Following a down year for Mike Krzyzewski and his Blue Devils, there was a significant amount of offseason roster movement. Leading scorer and All-ACC forward Matthew Hurt was joined by guard D.J. Steward and forward Jalen Johnson in turning pro after the season, while guard Jordan Goldwire and forwards Henry Coleman and Jaemyn Brakefield transferred out. There are quality pieces that remain. Point guard Jeremy Roach and center Mark Williams showed flashes of potential last season, while forward Wendell Moore is a key veteran. The Blue Devils brought in Marquette transfer Theo John to add depth in the frontcourt, and as always, there’s an elite recruiting class headlined by No. 2 overall forward Paolo Banchero and No. 17 overall wing A.J. Griffin.
The Morehead–Patterson bell tower was commissioned by John Motley Morehead III, the benefactor of the Morehead Scholarship.[89] The hedge and surrounding landscape was designed by William C. Coker, botany professor and creator of the campus arboretum. Traditionally, seniors have the opportunity to climb the tower a few days prior to May commencement.[88]
The Davis Library, situated near the Pit, is the main library and the largest academic facility and state-owned building in North Carolina.[86] It was named after North Carolina philanthropist Walter Royal Davis and opened on February 6, 1984. The first book checked out of Davis Library was George Orwell's 1984.[116] The R.B. House Undergraduate Library is located between the Pit area and Wilson Library. It is named after Robert B. House, the Chancellor of UNC from 1945 to 1957, and opened in 1968.[117] In 2001, the R.B. House Undergraduate Library underwent a $9.9 million renovation that modernized the furnishings, equipment, and infrastructure of the building.[118] Prior to the construction of Davis, Wilson Library was the university's main library, but now Wilson hosts special events and houses special collections, rare books, and temporary exhibits.[119]
During the Civil War, North Carolina Governor David Lowry Swain persuaded Confederate President Jefferson Davis to exempt some students from the draft, so the university was one of the few in the Confederacy that managed to stay open.[29] However, Chapel Hill suffered the loss of more of its population during the war than any village in the South,[citation needed] and when student numbers did not recover, the university was forced to close during Reconstruction from December 1, 1870, until September 6, 1875.[30] Following the reopening, enrollment was slow to increase and university administrators offered free tuition for the sons of teachers and ministers, as well as loans for those who could not afford attendance.[31]
The Seattle Mariners hold a club option for Kyle Seager’s contract in 2022. If they exercise it, he’ll be back for one last dance with the team that drafted him in 2009, hoping he’d be a solid utility player. If they decline, he will be a free agent. In a season that could’ve been filled anxiety about an uncertain future, there is a relaxed peace to Seager. (The Spokesman-Review)
Brad Brownell has certainly been consistent in his time in Clemson, fielding quality defensive units that struggle to score. The same narrative will likely follow the Tigers this season as leading scorer Aamir Simms and veteran guard Clyde Trapp have departed. Nick Honor and Al-Amir Dawes will be called upon to elevate their play in the backcourt, while South Florida guard David Collins and Youngstown State forward Naz Bohannon are transfers that Brownell will need to rely on to keep the Tigers near the NCAA Tournament bubble once again.
UNC-Chapel Hill offers 71 bachelor's, 107 master's and 74 doctoral degree programs.[94] The university enrolls more than 28,000 students from all 100 North Carolina counties, the other 49 states, and 47 other countries. It is the third largest university in North Carolina, just behind North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in enrollment. State law requires that the percentage of students from North Carolina in each freshman class meet or exceed 82%.[95] The student body consists of 17,981 undergraduate students and 10,935 graduate and professional students (as of Fall 2009).[96] Racial and ethnic minorities comprise 30.8% of UNC-Chapel Hill's undergraduate population as of 2010[97] and applications from international students have more than doubled in the last five years (from 702 in 2004 to 1,629 in 2009).[98] Eighty-nine percent of enrolling first year students in 2009 reported a GPA of 4.0 or higher on a weighted 4.0 scale.[99] UNC-Chapel Hill students are strong competitors for national and international scholarships. The most popular majors at UNC-Chapel Hill are biology, business administration, psychology, media and journalism, and political science.[99] UNC-Chapel Hill also offers 300 study abroad programs in 70 countries.[100]
Since the beginning of intercollegiate athletics at UNC in the late nineteenth century, the school's colors have been blue and white.[190] The colors were chosen years before by the Dialectic (blue) and Philanthropic (white) Societies, the oldest student organization at the university. The school had required participation in one of the clubs, and traditionally the "Di"s were from the western part of North Carolina while the "Phi"s were from the eastern part of the state.[191]
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.
Platek attended North Carolina for four years, and was a member of the school’s basketball team from start to finish. He made 127 appearances for the Tar Heels, and started 11 games. The 6-foot-4 shooting guard averaged 2.6 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. His best season came as a junior when he boasted career-highs in points (3.9), rebounds (2.1) and assists (1.4) per game. Nine of his career starts came during that season, and he logged a career-best 18.1 minutes per game.
Why North Carolina? Tyler Nickel: "It was the best for me -- me and my future. I feel like I can go in there and contribute right away. And be able to be me -- play like Tyler Nickel. When I get there, be able to contribute to a great team and win a national championship in the process of me and my development, and everyone else that's there." (Inside Carolina)