Tar Heels Tidbits: UNC vs Duke, Tyler Zeller on the move and more

 Another chapter in college basketball’s greatest rivalry will be written this week when North Carolina and Duke square off in Chapel Hill

North Carolina and Duke are set to face off on Thursday night for the first of two meetings this season, renewing the nation’s greatest college basketball rivalry. And while first-place in the ACC isn’t on the line this time, there’s little loss of excitement between the two programs and their fan bases.

Former North Carolina big man Tyler Zeller is on the move after being traded by the Brooklyn Nets, reuniting with a past teammate in Milwaukee.

And less than two weeks before the start of baseball season, a North Carolina relief pitcher has been named a preseason All-American.

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

Baseball

• North Carolina closer Josh Hiatt has been named a preseason All-American by  the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. The right-handed relief pitcher finished his freshman season with a 1.90 ERA, compiling 13 saves and a 4-2 record in 52 innings pitched.

Basketball

• North Carolina and Duke take center stage this week in the basketball world, facing off on Thursday night for the first of two annual matchups. The Tar Heels enter the game with a 17-7 record overall and 6-5 in the ACC, while Duke has a 19-4 record.including a 7-3 mark in conference play.
• Sophomore point guard Seventh Woods is nearing a return to the basketball court, and is expected to make his first appearance in 18 games on Thursday night against Duke.
• Luke Maye has been named a Wooden Award Finalist, making the list of 20 players that was announced by the Los Angeles Athletic Club on Monday night. He’s averaging 18.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, and has recorded 12 double-doubles this season.

• Senior point guard Joel Berry II has been named a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award. Former Tar Heels Raymond Felton, Ty Lawson and Kendall Marshall are previous winners of the award, marking the most recipients of the honor by any one school.

Football

• Wednesday is National Signing Day, and the Tar Heels are hoping to gain commitments from a number of prospects including four-star linebacker Dax Hollifield, top-100 offensive tackle Williams Barnes, 6-foot-2 wide receiver Antoine Green, and Madison, Alabama native Gavin Lewis.
• Two former Tar Heels have been invited to the NFL Scouting Combine set to take place from February 27th to March 5th in Indianapolis. Defensive back M.J. Stewart and linebacker Andre Smith received their invitations to the event on Tuesday.

UNC in the Pros

• Former North Carolina Tar Heels standout Tyler Zeller is now a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. The Brooklyn Nets traded the 7-foot, 250-pound big man to the Bucks for former first-round draft pick Rashad Vaughn and a 2018 second-round pick. Upon completion of the trade, Zeller’s former UNC running mate, John Henson, showed his excitement via Twitter.

Recruiting

• Gavin Lewis, a two-star prospect from the class of 2018, plans to announce his college decision on National Signing Day. The 6-foot-3, 260-pound offensive guard recently visited the UNC campus, and had the opportunity to meet with Larry Fedora and the Tar Heels’ coaching staff. Along with North Carolina, Lewis has offers from Kentucky, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Virginia and UCLA, among others.