Montross or know someone who does, please email me at sports
@dailytarheel
.com.
#UNC
commit Drake Powell with 33 points in Northwood HS’s 81-64 win over Millbrook. Especially impressed with his ability to fight through double teams to create opportunities for his teammates. Incredible court vision and passing to get his whole team involved.
My mom is a kindergarten teacher at Estes Hills. Some of her students were experiencing their first day of school ever. That memory will forever be paired with having to sit in a classroom, waiting for a delayed dismissal, in a “secure mode” lockdown.
This is America.
It was the first day of school at Guy B. Phillips Middle School when a message came over the loudspeaker around 1:30 p.m. on Monday: the school would be going into "secure mode."
Kelly Fox, a sixth grade teacher, said she knew this was not a drill.
Hi! Just because I have received several messages and DMs, I am safe. I hope everyone else on UNC’s campus is safe. Nobody should have to go through this.
More on this moment and the camaraderie of this team in my latest: .
This loss will sting, no doubt. Davis, Bacot and all the players will replay every mistake on a loop in their head.
But what prevails after that?
Moments like this. Bonds like this.
Moment of the press conference.
Cormac Ryan interrupts RJ Davis and sticks up for his teammate.
“He’s one of the greatest Tar Heels of all time. For anybody to come and say anything negative about RJ is unacceptable.”
Video courtesy of NCAA Media Hub.
Time to get down to business.
I’m so grateful to be here in Los Angeles covering the Sweet 16 for
@dthsports
!
No. 1 seed UNC v. No. 4 seed Alabama will get underway here in a little over 10 minutes!
Follow along for updates.
If you look closely at the
@DiamondHeels
’ hats, you will see the letters “JR.”
J.R. Anton was a program fixture. He was a fan, bat boy and friend.
And now, the team is keeping his memory alive as they travel to his hometown of Omaha for the CWS.
UNC baseball is the third team in the country to hit 50 home runs so far this season. Florida and South Carolina are the other two programs.
That bomb from Johnny Castagnozzi pushes North Carolina over the edge.
It feels like a weird time to be writing about football, but I know for me, it's helped create a sense of normalcy.
I am proud to present
@dthsports
' 2023 Football Preview, available at the following link:
Sending love to the UNC community at this time.
This is what it’s all about.
DTH’s
@PeaceGwen
and
@carolinewills03
and Chron’s
@MicahHurewitz
and
@JonathanLevitan
covering the UNC-Duke game.
Thanks to everyone who donated to our Rivalry Challenge. We CRUSHED our goal and raised over $128,000 between both papers!
At UNC football's player availability today and Tez Walker's name keeps coming up. Walker is awaiting another committee meeting to review his case on Thursday.
Graduate tight end Kamari Morales with the QOTD, "Lord Jesus, when the NCAA clears him, watch out."
PREGAME NOTES FROM DEATH VALLEY‼️
We’re about an hour out from No. 22 UNC’s face-off against Clemson.
- Omarion Hampton needs 18 yards to move to No. 3 in all-time single-season rushing yards *AT UNC
- This is a must-win for UNC for a CHANCE at the ACC Championship game
We are currently out of print copies of this week's paper. There may be scattered copies around campus in blue boxes, but we are also out at our office.
Another round of papers will be distributed tomorrow morning, and we will update you all when we get more information.
The front page of tomorrow's
@dailytarheel
–
I shed many tears while typing up these heart-wrenching text messages sent and received by UNC students yesterday. Our campus was on lockdown for more than three hours.
Beyond proud of this cover and the team behind it.
#UNCFootball
HC Mack Brown speaks on realignment:
- “My thought is, is it best for our players, is it best for our players’ parents?"
- “We’re thinking more about money right now than we are thinking about our fans. That’s a tough deal."
Live look at Huntington Bank Stadium, the site of UNC’s season opener against Minnesota, shortly after a one-hour kickoff delay was announced.
Lightning has been detected in the area and it’s started raining.
