Come on time to honor Leaky Black.
Ceremonies for “seniors” Black, graduate transfer Brady Manek and walk-on Ryan McAdoo will start promptly at 6:40 before Monday night’s last home game against Syracuse, which is reeling after getting blown out at home by Duke Saturday.
Leaky is questionable after hyperextending his right knee late in the first half of the laugher at N.C. State and sat out the second half, hopefully, as a precaution. He is the sixth Tar Heel to surpass 500 points, 400 rebounds, 200 assists, 100 steals and 50 blocks in his career.
Besides properly honoring the underrated and oft-unappreciated Black, this may be the last time we see him on Roy Williams Court. There is the chance he comes back as a COVID super-senior next year, although Black has yet to make that decision.
His season is not over, but Hubert Davis wants him ready for Duke Saturday and the ACC tournament next week, where the Tar Heels’ NCAA fate may be determined.
UNC needs Black to get out on Buddy Boeheim and the other Orange shooters, but Puff Johnson’s emergence could help in this game. Cam’s kid brother had 16 points in 29 minutes, both career highs, at PNC including three “3 point plays” — two long balls and three free throws after being fouled on another attempt from the arc.
Puff is Leaky’s size at 6-8 and, while not having his defensive skills, plays hard on that end. And, offensively, he could find soft spots in the corners against the ‘Cuse zone with his left-handed jumpers.
With another win, the Heels will clinch one of the ACC’s top four seeds for a double bye into Thursday at the tournament in Brooklyn.
It would help if 12-6 Miami, which holds the tiebreaker over UNC, lost at either BC or Syracuse this week, so the Tar Heels could get the third seed and face Notre Dame in the semis Friday at the Barclays Center instead of Duke for the second time in six days.
Before that, they would likely have to face Wake Forest, Virginia Tech or Virginia in the Thursday quarter finals.
First things first, beat the Orange and then get another Quad 1 win somewhere to punch their ticket to the Dance. If not with Leaky, do it for him.
Photo via Todd Melet.
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe:
Related Stories
‹

Art’s Angle: Not EnoughDespite a spirited first half performance by UNC, No. 2 Duke proved to be too much for the Tar Heels. Art Chansky shares his thoughts.

Here's What UNC's R.J. Davis, Hubert Davis Are Saying Ahead of Senior Night vs. No. 2 DukeSaturday's matchup vs. No. 2 Duke is UNC men's basketball final opportunity to make a statement before the postseason begins — and the final game in the Dean Smith Center for fifth-year senior R.J. Davis.

Art's Angle: You Were There!Carmichael Auditorium sat about 8,000 when it opened, later closer to 9,000 when those awful aluminum benches replaced the chairbacks. But, for years, far more than those numbers of people claimed to be there for: Bobby Lewis’ 49 against Florida State in 1966, the year that Blue Heaven opened and the record for most points […]
![]()
No. 8 UNC Picks Up Emotional Win Over Syracuse On Senior NightMonday night at the Dean Smith Center, despite a 75-70 win by the No. 8 Tar Heels over the Syracuse Orange, tears filled the arena—as fans said their goodbyes to a group of young men head coach Roy Williams dubbed his favorite team of all time. “I don’t know if I can tell you much […]

UNC Men's Basketball vs. Virginia Tech (2026): How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off TimeUNC will be back in action at the Smith Center Saturday night when the Tar Heels host Virginia Tech. Carolina has won nine consecutive home games against the Hokies. If you aren’t attending the game in person, here’s how you can follow along at home: Broadcast Schedule Those hoping to listen on the radio can […]

Chansky's Notebook: Free Throw FolliesUNC is still riding high after its win against Louisville, but one glaring flaw could be its downfall: free throw shooting.

'This is a Loud Voice': Former UNC Trustee Discusses Push to 'Renovate, Don't Relocate' Dean Smith CenterThere are many contentious issues currently being discussed on the UNC campus. But perhaps none are more contentious than the state of the Dean Smith Center and its future. Decision-makers at UNC have reportedly been pushing for a new basketball arena on a parcel of land known as Carolina North, located on the former Horace […]

Chansky's Notebook: EndearingSeth Trimble endeared himself even further with the UNC fanbase Monday night, scoring a career-high 30 points vs. Louisville.
![]()
On Air Today: Rusty Carter, Saying 'Renovate Don't Relocate' for UNC's Smith CenterAaron chats with Rusty Carter, who's leading the "Renovate Don't Relocate" effort to keep UNC men's basketball at the Smith Center.

Seth Trimble Used Challenge from Hubert Davis, UNC Teammates to Fuel Career NightIf you want to know the inspiration for Seth Trimble’s career-best performance against No. 24 Louisville Monday night, you have to go back to a snowy afternoon in Syracuse a little more than 48 hours ago. The Tar Heels were beating the Orange at halftime, but it had little to do with Trimble: the senior […]
›