top of page
Search


Heel Tough Blog: Isaiah Denis Withdraws From Portal, Will Return to UNC
University of North Carolina Athletics After initially entering the transfer portal earlier this off-season, Isaiah Denis has removed his name from transfer consideration and will return to play for Michael Malone and the Tar Heels in 2026-7. Denis becomes the second UNC player to have entered his name into the portal, but withdrew afterwards, joining Jaydon Young, a fellow guard. Denis joins Young and Jarin Stevenson as holdovers from last year’s roster for the first-year he

Joshua Marlow
Apr 181 min read


Heel Tough Blog: 5-Star Guard Dylan Mingo Won't Play at UNC
247Sports In a move that was becoming all the more likely with the way UNC has conducted itself in the transfer portal, Dylan Mingo, a five-star point guard commit to UNC, will not play for the Tar Heels in 2026-27, as reported by both Inside Carolina and Tar Heel 247. Mingo committed to Carolina back when Hubert Davis was still the head coach, but after a visit to Chapel Hill over the weekend, to meet with new coach, Michael Malone, the Carolina brass has opted to move off t

Joshua Marlow
Apr 132 min read


Heel Tough Blog: UNC Expressing Interest in SEC Transfer
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette The transfer portal opened for business Tuesday at midnight, and since then, there have been over 1,600 college basketball players to enter their names, looking for a new place to call home for the 2026-27 season. On Monday, North Carolina hired Michael Malone as the 20th head coach in program history, after firing Hubert Davis after five years on the UNC bench. Malone signed his contract and was officially introduced on Tuesday night in the Smit

Joshua Marlow
Apr 92 min read


Heel Tough Blog: Second UNC Guard Set to Enter Transfer Portal
GoHeels.com After losing Isaiah Denis to the transfer portal yesterday, the Tar Heels lost reserve guard Jaydon Young to the transfer portal today, ahead of the portal's official opening at midnight tonight. Young arrived in Chapel Hill after starting his career with the Virginia Tech Hokies, and in the 31 games played this season, Young averaged 1.8 points per game, 0.9 rebounds, and 0.4 assists, while shooting 30% from the field and 28% from behind the arc. Young was brough

Joshua Marlow
Apr 61 min read


Heel Tough Blog: Is It Billy Donovan or Bust for UNC?
Sports Illustrated After missing out on Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd as the replacement for Hubert Davis, Bubba Cunningham, Steve Newmark, and the UNC search firm are now forced to turn their attention elsewhere to find the right man to lead Carolina Basketball back to national prominence. Lloyd was the top target for Carolina and is coming off his first appearance in the Final Four, a blowout loss to a Michigan team that is poised to win their first national championship since 1989

Joshua Marlow
Apr 55 min read


Heel Tough Blog: UNC Fires Hubert Davis After 5 Seasons
CBS Sports Earlier tonight, the Carolina Athletic department announced that Hubert Davis would not return as the head coach of Carolina Basketball, after five seasons, firing the hand-picked successor to Roy Williams, after serving on his staff for nearly a decade, following a standout career at both UNC and in the NBA. In his five seasons, Davis compiled a 125-54 record, with an appearance in the 2022 Final Four, along with guiding Carolina to the 2024 regular season ACC tit

Joshua Marlow
Mar 242 min read


Heel Tough Blog: Monday's Scheduled Hubert Davis Live Postponed
GoHeels.com Ever since the horn sounded, ending UNC’s season after a loss to VCU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, speculation around Hubert Davis’s job security has been the biggest question around the Carolina Basketball program. According to reports, both close to the program and from the national media, the expectation is for UNC to move in a different direction after an uneven five years under Davis. Another sign that Davis has coached his last game is that it

Joshua Marlow
Mar 222 min read


Heel Tough Blog: What's The Case to Fire Hubert Davis
University of North Carolina Athletics If you don’t know by now, the Tar Heels' season came to a close in dramatic fashion on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, as the Tar Heels blew the largest lead in the first round of the Big Dance, squandering away a 19-point lead, losing to VCU in overtime. It marked the first time in UNC history that the Tar Heels were eliminated in the first round in back-to-back years, and it served as the first time in 56 years that

Joshua Marlow
Mar 224 min read


Heel Tough Blog: What's the Case to Keep Hubert Davis?
@UNCMBBStats It’s been nearly 48 hours since the Tar Heels' season came to a close in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, with an overtime loss to VCU, after blowing a 19-point lead in the second half. It meant that for back to back years, Carolina has lost in the first round of the Big Dance, for the first time in the history of their storied program, meaning that in the three years under Hubert Davis, the second round of the NCAA Tournament has been played, without Nort

Joshua Marlow
Mar 214 min read


Heel Tough Blog: VCU Recap (NCAA Tournament - First Round)
@UNCMBBStats Last night, in Greenville, South Carolina, the Tar Heels' 2025-26 season came to a close, after blowing a 19-point lead to VCU, before ultimately falling in overtime, 82-78. Carolina took a 56-37 lead in the middle part of the second half, before a ferocious comeback by the Rams, forcing overtime, tied at 75. In the OT session, Carolina failed to make a basket, and with over 4 seconds left, down two, Henri Veesaar was unable to tie the game at the foul line, miss

