In his first nine months as majority owner of an NBA franchise, Michael Jordan has been through a few years’ worth of experiences:

He watched his Charlotte Bobcats make their first-ever playoff appearance, then watched them suffer their first-ever postseason series sweep. In free agency he re-signed a promising future building block (Tyrus Thomas), then let a potential All-Star point guard walk (Ray Felton). Now he has helped facilitate the departure of his team’s head coach, Larry Brown, meaning Jordan’s next big task will be hiring a replacement. Read More »

Following a year of disappointment that ended without an invite to the Big Dance, North Carolina is still left scratching their heads after a 4-2 start this season. The hype around this year’s Tar Heels surrounds the arrival of Harrison Barnes, the 6-8 versatile small forward who was seen by most as the No. 1 player coming out of high school. Story sound familiar? Barnes is in a similar situation as Carmelo Anthony during the 2002-03 season when he arrived at Syracuse. The Orangemen were coming off a 2001-02 season where they went 23-13 and also missed the tourney. Read More »

Five NCAA teams that got my attention this past weekend for various reasons:

1. NORTH CAROLINA (2-2) Those who thought the Tar Heels were overrated — cracking the AP preseason Top 10 following an NIT finish — were proven right after UNC lost twice at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Classic, which happened to be their first encounter with major-conference competition. Read More »

Since it began 39 years ago, Midnight Madness has become one of the most creative events in sports because it brings the past, present and future together. Schools honor their old stars and introduce their current rosters, all while high-prized recruits sit courtside in awe. But beyond the basketball element, it’s a chance for fans, players and coaches who are generally very serious to have fun and celebrate the college basketball new year. Celebrities sometimes make unexpected cameos, future NBA Lottery picks often don ridiculous costumes, and Hall-of-Fame coaches in their 60s throw on baggy clothes and dance to hip-hop.

Friday night, Late Night With Roy – North Carolina’s Midnight Madness tradition hosted by ESPN’s Stuart Scott – epitomized what the once-a-year event should be about. Read More »

Second Baptist School (Houston, TX) junior L.J. Rose is one of the most gifted point guards in the country. Despite suffering from a nagging ankle injury all summer, he still had everyone from North Carolina to Arizona trying to lure him to their schools. Fresh off surgery to repair a fracture in his fifth metatarsal, Rose has agreed to give HSH exclusive access by chronicling his thoughts in a regular diary. Here are some excerpts from his debut entry: Read More »

Shabazz Muhammad was the breakout high school star of the summer. The 6-6 wing from Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, NV) was already rising through the rankings before he averaged 32 points per game on the AAU circuit and really blew up.

Now every school from North Carolina to Kentucky to Duke is in pursuit of Muhammad, a junior who is ranked 8th overall in the High School Hoop national Top 50. Muhammad has agreed to give HSH and Dime exclusive access by chronicling his thoughts in a regular diary where he’ll keep everyone updated on everything from his personal life to his high school season to his recruiting process. Here’s an excerpt from his latest entry: Read More »

Winter Park (Fla.) senior guard Austin Rivers is the best high school player in the country. After de-committing from Florida in April, Rivers allowed Duke, North Carolina and Kansas to give chase, making his one of the most captivating recruiting stories in the country.

The younger son of Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers, Austin has agreed to give HSH and Dime exclusive access by chronicling his thoughts in a regular diary. In this entry he talks about one major development and in-home visits with his new top three. Here are some excerpts: Read More »

Shabazz Muhammad was the breakout high school star of the summer. The 6-6 wing from Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) was already rising through the rankings before he averaged 32 points per game on the AAU circuit and really blew up.

Now every school from North Carolina to Kentucky to Duke is in pursuit of Muhammad, a junior who is ranked 8th overall in the High School Hoop national Top 50, and 3rd in his class by Scout. Muhammad has agreed to give HSH and Dime exclusive access by chronicling his thoughts in a regular diary where he’ll keep everyone updated on everything from his personal life to his high school season to his recruiting process. Here’s an excerpt from his debut entry: Read More »

No college basketball rivalry can touch Duke vs. North Carolina, but with the defending national champion Blue Devils a notch above the ACC right now, there is a less talked-about Tobacco Road rivalry that should be wildly entertaining, fiercely competitive, and could grow to approach that Duke/UNC bitterness in due time:

That would be North Carolina vs. NC State. Read More »

If Vince Carter is the 2010 Most Disappointing Player of the NBA playoffs, Rasheed Wallace took the crown during the regular season. But while Vince’s untimely no-show helped deny the Magic a return trip to the Finals, ‘Sheed is still in position to sneak out of his letdown of a season with a championship.

Vince and ‘Sheed share another legacy. They are two of the most talented players to ever come out of the University of North Carolina, and at the same time, could be Exhibit A and Exhibit B of a trend I’ve noticed: Over the last 20 years or so, the North Carolina NBA register looks more like a ballot for the Da Vinci Code All-Stars. Read More »