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? Senditkeepingitheel@gmail.com
Now is the time for young Tar Heels to improve, not panic
North Carolina basketball coach Roy Williams made it a point Monday to say that neither he nor his players were ready to hit the panic button after their 61-52 loss at Virginia 24 hours earlier. Nor should they. The Tar Heels suffered much more devastating early ACC setbacks in each of the past two seasons. (Wilmington Star News)
North Carolina Basketball Looks For Leadership Among Youth
Roy Williams says the team needs to find a consistent leader. James Michael McAdoo is leading the team with 14.5 points per game while Reggie Bullock is right behind him with 13.8 per contest and catching up. McAdoo leads in rebounds and is second in steals; Dexter Strickland leads that category. But the head Tar Heel says it’s not about the numbers. (Chapelboro.com)
One On One With Kendall Marshall
Suns One On One host Greg Esposito caught up with rookie point guard Kendall Marshall to talk about growing up in Virginia, how he fell in love with basketball, how his dad used to pay him to shoot, the invention of PassFir5t and much more. Plus he goes one on five answering five rapid fives questions. All that and more in this week’s edition of Suns One On One. (Suns.com)
Golden State Warriors rookie Harrison Barnes settles in
Harrison Barnes almost certainly has done enough to earn a spot in the NBA Rising Stars Challenge on All-Star Weekend next month, but that individual goal and other personal goals are the furthest thing from his mind, as you would expect from a player groomed for two years in the University of North Carolina basketball mentality. (San Jose Mercury News)
Early ACC football power rankings for 2013
5. UNC — Coach Larry Fedora is going to have to work some magic in trying to replace leading rusher/returner Giovani Bernard, who left early for the NFL, and his lead blocker, Jonathan Cooper. Quarterback Bryn Renner will be a senior, though, and the Tar Heels have other talented running backs waiting in the wings. (ESPN.com)
Radio show notes: finding Reggie, talking D
Over his last four games (not including the win over UNLV, when he had to sit out because of a concussion), UNC junior Reggie Bullock is averaging 17.7 points and making 55 percent of his shots. Roy Williams, whose team lost 61-52 at Virginia on Sunday, recognizes that his Tar Heels need to get the ball to the sharpshooting wing more often. But he needs his team to recognize it, too. (ESPN.com)
Early enrollees get head start on college football careers
The start of the New Year means the start of a new semester at colleges all around the state. It also means the arrival of football recruits enrolling early to get a head start on their careers both academically and athletically. Here is a list of players that are already on campus or are expected to arrive within the next few days once classes begin at their respective schools. (Wilmington Star News)
Breakdown: PJ Hairston
P.J. Hairston is the most indispensable player on the North Carolina Tar Heel basketball team. First, take a minute and let that sink in. Now here’s why: Hairston brings a toughness and intensity to the Tar Heels that doesn’t exist when he’s not on the court. (Chapelboro.com)
Marquez North: Highlights, Scouting Report for 4-Star Recruit
4-star wide receiver Marquez North has the prototypical size and speed to be a force in college football, perhaps even as a freshman in 2013. At 6’4″, 212 pounds, North—who hails from Mallard Creek High School (Charlotte, N.C.)—has captured the attention of many major college programs. (Bleacher Report)