Tar Heel hangover

If college athletes can unionize, St. John’s coach Rick Pitino says that college hoops will need a salary cap, probably between $1.5 million and $2 million. Of course, that’s just the first step in what would presumably be a collectively bargained agreement, because Pitino thinks this would only apply to the Power 6 conferences, and probably wouldn’t include NIL, either.

Or, as he later tweeted — just remove the NCAA altogether. OK then!

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1. Clemson dominates No. 3 UNC

North Carolina’s dominated the ACC this season, and was just coming off a resounding win against Duke.

So when it looked lost to start start Tuesday’s home matchup against Clemson — the No. 3 Tar Heels trailed 15-2 before the first media timeout — maybe it was a sign the vibes were off.

After Clemson put the finishing touches on an 80-76 win, the vibe check was confirmed. Generally.

"I didn't particularly enjoy or like our practices leading up to the game tonight. coach Hubert Davis said afterward. “It's a thing that I told them in the huddle in the first timeout at the beginning of the game. It's not about Xs and Os; there's nothing from a basketball standpoint we can talk about until the energy and effort and the enthusiasm rises."

And further:

That’s probably why the Heels never lead Tuesday and surrendered 43 first-half points. Bacot made some huge buckets in the second half, giving UNC (18-5, 10-2 in ACC) a chance, but it ultimately wasn’t enough. The defense wasn’t sharp, allowing 1.1 points per possession, and you could see it on execution. Going under a screen here ensured Joe Girard got a clean look at a late 3.

While Bacot's big plays sparked North Carolina's comeback, bigger plays from PJ Hall kept Clemson ahead. The Tigers’ big man only played 27 minutes due to foul trouble, but scored 25 points, including two huge late buckets. It’s Clemson’s second win at Chapel Hill in the last three games, a stark contrast to losing in 59 tries before 2020.

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