Butter is one of my favorite players of all time. I hated that he was not retained by Hubert going forward. I had inquired as to why but I never got a specific answer. To that point I see where Kendall’s dad, Dennis posted on twitter that he had wanted three teams not to make the final four and dook and UNC were two of them. I hate to see our own alums and or their families knock the Tar Heels. It is one thing to be bitter but for Kendall’s dad to put it out on social media is in very bad taste.

In the radio pregame it was mentioned that Ingram has a problem with his right wrist and hand and that it was getting better. Anyone know the nature of the injury?

I was hoping someone younger would be hired as our DC, perhaps even one who would be a part of a succession plan, as ALL of our coaches are AARP eligible. I wonder what impact their 50+ ages have on recruiting, relating once they get here, and ability to keep up the energy for a full season? Thoughts?

He is stealthly becoming an all timer in points.

Career totals through today:
114 games
13.8 ppg career avg
1573 total points scored

A minimum of 19 games remaining this season (17 regualar season, atleast one ACC tournament and atleast one NCAA game).

Taking his current average of 21.1 ppg times 19 games would put him at 1973 total points. Just another two games in either the ACC or NCAA would push him over 2000 total points and into the top 10 in UNC scoring history.

While I’m not sure he’s going to maintain his current scoring pace there is a legitimate path to 2000 points if the team has any type of ACC and/or NCAA postseason success. What a phenomenal four year career if he ends it with 2000+ points.

...and we did enough to overcome.

I don't want to start here, but I will: We survived a HORRIFICALLY reffed 1st half, as well as some things that were self-inflicted (both on the floor and from the bench) and showed considerable grit.

- Getting it out of the way, there is just no excuse for how one-sided and blind the first half reffing was. Clemson was blatantly pushing our rebounders in the back on virtually every shot and our guys (RJ in paticular) were getting assaulted both on and off the ball ---yet Clemmy had a grand total of 4 team fouls at the half.

- The saving grace was that Hubert (and even Mando) gave the zebras a well-deserved ear-full and we finally got some calls. And make no mistake, that was the biggest difference in the game. In all liklihood, we don't win that one with a repeat of what went down in the first.

- On the positive side, other than some missed rotations and/or switch recoveries, our defense carried the day in what again, devolved into a rock-fight. I'm gonna start with our boy Armando F***ing Bacot. Mando catches flack from fans (sometimes deservedly) on the offensive end, but lemme tell ya -- what y'all saw today was as fine a defensive performance by a 5-man as you'll ever witness. Count on one hand the number of Centers you see moving their feet and beating guys to spots 15-18 feet from the basket like that, then closing and/or rim-protecting. Make no mistake --- PJ Hall can play, and Mando all but neutralized him.

- Speaking of D, kudos to the staff for running a phalanx of guys at Girard. I told y'all earlier that he was the difference with this year's Clemmy team, and we frustrated him into force after force.

- as valuable as Ingram is, he was just awful at the outset --- getting in the way of outlets (you're the damn 4 in that lineup, get yer butt into a lane!), finessing close shots and getting outworked for rebounds. He got (properly) pulled early for that, but to his credit, came back and had a strong second half, including a dagger drive down the stretch.

- another scare with Cormac, who was having an effective game before the ankle roll. Man, I hope that doesn't become chronic.

- I'm probably not gonna mention everyone (don't @ me),but I like that Hubert has stayed committed to a deep rotation (we went 10 today). It pays off over time. Everyone contributed and although most had a rough moment or two, in a perpetually close game, we got some big shots at timely moments -- Seth hitting a big 3 after a rough offensive first half --- JWash's sweet baseline turn-around (that I wanna see more of) --- big Woj 3 when our movement had stopped.

(edit for this next section: I didn't realize EC had the 2 early fouls --- I addressed that below in a reply ITT)
- Finally, I have to point out something that just won't hunt in the long run. We came out of the gate on the road playing Carolina basketball and scored 11 points in exactly 4 minutes. Then, as has been the norm, out goes Cadeau and we instantly get pulled into a clunky half-court game. Any time RJ has to run Point it is becoming 2014-15 all over again, when defenses would swarm Marcus Paige and make his life miserable, that is, until Joel would come in and offense happened. That was EXACTLY Clemson's tactic today, and it worked. I sure as hell would do it if I was coaching against us. I've said it before, and disagree if you will, but we need to alter that early sub pattern. It kills our rhythm and helps opponents create the rock-fight so many of them want.

