Brett Friedlander
StarNewsOnline
Cary, NC, United States
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Past articles by Brett:
UNC response a stroke of genius … as long as the NCAA buys it
It’s a document that can be summed up in a single paragraph. UNC admits and accepts responsibility for the academic transgressions associated with its athletic department over an 18-year period from 1993-2011. But in doing so, the university claims that it shouldn’t face severe sanctions because its problems are not specifically covered by the NCAA’s bylaws. To put it in more practical terms,… → Read More
Repeating in Coastal won’t be a ‘day at the beach’ for UNC
UNC coach Larry Fedora was admittedly “still in beach mode” at last week’s ACC Football Kickoff North Carolina coach Larry Fedora showed up at last week’s ACC Football Kickoff event in Charlotte sporting a beard and no socks. It’s a look he said was the result of “still being in beach mode.” The fact that Fedora took some time out to vacation at the coast doesn’t make him all that much different… → Read More
N.C. State’s Doeren: Opportunity available for playmaker McKever
Pharoah McKever leaves Mississippi State defenders behind on his 82-yard touchdown run at the Belk Bowl last December CHARLOTTE — Pharoah McKever has touched the ball twice in his N.C. State football career. Each time, he’s taken it 82 yards for a touchdown. Thanks to the combination of his size, speed and that big play capability, coach Dave Doeren wants desperately to get the former South… → Read More
Topics as hot as the weather abound at upcoming ACC Football Kickoff
It’s hard to believe with the heat index topping out in triple digits and local television weather geeks attempting to fry eggs on the sidewalk to show how hot it is that the start of preseason football practice is only a few weeks away. From an ACC perspective, the process will get underway next Thursday with the league’s annual media kickoff event in Charlotte. Over the course of those two… → Read More
2015-16 ACCSPY Awards: And the winners are …
In the spirit of the real-life ESPYs, which will be presented at a star-studded nationally televised gala on Wednesday, it has become a Star-News tradition to honor the best of the best in the ACC from the previous athletic year with our fictitious version of the awards. After a week of balloting, which thanks to Twitter polls featured a record response among a much more diverse sampling of fan… → Read More
Braves, Marlins make history — and memories — on a special night at Fort Bragg
A squadron of Army helicopters flies over the field at Fort Bragg before Sunday’s game between the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins FORT BRAGG — A.J. Pierzynski has won a World Series championship, he’s attended a college basketball game on an aircraft carrier and he’s flown along with the Blue Angels — an exhilarating experience he recommends highly, by the way. Even if, as he noted, it might… → Read More
Time to pick the winners of 2015-16 ACCSPY Awards
The ACC was all but shut out of this year’s ESPY Award nominations by ESPN. The league’s only two mentions were related to North Carolina’s dramatic loss to Villanova in the college basketball national championship game in April. That’s a shame, since there were countless noteworthy performances and memorable moments among ACC players and teams during the 2015-16 academic year. In honor of them,… → Read More
Despite ACC tourney loss, Duke baseball no longer a diamond in the rough
Sophomore third baseman Jack Labosky is greeted by his teammates after scoring a run during Tuesday’s ACC tournament loss to Wake Forest (ACC photo) DURHAM — It’s been more than a half century since the Duke baseball team has been invited to play in the NCAA tournament. So relatively speaking, another six days of waiting shouldn’t be all that big a deal. Tell that to coach Chris Pollard and his… → Read More
HB2 a political football that could affect all sports in North Carolina
The ACC baseball tournament is currently scheduled to be played in Durham through 2018 That’s a debate that belongs in another section of the newspaper. But no matter where you stand on the controversial statute — which deals with, among other things, the ability of local governments to enact anti-discrimination laws — the issue has become a political football that could profoundly affect all… → Read More
Tar Heels walk away with win to end UNCW streak
CHAPEL HILL — The UNC Wilmington finally ran out of comebacks Tuesday. After spotting 19th-ranked North Carolina a six-run lead in the bottom of the first and battling back from another two-run deficit, the Seahawks saw a late lead and their 12-game winning streak snapped with a 10-9 loss to the Tar Heels at Boshamer Stadium. UNC tied the score with a run in the eighth and won it on a bases… → Read More
