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As you’ve likely heard by now, Tyler Zeller went under the knife for a broken left ulna and radius. Expected recovery time for such an injury is 12-16 weeks, so the most optimistic of reports would bring him back during mid-February. All signs, however, point to Zeller being out for the season, which leads me to believe he will pursue a medical redshirt two games into his freshman season. I watched the Penn game last Saturday with my mother, stepfather, and Christi. Unfortunately, Christi is one of those dreadful “ABC fan... read more...

Last night was my first trip to the Dean Smith Center as a student (second overall). For the record, I am now 2-2 on witnessing injuries at UNC games. My other game was last season’s UNC-Nevada contest, in which Bobby Frasor tore his ACL on a steal attempt. If I keep this up, they’ll ban me from the premises. According to Andy Katz within the past hour, Zeller has a “serious injury,” details unknown, that will, in all likelihood, sideline him until at least the team’s return from Maui. More on that in a se... read more...

The Heels opened the regular season with a 86-71 win over the Penn Quakers. Some things I noticed… - Tyler Zeller is silky smooth. Sure, anybody who has seen videos on recruiting websites would know that, but it is always much more comforting to see it against college players. By the time conference play rolls around, there will be very little dropoff from Hansbrough-Thompson to Zeller-Davis. I am very excited - On a similar note, it is official that Hansbrough can take his sweet time and ensure that he is completely healed u... read more...

Today is a holiday for me: First day of regular season college roundball. Now, the games count, even if they aren’t always that dramatic. It’s the most wonderful time of the year. The museum night last Wednesday was not nearly as attended as I expected. Granted, there was probably a larger crowd at Top of the Hill, a restaurant on Franklin Street, attending Coach Butch Davis’s radio show in preparation for the homecoming win against Georgia Tech. Naturally, I did not win of the tickets raffled away there, but it wa... read more...

Fortunately, Tyler Hansbrough’s injury may not be too troubling. He is expected to miss about two weeks of practice before being re-evaluated. I have a hunch that he won’t miss a regular season game, although he probably won’t take the floor against UNC Pembroke in Saturday evening’s exhibition game. Naturally, I have to work Saturday, so I will not be celebrating Veteran’s Day Weekend in the Dean Dome. Election Day is here at last. It has been quite the strange election for me. Chapel Hill, more specif... read more...

As you’ve probably heard, college hoops is a second religion in North Carolina, specifically in the proximity of “The Big Four,”: Duke, North Carolina, NC State, and Wake Forest. Everyone has a team. Even if you don’t know the difference between a touchdown and a slam dunk, an incomplete from an interception, or a home run from a three-pointer, your loyalties lie with one of The Big Four. More commonly, these loyalties fall into two broader groups – Carolina fans, and “ABC” fans. ABC fans, not... read more...

The Rest of The Best11. Texas Longhorns: If the ‘Horns can solve the woes at the point presented by D.J. Augustin’s absence, they could surprise critics that have dismissed them…much like last year after Kevin Durant’s departure, 12. Oklahoma Sooners: Maybe someone else can confirm or deny this for me in my area, but Blake Griffin has flown under the radar in the Hansbrough love-fest that is ACC country (and this coming from a Tar Heel fan). I don’t think that will last long.13. Marquette Golden Eagles: T... read more...

6 – Pittsburgh Panthers (27-10, 10-8 Big East)Good News: Sam Young, Levance Fields, and DeJuan Blair. Get to know them, because there are few guard-forward-center trios more dangerous in the game right now.Bad News: The loss of three guards (Mike Cook, Keith Benjamin, and Ronald Ramon) will challenge the depth of the Panthers’ backcourt. Coach Jaime Dixon recruited a solid core of guards, but how quickly can they become effective? That’s not mentioning this team’s habit to never get past the Sweet Sixteen, especi... read more...

TOP TEN TEAMS1 – North Carolina Tar Heels (36-3, 14-2 Atlantic Coast) Good News: The Tar Heels cemented their place as the consensus preseason favorite on June 16, when Wayne Ellington, Danny Green, and Ty Lawson announced they would return for another year of college basketball. Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams will have the pleasure of coaching all five starters from last year’s Final Four team (sans Marcus Ginyard until December),senior leaders Bobby Frasor and Danny Green, and three of the top 100 freshmen in the country. ... read more...

Some rapid-fire thoughts as I wait patiently for game one of the World Series and (more importantly) hope my roomie stops playing Fable II long enough for me to watch said game… JACOB’S STAPH: Maybe you’ve heard, but apparently Kellen Winslow had a staph infection and doesn’t appreciate the way his team treated the issue. You know, I’d might feel a little sympathy for Mr. Winslow if he wasn’t the guy proclaiming to be a [bleeping] soldier at war back in his days at “The U.” Who doesn̵... read more...