Anyway, no Cory... Clemson is NOT the best team in the ACC. Another hard-fought road win... need another one Wednesday!...

Tar Heel Radar says nothing Carolina about it. Suggestion: "Point to the passer" Something Dean Smith-ish.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA

ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2024


Julius Peppers to be Inducted into the NFF College Football Hall of Fame


CHAPEL HILL – Carolina football legend Julius Peppers will be inducted into the National Football Foundation (NFF) College Football Hall of Fame, the NFF announced on Monday. Peppers will be the 10th representative of Carolina and the seventh player to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He joins players Harris Barton, Dre' Bly, William Fuller, Charlie Justice, Don McCauley and Art Weiner, and coaches Mack Brown, Carl Snavely and Jim Tatum.

"It's an enormous honor to just be on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot considering more than 5.62 million people have played college football and only 1,074 players have been inducted," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "The Hall's requirement of being a First-Team All-American creates a much smaller pool of about 1,500 individuals who are even eligible. Being in today's elite group means an individual is truly among the greatest to have ever played the game."

Peppers played in Chapel Hill from 1999-2001 becoming one of the most disruptive defensive players the sport has ever seen. A unanimous first-team All-American in 2001, he won the Chuck Bednarik Award for the nation’s top defensive player and the Rotary Lombardi Award, which at the time was given to the nation’s top interior lineman. He finished 10th in the Heisman Trophy balloting, was a finalist for the Nagurski Trophy and was honored as Chevrolet’s Defensive Player of the Year.

“Julius Peppers is no doubt one of the greatest to play football at Carolina, and we are pleased that he will now officially be added to the list of college football’s all-time greats,” said UNC Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham. “His dedication to his sport at every level and his generosity in giving back epitomize what a Hall of Famer should be, and we congratulate him for this much-deserved honor.”

A first-team All-ACC selection in both 2000 and ’01, Peppers finished his career with 177 tackles, 30.5 sacks, 53 TFL, five INTs and five forced fumbles. He went on to be drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the first round of the NFL Draft. During his professional career, Peppers earned nine Pro Bowl selections, three first-team All-Pro honors, three second-team All-Pro recognitions and was named to the NFL’s All-Decade team for the 2000s. Peppers is currently a finalist for the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction class.

“Julius Peppers is one of the greatest players to ever play the game of football at both the professional and collegiate level, so it’s no surprise to me that he would eventually be a member of the College Football Hall of Fame,” Brown said. “We’re so proud of Julius for all that he’s accomplished and for the way he represents himself, his family and the University of North Carolina. He’s an extremely deserving addition to this prestigious list of all-time great college football players.”

Peppers has also been extremely generous philanthropically, having donated to the UNC General Alumni Association’s Light on the Hill Society Scholarship fund on two separate occasions. He was also the Panther’s 2018 NFL Man of the Year nominee.

The 2024 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted during the 66th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 10, and permanently immortalized at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. They will also be honored at their respective schools with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the 2024 season.

The criteria for Hall of Fame consideration include:

• First and foremost, a player must have received First-Team All-America recognition by a selector that is recognized by the NCAA and utilized to comprise its consensus All-America teams.
• A player becomes eligible for consideration by the Foundation's Honors Courts 10 full seasons after his final year of intercollegiate football played.
• While each nominee's football achievements in college are of prime consideration, his post-football record as a citizen is also weighed. He must have proven himself worthy as a citizen, carrying the ideals of football forward into his relations with his community. Consideration may also be given for academic honors and whether the candidate earned a college degree.
• Players must have played their last year of intercollegiate football within the last 50 years. For example, to be eligible for the 2024 ballot, the player must have played his last year in 1974 or thereafter. In addition, players who are playing professionally and coaches who are coaching on the professional level are not eligible until after they retire.
• A coach becomes eligible three full seasons after retirement or immediately following retirement, provided he is at least 70 years of age. Active coaches become eligible at 75 years of age. He must have been a head football coach for a minimum of 10 years and coached at least 100 games with a .600 winning percentage.
• Nominations may only be submitted by the current athletics director, head coach or sports information director (SID) of a candidate's collegiate institution. Nominations may also be submitted by the president/executive director of a dues-paying chapter of the National Football Foundation.

Cadeau is the first UNC PG in many years I think can have a career that marks him as close to Ford. He just has natural PG skills and vision.

Right here:

I believe Tony never saw the field at Texas A&M this season, so he’s taking his talents to E. Lansing.