Photo courtesy of DTH photo editor Heather Diehl.
See y’all at 9??
“He doesn’t have another year," Hubert Davis said of Armando Bacot. "This is it. And when you understand that, ‘This is it,’ you have an awareness of wanting to leave and go out the right way."
My story from No. 8 UNC's 65-55 win over No. 16 Clemson:
Weekend update:
✅ Covered a 2OT UNC football win over Duke and subsequent field-storming:
✅ Covered a USA Basketball exhibition in Durham:
❌Slept a healthy amount
✅Had fun
To celebrate tonight’s UNC/Duke football game we organized a
@DukeChronicle
v.
@dailytarheel
flag football game!
Valiant effort from the DTHers, who sadly dropped in 2OT, 63-56.
MVP:
@CadeShoemaker23
We’ll be back for our rivalry basketball game vs. the Chron on Jan. 26!
Aside from HBCUs, Black athletes make up four percent of DI baseball players. UNC baseball, and college baseball as a whole, represent the dwindling diversity in baseball.
Thanks to
@evanr0gers
for working with me on this piece for
@dthsports
. Pick up a copy today!
David McKenzie, a Triangle-based lawyer, sued UNC after an X post caught his attention.
His complaint led to a $25k settlement and a UNC commitment to transparency.
McKenzie: "If they’re gonna take the public’s money, they gotta do things in public."
Head coach Hubert Davis turned to his assistant coaching staff and yelled, "What the fart is Armando doing?" after that UNC offensive foul at the 4:33 mark.
Again, assuming "fart" was the word, given that Davis does not curse. Still, don't get it twisted, he was pretty fired up.
A lil preview for UNC v UConn:
Hubert Davis described the Huskies as a physically challenging team, especially due to their size. Considering UNC’s recent win against an athletic FSU squad (at home on Sat), the Tar Heels should be able to rely on that experience.
@dthsports
No Hark The Pod this week. Too busy making a special edition paper.
Which, speaking of, if you want a copy - please let me know! I’ve had a few people reach out who wanted one but couldn’t make the distribution yesterday.
Super grateful for everyone’s support of
@dthsports
‼️
I'm super excited to announce
@evanr0gers
and I took home some hardware at the NC College Media Association awards for our story about the dwindling diversity in college baseball.
Read the press release here:
Read our story here:
Feel free to check out the original Hark The Pod (), going on our third season this year!
We’ve put a lot of work into this with our DTH audio/visual and sports team and I’m super proud of our product.
#supportstudentjournalism
A Clemson security guard saw a DTH in
@PeaceGwen
’s bag and asked, “Do y’all still read the newspaper?”
Why yes, yes we do.
@dthsports
reporting live as No. 22 UNC football looks to earn its first win in Death Valley since 2001.
So excited to be reporting at this venue!
Good afternoon from Death Valley!
This is
@PeaceGwen
alongside
@shelbymswanson
— we are just about two hours away from the kickoff of UNC vs. Clemson.
Follow along here for live updates!
I was recently accepted to UNC's Burch Sport and Cultural Innovation Program in Spain for Summer 2023! I'll be working with Barcelona Innovation Hub and Futbol Club Barcelona. Please consider donating below to help me fund this exciting opportunity:
“Nobody watches women’s sports”
“Nobody cares”
“I could smoke any of them”
“Women’s basketball is boring”
TALK THAT TALK 🗣️
The audience is there. The star power is there. It’s time for US to invest!
Iowa-LSU's average 12.3 million viewers are more than:
• Every women's college basketball game ever
• Every ESPN college basketball game ever
• Every MLB game last season
• Every NHL game last season
• Every MLS game last season
• Every NBA game last season except one
•
Big transfer portal pickup for UNC and Hubert Davis today in Ven-Allen Lubin.
Fun fact: Lubin (13) played with incoming Tar Heel freshman and 5-star recruit Ian Jackson (7) for Team USA (U19) in last year's FIBA World Cup.
