Tar Heels Tidbits: Roy Williams is upset, Rasheed Wallace and more

The latest on North Carolina athletics including Roy Williams’ mood after the Tar Heels’ loss at Virginia Tech, Rasheed Wallace back on the basketball court, and the lone UNC player who will appear in Super Bowl 52

Basketball season is in full swing as the Tar Heels near the midway point in their conference schedule. And coming off of a disappointing road loss to Virginia Tech has Roy Williams “ticked off” at his team’s lack of effort.

Football season is long over, but senior defensive back M.J. Stewart has plenty to prove in the Reese’s Senior Bowl. The standout defensive back is looking to improve his stock before entering the 2018 NFL Draft in April.

Meanwhile, former UNC wide receiver Mack Hollins prepares to play in Super Bowl 52 a couple of Sundays from now. While he may not see a lot of snaps on offense in the big game, he’s likely to get the nod with the Eagles’ special teams unit.

Baseball season is almost here, and North Carolina is getting some attention from a number of media outlets, some of which are picking the Tar Heels to win the ACC Coastal crown in 2018.

We’ve got all of that and more in this week’s edition of Tar Heels Tidbits.

Football

• UNC senior defensive back M.J. Stewart got a lot of attention for his performance during practice for the Reese’s Senior Bowl. His footwork and ability to close on the ball were among the things mentioned by scouts during his workout on Tuesday.

• Philadelphia Eagles rookie wide receiver Mack Hollins will face off against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 52 on February 4th. The first-year receiver and kick returner out of North Carolina will be the only Tar Heel on either 53-man roster.
• Former Tar Heel and current Los Angeles Chargers safety Tre Boston is working on his future career during the NFL offseason. The fourth-year veteran out of North Carolina is making guest appearances on NFL Network in hopes of pursuing a broadcasting career once his playing days are over.

Basketball

• After a lackluster performance at Virginia Tech on Monday night, Roy Williams was irritated with his team’s lack of effort in the 80-69 defeat. It was the Tar Heels’ third conference loss of the season, and dropped them into a tie with Clemson for fourth-place in the ACC.
• Rasheed Wallace was working with basketball players at Clark Atlanta University on Sunday afternoon. The former North Carolina standout and 18-year NBA veteran stuck around for the team’s game against Claflin University the following night.

Recruiting

• Class of 2018 UNC signee Nassir Little was the center of attention on Tuesday night against Faith Christian, who entered the game with a 19-2 record, before ultimately falling to Little and Orlando Christian Prep.
• Roy Williams was back on the recruiting trail on Tuesday, this time visiting with class of 2019 power forward Will Baker. The 6-foot-10, 220-pound big man has offers from a number of big name programs including Auburn, Baylor, Kansas, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas and UCLA.
• Class of 2019 UNC football target C.J. Johnson revealed his top three schools last weekend. The three-star wide receiver listed East Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia Tech. He also held offers from both Duke and North Carolina State before eliminating the pair on Saturday.

Baseball

• The North Carolina Tar Heels are ranked sixth in Baseball America’s preseason top-25. Despite losing a number of key players from last year’s team that won 49 games, the Tar Heels return star pitchers Gianluca Dalatri and Josh Hiatt. Also back in the fold in 2018 are position players Ashton McGee and Brandon Riley, each of which hit seven home runs and batted better than .300 last season.
• Perfect Game, a respected amateur baseball website, has picked North Carolina to win the ACC Coastal Division in 2018. Three Tar Heels, Dilatri, Hiatt and McGee, were also named to the publication’s preseason All-ACC team.