Joshua Marlow
Mar 203 min read


Heel Tough Blog: Caleb Wilson's Jersey to Be Honored in Dean Dome Rafters
Despite having his freshman season cut short because of a fractured wrist injury, followed by a broken thumb, Caleb Wilson earned All-American honors from the Associated Press, meaning he’ll become the 54th Tar Heel to have his jersey honored in the rafters at the Smith Center. At the time of his injury, Wilson led UNC in points and rebounds, and during his absence, his assists per game average now leads Carolina too. Wilson is the most decorated UNC freshman from a statistic

Joshua Marlow
Mar 171 min read


Heel Tough Blog: UNC Earns #6 Seed in South Region
@UNC_Basketball During Sunday’s Selection Show, the Tar Heels learned their 2026 NCAA Tournament fate, earning a #6 seed in the South Region. The Tar Heels will play VCU on Thursday, in Greenville, South, the same place Carolina started their run to the 2017 national championship. The VCU Rams made their way to the Big Dance after winning the A-10 Tournament. According to the NCAA Tournament selection committee, had the Rams not won the A-10, they would not have been in the N

Joshua Marlow
Mar 151 min read


Heel Tough Blog: Clemson Recap (ACC Tournament - Quarterfinals)
@UNCMBBStats Charlotte has usually been a good second home for Carolina Basketball, having won many ACC and NCAA Tournament games in that city over the years, but that wasn’t the case this year, as UNC fell to Clemson 80-79 in the quarterfinal round, extending UNC’s drought of not having won the league championship to a decade. The Tar Heels had beaten Clemson nine days prior, 67-63 in the Smith Center, but failed to recuperate the same type of effort on both ends, trailing b

Joshua Marlow
Mar 134 min read


Heel Tough Blog: Wilson & Veesaar Earn All-ACC Honors
@UNCMBBStats With Saturday’s loss concluding the 2025-26 regular season, and the ACC Tournament set to begin tomorrow in Charlotte, it's awards season for the league and the rest of the college basketball world, as we inch closer to Selection Sunday. The Tar Heels compiled a respectable 24-7 record in the regular season, going 12-6 in the ACC, earning the #4 seed, and the last double-bye into this year's tournament. During the process of the regular season, Carolina set a new

Joshua Marlow
Mar 93 min read


Heel Tough Blog: UNC Adds Legacy Commit to 2026 Class
Tipton Edits On Friday, after learning that Caleb Wilson was officially out for the remainder of the 2025-26 season, the Carolina Basketball program received some positive recruiting news, as they landed the commitment of 2026 three-star combo guard, Malloy Smith, the son of former UNC standout, Kenny “The Jet” Smith. Mally stands at 6-5, and is a product of Mater Dei High School, a school known for producing top-flight QB prospects, including Bryce Young, the QB of the Carol

Joshua Marlow
Mar 82 min read


Heel Tough Blog: Duke Recap
@UNCMBBStats After a more than competitive first half, the Tar Heels lost contact with Duke in the second half, falling in the regular season finale 76-61, to finish the regular season at 24-7, and 12-6 in the ACC. Without Caleb Wilson, Carolina played a more competitive first half last night than they did back in the matchup in Chapel Hill, only trailing 36-34 at half. After two early threes to start the second half, Carolina only trailed 41-40, and it looked like we were in

Joshua Marlow
Mar 84 min read


Heel Tough Blog: Duke Preview
GoHeels.com It’s the final weekend of the regular season, which means it’s time for the greatest rivalry in sports, North Carolina-Duke, to renew itself tonight in historic Cameron Indoor Stadium, on the campus of Duke University in Durham. Carolina won the first matchup in dramatic fashion, as Seth Trimble knocked down a three-pointer with 0.4 left to play, to give Carolina their only lead in a 71-68 win. Carolina got big games from both Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar, along

Joshua Marlow
Mar 74 min read


Heel Tough Blog: Virginia Tech Preview
@UNCMBBStats After outlasting Louisville on Monday night, the Tar Heels are back in action this evening at home against Virginia Tech, as the final homestand of the season moves forward. The win over Louisville was highlighted by the best game of Seth Trimble’s career from a scoring perspective, as the senior guard scored 30 points, on 11-16 shooting. After getting down 23-13 early on, Carolina went on an extended 43-17 run to build a 56-40 lead, before going on to win 77-74,

Joshua Marlow
Feb 284 min read


Heel Tough Blog: Louisville Recap
It was a dramatic win for Carolina Basketball last night, as the Tar Heels overcame an early double-digit deficit to beat #24 Louisville, 77-74, to improve to 22-6 and 10-5 in the ACC. The Tar Heels were led by Seth Trimble, who scored a career high 30 points, on 11-16 shooting, including a thunderous dunk in the second half, that made the Smith Center erupt, as Carolina built a 56-40 lead. Carolina’s offense was efficient all night long, shooting 54% from the field, outscori

Joshua Marlow
Feb 245 min read


Heel Tough Blog: Louisville Preview
@UNC_Basketball After Saturday’s road win at Syracuse, it’s a quick turnaround for Carolina Basketball, as they host Louisville tonight in a pivotal matchup in the ACC. In the win on Saturday, Carolina welcomed back Henri Veesaar, who had missed the last two games, and the big man from Estonia, lead UNC with 19 points, on 9-13 shooting. He had help in the form of Seth Trimble, who scored 13 second-half points, and Luka Bogavac, who also scored in double figures, in the win ov

Joshua Marlow
Feb 234 min read
bottom of page
