Earl Grant, formerly of College of Charleston, has a massive rebuilding job ahead in Chestnut Hill after Jim Christian was shown the door following seven seasons. Four-year starter Steffon Mitchell graduated and a trio of sophomores – C.J. Felder, Jay Heath and Wynston Tabbs -- transferred. Grant was active in the transfer portal, bringing in Mississippi State center Quinten Post, College of Charleston guard Brevin Galloway and Drexel forward T.J. Bickerstaff to supplement his thin roster.
The NCAA refers to UNC-Chapel Hill as the "University of North Carolina" for athletics.[9] As of Fall 2011, the university had won 40 NCAA team championships in six different sports, eighth all-time.[163] These include twenty one NCAA championships in women's soccer, six in women's field hockey, four in men's lacrosse, six in men's basketball, one in women's basketball, and two in men's soccer.[164] The Men's basketball team won its 6th NCAA basketball championship in 2017, the third for Coach Roy Williams since he took the job as head coach. UNC was also retroactively given the title of National Champion for the 1924 championship, but is typically not included in the official tally. Other recent successes include the 2011 College Cup in men's soccer, and four consecutive College World Series appearances by the baseball team from 2006 to 2009.[165] In 1994, the university's athletic programs won the Sears Directors Cup "all-sports national championship" awarded for cumulative performance in NCAA competition.[166] Consensus collegiate national athletes of the year from North Carolina include Rachel Dawson in field hockey; Phil Ford, Tyler Hansbrough, Antawn Jamison, Vince Carter, James Worthy and Michael Jordan in men's basketball; and Mia Hamm (twice), Shannon Higgins, Kristine Lilly, and Tisha Venturini in women's soccer.[167]
The ACC office did the Tar Heels no favors with three Saturday-Monday turnarounds in a five-week span at the tail end of the schedule. UNC will host N.C. State on Saturday, Jan. 29 before heading to Louisville to play the Cardinals on Monday, Jan. 31. Three weeks later, the Tar Heels will play at Virginia Tech on Saturday, Feb. 19 before hosting Louisville on Monday, Feb. 21. The following week, UNC will travel to Raleigh to face the Wolfpack on Saturday, Feb. 26 before welcoming Syracuse on Monday, Feb. 28.
The Hokies received some good news in June when second-team All-ACC forward Keva Aluma announced his decision to pull out of the NBA Draft and return to Blacksburg. That gives Tech head coach Mike Young his top four scorers from last season’s squad in Tyrece Radford, Nahiem Alleyne and Justyn Mutts. Wofford’s Storm Murphy, who earned All-SoCon first-team honors at point guard, transferred in after averaging 17.8 points and 4.3 assists for the Terriers. Clemson transfer Lynn Kidd will provide some size in the post for a Hokies’ squad talented enough to make a run in March.
For decades, UNC-Chapel Hill has offered an undergraduate merit scholarship known as the Morehead-Cain Scholarship. Recipients receive full tuition, room and board, books, and funds for summer study for four years. Since the inception of the Morehead, 29 alumni of the program have been named Rhodes Scholars.[158] Since 2001, North Carolina has also co-hosted the Robertson Scholars Leadership Program, a merit scholarship and leadership development program granting recipients full student privileges at both UNC-Chapel Hill and neighboring Duke University.[159] Additionally, the university provides scholarships based on merit and leadership qualities, including the Carolina, Colonel Robinson, Johnston and Pogue Scholars programs.[160]
Most players Brady Manek’s age move on from college basketball after four years. If this wasn’t the age of NCAA pandemic rules, he would have left with only frustrating March memories. The 23-year-old sharpshooter never got past the first weekend of the NCAA tournament at Oklahoma, and he saw the opportunity at UNC as a chance to change that. (Tar Heel Tribune)