Despite ‘Ruff’ patch, Trevon Brown still all in for ECU
Trevon Brown gives a stiff arm to teammate Corey Seargent during ECU’s spring game Saturday (ECU photo/Rob Goldberg Jr.) GREENVILLE — Trevon Brown wasn’t happy when Ruffin McNeill was fired as East Carolina’s football coach on Dec. 4. And he let the world know about it with a series of angry Tweets. “That was my coach,” Brown said. “He was the reason I came here. He took me under his wing and I… → Read More
Tar Heels weren’t the ‘bad guy’ they were made out to be
UNC’s Theo Pinson sits dejected under a towel moments after Monday’s national championship loss to Villanova HOUSTON — The conflict between good and evil is the basis of every epic tale. So it only makes sense that the monumental struggle between North Carolina and Villanova in Monday’s college basketball championship game include one team wearing the white hat and the other in black. Or in this… → Read More
Five questions to ponder before tipoff … national championship edition
Every college basketball team in the country dreams about playing on the first Monday in April. Tonight, North Carolina gets to live that dream. Not only will the national championship be on the line when the Tar Heels take on Villanova at NRG Stadium, but legacies will be as well. For seniors Brice Johnson and Marcus Paige, a victory against the Wildcats would mean entry into an exclusive club… → Read More
Tar Heels leave Orange feeling blue en route to national championship game
Isaiah Hicks gets inside the Syracuse zone to dunk over the Orange’s Tyler Lydon HOUSTON — North Carolina wasn’t in a position to start celebrating early Saturday, even after building a 17-point lead midway through the second half of its national semifinal game against Syracuse. Not after the Orange came roaring back from a 15-point deficit to beat Virginia in last week’s NCAA South Region… → Read More
Syracuse three-peat no open-and-shut Case for UNC
Joel Berry steals the ball from Syracuse’s Trevor Cooney during UNC’s win in Chapel Hill on Feb. 29 HOUSTON — N.C. State coaching legend Everett Case originated the phrase in 1954 after his Wolfpack beat Duke to win the ACC tournament title after losing to the Blue Devils twice during the regular season. “It’s tough to beat a good team three times in a season,” the old Gray Fox said that day.… → Read More
Memory of mom fuels UNC’s Brice Johnson
Brice Johnson lets out a primal scream during a game against NC State earlier this season The dominant post moves. The flexing. The primal screams after an emphatic dunk or blocked shot. These are the images that have come to define Brice Johnson during North Carolina’s impressive run to college basketball’s Final Four. But they aren’t an entirely accurate representation of who Johnson really… → Read More
UNC plans public viewing party for Final Four games
North Carolina is planning a public viewing party for Saturday’s national semifinal basketball games at the Smith Center for fans unable to travel to Houston to see the Final Four games in person. Both games will be shown on a large projection screen and the Smith Center video boards. Oklahoma and Villanova will play the first semifinal at 6:09 p.m., with the UNC-Syracuse game to follow… → Read More
Williams' bond strong as ever for UNC
Roy Williams holds a special place for this year's team Williams' bond strong as ever for UNC North Carolina's Kenny Williams, from left, Nate Britt and Kennedy Meeks celebrate during the team's Elite Eight victory over Notre Dame. AP Photo/Chris Szagola By Brett Friedlander StarNews Staff He loves them all equally, just in different ways. And yet, much like the unique bond that exists between a… → Read More
Tar Heels roll to Houston
But that wasn’t good enough to prevent the Tar Heels from claiming their first Final Four trip since 2009. The Tar Heels also got double figure scoring from Marcus Paige (13 points), Joel Berry (11), Justin Jackson (11) and Kennedy Meeks (10) to avoid the disappointment of the other three No. 1 NCAA tournament seeds and advance to a Final Four matchup with another surprise ACC rival -- Syracuse… → Read More
Paige’s hot shooting propels UNC into East Region final
Marcus Paige made six 3-pointers and scored 20 points in leading UNC to a Sweet 16 victory against Indiana PHILADELPHIA — Marcus Paige hasn’t had the kind of senior season anyone expected, especially himself. But that’s not how it will be remembered if he continues to shoot like he did on Friday. The preseason ACC co-Player of the Year made six 3-pointers and scored 12 of his team’s first 14… → Read More