Read more about Lubin:
‼️Summer update‼️ I recently completed an amazing journey in Spain with the Honors Carolina Burch program! I explored historical cities, delved into soccer's economic impact in Madrid, and learned about sports tech in Barcelona. Grateful to everyone who donated to my fund!
What's up chat?
@PeaceGwen
here, alongside
@gracegnugent
and
@shelbymswanson
at the ACC Tournament semifinals here in my hometown of Washington, D.C.
Tipoff is at 7 p.m. against Pitt — follow along here for updates and behind-the-scenes content!
Tap in.
UNC head coach Hubert Davis talks keys for tomorrow's matchup against Duke: "Something's gotta give. We're the best percentage-wise defensive rebounding team in the ACC and they're the best percentage-wise offensive rebounding team.... rebounding is going to be important."
My plea to UNC fans: Enjoy yesterday's win for N.C. State. Enjoy it as a sports fan.
After all, NCSU wanted it more. How could it not, given its history?
My column from Washington, D.C., ending a memorable week at the ACC tournament:
🎉 Congratulations to UNC Hussman students Heather Diehl, Emmy Martin and Shelby Swanson on being selected to join The News & Observer's 2024 cohort of summer interns!
#GoHeels
@emmymrtin
@shelbymswanson
Happy Halloween!
Coming on here with a spooky surprise… the 2023 Basketball Edition is set to drop tomorrow!
Here is a preview of the front cover. I am so proud of our team at
@dthsports
and
@dailytarheel
for making this happen.
Check out blue boxes tomorrow to get a copy!
I'm back today to promote a much less serious piece.
I took to the PS5 this week to see how Duke, UNC and N.C. State stack up in EA Sports College Football 25.
Read my review of the game from a Triangle/ACC perspective below. 🏈🔍🎮
#EASports
#GoACC
ATL WE ARE HERE ‼️
@danielhwei
got shy there at the end.
What he was about to say, though, is that he’s watching the backcourt matchup given Kentucky’s slew of speedy, athletic guards.
I’ll be keeping an eye on how UNC’s experience plays out against a young Wildcat squad.
Football fall camp is back! Shoutout
@ethanhyman
for these flicks at N.C. State earlier this week (and peep the
@giglio_OG
/
@ice_chip
cameos)
I'll be back out in Raleigh with Ethan tonight to cover Victory Day, a collaborative event between NCSU football and GiGi's Playhouse!
Hubert Davis reflecting on last season:
- "There is a reason for all seasons."
- "Last year was a blessing. I am a better person and a better coach because of last season."
- Said he feels like a better coach because of the experience of last year; it made him stronger.
Took some time yesterday to escape the bustle of D.C. Rode a horse. Breathed fresh air.
But today we are BACK on the grind with a UNC men’s basketball media availability. Quarterfinals tomorrow.
This is March.
Here is my MEJO180 final photo story. I am super proud that I was able to step outside of my comfort zone and give photography a try this semester.
I profiled Mike Jones, a basketball trainer, kindergarten teacher and parent of two who lives in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Super proud of the work my peers at
@dailytarheel
have been putting in to “Hark the Pod” this year. We’ve doubled our avg listens and have taken our audio/video editing to the next level.
Check it out for yourself at:
New episodes every Tuesday morn!
“It’s a life’s dream to play at [North Carolina], life’s dream to play in Charlotte — against South Carolina," Mack Brown said. "[His] family members had 30 tickets and he didn’t get to play.”
My sidebar on
@DevontezWalker
and the eligibility debacle currently sidelining him:
Loretta Black watched her grandson Tez Walker stand on the sidelines during UNC's season opener due to eligibility issues.
“It’s a packed house, I see a whole lot of blue, but I don’t see a number nine in blue,” Black said.
Story by
@shelbymswanson
:
Great UNC bench reaction to DJ Burns Jr.'s triple. Rough transcription below:
Cadeau: "I think that was the first three of his career."
High: "Really?"
Cadeau: "And it was butter."
High: "Get the f*ck out of my face with that sh*t."