Meeks scores 25 as No. 1 North Carolina beats Temple 91-67

“It’s your fault we’re wearing suits home”, UNC junior Kennedy Meeks playfully said in the general direction of teammate Nate Britt. And Britt didn’t argue with that assessment. “Usually after a win we can wear sweatsuits back [on the flight]”. The Tar Heels have flown under the radar since their loss to the Gamecocks but their blowout win against the Blue Devils last Saturday put them back into the forefront of college football bettors.

“I’m not saying he can do that every game”, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said, “but that shouldn’t be a surprise”. For obvious reasons, Alston didn’t like this.

So the Tar Heels traveled home in suits.

That sequence – Johnson dunking, Alston shoving, Britt getting ejected – was what many will remember from this game. And, on a few level, that’s too bad.

It is understood that this is what life is going to be like without Marcus Paige.

The Tar Heels [16-8, 13-2 ACC] took down the Panthers [20-7, 10-5 ACC] 28-26, 25-20 and 25-21. He went 10 for 14 from the floor and sank five of seven free throws in matching his career high for points.

“It’s weird at first, because where we stay in the hotel is right across the street from my mall, and where we went to the movies is the movies I went to growing up – a mile from my house and a mile from my high school, ” said Berrios, who finished with one catch for 4 yards. Fellow big man Brice Johnson, who also checks in at 6-foot-10, added 16 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks of his own.

This, in the long run, is the best thing that could happen to the Tar Heels because other players are going to find their roles in the grand scheme in order to keep the ship afloat.

A free throw by Jillian Alleyne put the Ducks up two and a pair of missed three-point attempts by the Tar Heels sealed the deal as OR upset No. 22 North Carolina, 79-77, on Sunday afternoon at Carmichael Arena.

Cook came into the game with the Terps completing just over 60 percent of his passes; in a clear sign that the shoulder was bothering him, the senior completed just 6-of-20 passes before being taken out for good.

I talked to Paige about this Thursday.

The No. 12 ranking is the best for the Tar Heels since earning the same spot in the 1998 preseason poll after UNC finished 1997 ranked No. 6.

Of course, that’s something that nobody ever thought they would see. Owls went into the locker room down by eleven.

“I like those numbers”, Dunphy said.

And it sure looks that way, doesn’t it? The Owls have a history of surprising highly ranked squads but UNC didn’t miss at almost 51% and dominated the backboards 48-27 while the defense limited Temple to less then 39% from the field as the Heels were just too big and fast.

“We were trying to get the crowd into it just by waving our hands”, sophomore Joel Berry II said.

The win on Senior Day lifts 17th-ranked North Carolina to 6-0 in league play and 9-1 overall. “Right now they’re out in front of the division and playing really good football and our guys have had a good chance to study ’em and watch ’em”.