Kevin Burge of North Carolina is a sportswriter who covers the beat for University of North Carolina Tar Heels, the Carolina Panthers, and Charlotte Hornets. Below Kevin Burge shares the latest on UNC sports.
It’s being called way-too-early, but for Tar Heels basketball plans it could have come sooner.
Kevin Burge of North Carolina explains that the North Carolina Tar Heels have nabbed the No. 1 spot in ESPN’s top 25 men’s college basketball rankings for the upcoming 2022 season.
It has been over a month since North Carolina became the Cinderella story of the NCAA tournament, eventually losing in a nail-biter of a final to Kansas.
And while more than 250 NCAA players have entered the NBA draft process early and more than 1,600 entered the draft transfer portal, Kevin Burge says North Carolina is staying strong.
The No. 1 ranking reflects the huge fact that four of its core starters — Armando Bacot, Leaky Black, R.J. Davis, and Caleb Love — are all returning. Brady Manek may be leaving, but speculation is that the promising Puff Johnson will take his place in the starting lineup.
Kevin Burge of North Carolina says other notable transfer portal entrants include UNC sophomore guard Kerwin Walton.
Joining the newly crowned No. 1 in the top 10 are the Houston Cougars (No. 2), followed by the Kentucky Wildcats, UCLA Bruins, and the Creighton Bluejays. The previous No. 1 Arizona Razorbacks fall to No. 6.
That’s Not the Only Good News for Carolina Basketball…
Carolina’s No. 1 ranking is made even sweeter by the fact that GG Jackson, one of the class of 2023’s most-watched and highly touted recruits, announced recently that he has committed to paying for the Tar Heels and head coach Hubert Davis.
Jackson announced his decision at an event at Ridge View High School in Columbia, South Carolina that also celebrated him being named S.C. Gatorade Player of the Year according to Kevin Burge of North Carolina.
Jackson is a 6-foot-9 power forward who averaged 22.1 points and 10.9 rebounds a game during the most recent season. He was reportedly also considering Auburn, Duke, Georgetown, and South Carolina.
He’s the second member of the class of 2023 to commit to the Tar Heels. In October 2021, Plainfield, New Jersey, five-star combo guard Simeon Wilcher announced his plan to come to UNC.
Another big-name high school star, sophomore guard Jahseem Felton from Gaston Christian School in Gastonia, N.C., is also considering joining the Tar Heels, along with Cincinnati, Tennessee, and Wake Forest.
Kevin Burge says Speaking of Commitment…
Kevin Burge reports it’s not just Carolina basketball that’s fielding commitments. Offensive lineman Nolan McConnell has committed to UNC football.
The 6-foot-6 player from Stafford Colonia Forge High in Virginia was offered a spot on the team in early March and visited UNC twice with his parents shortly after.
McConnell is the first prospect picked by new Tar Heel offensive line coach Jack Bicknell, who joined Carolina on March 1 following a coaching stint at Louisville. McConnell praised Bicknell’s coaching, and well at North Carolina’s entire coaching staff and its educational offerings.
McConnell had received numerous scholarship offers, including ones from Duke, NC State, Wake Forest, Boston College, Florida State, Virginia Tech, and Virginia.
Football recruiting is heating up at UNC. Among other prospects, Kevin Burge of North Carolina says cornerback Kaleb Cost from Georgia is among the top 56 players in the state, but he’s looking to be a multi-sport star since he also plays on Sandy Creek High School’s baseball team.
He’s looking for a school that will let him play both sports and recently announced on Twitter that he’s narrowed his choices down to five schools: UNC, Mississippi State, Central Florida, Georgia Tech, and Pittsburgh.
NCAA Tennis Tourney Has Strong Tar Heels Presence
The Tar Heels are the top seed overall for the upcoming 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Tennis Team Championship, the second year in a row the team topped the 64-team field.
Kevin Burge reports UNC was also named a host school for one of the 16 regional tournament play sites. North Carolina is 24-2 overall and will host Iowa State, South Carolina State, and South Carolina on May 7 and 8 at Cary Tennis Park.
The team plays South Carolina State at 1 p.m. Saturday after Iowa State takes on South Carolina. The two first-round winners then play Sunday to advance to the Super Regional round.
It’s North Carolina’s 23rd straight appearance in the tournament and earned a national seed for the 18th time in 19 seasons according to Kevin Burge of North Carolina. The women’s team has advanced past regionals 16 times, including the 2014 NCAA Championship Finals and semifinals in 2010, 2019, and 2021.
The North Carolina men’s team is the No. 15 overall seed in the tournament and will also host first- and second-round matches next weekend. The team was the runner-up among Atlantic Coast Conference teams this season. It’s the team’s 28th tournament appearance, meeting Navy in the first round on May 6.
