Morning Heel: UNC Tar Heels Daily News Links
By Matt Hamm
Welcome to another edition of the Morning Heel, a daily feature here at Keeping It Heel. Along with The Hub we want to bring you not only our original content but a collection of all the best UNC news. Have a link to suggest? Send it keepingitheel@gmail.com
ACC not hurt by football coaching carousel
North Carolina head man Larry Fedora never spoke directly to anyone from Tennessee. And despite choosing an odd way of handling the swarm of chatter regarding his connection to the opening, Fedora either didn’t want to carry the tag of a coach who left a program after one season, or he truly believes that UNC is a sleeping giant in football and he’s the man to awaken the Tar Heels. (Fox Sports Carolinas)
Tar Heels take positive step, pick up bounce-back win after debacle
Looking to plant the recent past firmly in the past, North Carolina got about the business of moving on Saturday afternoon. The 23rd-ranked Tar Heels routed McNeese State 97-63 at the Smith Center with efficient shooting from 3-point range and, coach Roy Williams said, signs of improving defensive principles. So it became a step, however small, in the proper direction. (Burlington Times News)
UNC’s 13 threes shoot McNeese State back to the bayou
One of Roy Williams’s favorite sayings is that everything looks better when the ball goes in the basket. The 23rd-ranked Tar Heels illustrated that on Saturday, hitting 13 of 28 shots from behind the arc en route to a 97-63 win over McNeese State. P.J. Hairston scored a career-high 20 points, while Reggie Bullock was 5of 8 from long range and scored 17 points. (Durham Herald-Sun)
Schramm: Blowout win provides highlights but not answers for UNC
The Tar Heels’ walk-ons – now wishing to be called “Code Blue” – got in and nearly lifted the Tar Heels past the century mark for the third time this season. But as for what it all meant, that’s not quite as clear cut. Heading into its holiday break, the Tar Heels (9-3) were in need of a lift after a week that featured a shaky performance against East Carolina and a disastrous one at Texas. (Fayetteville Observer)
Ryan Switzer wins second Kennedy Award
The West Virginia Sports Writers Association announced today that Ryan Switzer has won the Kennedy Award for the second consecutive year, putting him among the ranks of five other two-time Kennedy winners in the 67-year history of the award. “I really didn’t know. I had no idea, and honestly started to wonder,” Switzer said about winning the Kennedy a second time. “With me being hurt, I thought maybe someone else might have won it. I’m kind of speechless.” (Parkersburg News & Sentinel)
UNC Basketball: Highlighting Tar Heels’ Toughest Conference Tests in 2013
The North Carolina Tar Heels have disappeared in big games this season, losing to Butler, Indiana and Texas by a combined 53 points. At 9-3, Roy Williams’ Tar Heels may be in good shape for December. But with the conference season on the horizon, North Carolina must tighten things up and and fix what ails it if it is to be a legitimate contender in the ACC this season. (Bleacher Report)
Behind the Numbers with UNC Offensive Rankings
If you scroll to the UNC page on ESPN you will discover that North Carolina is ranked third in scoring and first in assists and those statistics alone may make you scratch your head as did I when I first looked at them. How can this be? Weren’t the North Carolina Tar Heels doomed as the world was proclaimed to be by the Mayans? Do not worry pessimistic fans screaming at the television for Roy to do something we will break down these numbers to show you why there is more to the game than the ESPN stat sheet. (KIH)
UNC Basketball Recruiting: Jahlil Okafor Hearing from UNC the Most
The top rated center in the 2014 class Jahlil Okafor stated recently that the program he is hearing most from is North Carolina. (KIH)