North Carolina sophomore Reniya Kelly gets to play close to home at Birmingham Regional
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — North Carolina sophomore Reniya Kelly will be playing at home Friday when the women's March Madness Sweet 16 comes to Alabama.
Kelly and the Tar Heels face rival Duke in Birmingham. She went to Hoover High School and played at the site of the regional five times. She said she won four of the five, losing her freshman year.
'It means everything. I'm just going to explain this part: I played here in my eighth grade, ninth grade, 10th grade, 11th grade, 12th grade, and only lost one time: it was my ninth grade year," Kelly said. "This is like a full cycle for me, and I'm really excited to be here, especially because my family and friends come out and see me. It's really a blessing to be back home and be close: it's like 20 minutes away from my house, so this is really close to me.'
Kelly said she was hoping her team would end up in Birmingham for the Sweet 16.
'I did not want to go to Washington (state),' she said laughing. 'I just love this place so much, because I have so much experience and the atmosphere has always been here.'
She was a four-time state champion for Hoover, scoring 2,272 in her career. Her team went 168-10 and her jersey was retired in 2023.
'I've been to Hoover High School many times in order to get Reniya in the Carolina blue,' North Carolina coach Courtney Banghart said. 'I thought she was the most improved player in the ACC. You look at her statistics from Year 1 to Year 2, you look at how she runs our team, how little our team changed and how much better we are, right? It's because she's been in charge of it.'
Kelly averaged 9.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists this season for North Carolina. She said her favorite memory of playing in the arena came her senior year. She was subbed out with 50 seconds left and the game in hand. It was her last time playing for her high school team.
'I was crying," she said, "and I don't usually cry.'
___
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
Doug Feinberg, The Associated Press
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Fox News
7 hours ago
- Fox News
Which college football coaches are under the most pressure this season?
We might be in the heart of the college football offseason, but remember, we're continuing to move closer to the start of the season one day at a time. And when the season begins, the pressure will turn on. For a good handful of coaches, they might already be feeling some pressure entering the 2025 season. So, I wanted to look at 10 coaches around the sport and gauge just where they are on a pressure index that I created before the new season. I want to stress, this isn't me sharing just how hot I think these coaches' seats are entering the 2025 season. This is just how I feel the current sentiment is surrounding each of these 10 coaches and where in the season they might feel the most pressure. I placed the 10 coaches in five groups: "We're just happy you're here," "We like you, but …," "Trying to be patient," Is this going to work?" and "It's time." So, let's take a look at my pressure index! This is different from the rest of the coaches on this list. I don't think the pressure index is on Belichick. Let's be honest, Belichick isn't going to feel a lot of pressure at UNC. If this doesn't go his way, he's not going to lose a lot of sleep over this. Rather, the pressure is on the fan base. You can tell that the fan base is invested in this in a way that's similar to Colorado and Deion Sanders. They hired possibly the best coach in NFL history, so maybe they're just happy he's in Chapel Hill. That's why the pressure doesn't ratchet up in UNC's schedule. It ratchets in the New York Giants' schedule, or another NFL team that could be a potential suitor for Belichick. Belichick can certainly pay the $1 million to get out of his contract, and if he has the opportunity to coach the Giants (who he has a history with) or another NFL team, he could opt to go that route. So, I think the pressure point date here is Dec. 1, when the Giants take on the New England Patriots right before their bye week. 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Tennessee reached the CFP for the first time last year before losing in the game at Ohio State. The schedule is pretty difficult for Tennessee this season, though. I think the pressure point for Tennessee is the Oklahoma game on Nov. 1. There are a couple of games prior to the Oklahoma matchup that I thought might have served as the pressure point for Tennessee (at Alabama, at Kentucky), but everything should come to fruition in that Oklahoma game. I think Tennessee will be 5-1 through its first six games, losing to Georgia in the first half of its regular-season slate before potentially losing to Alabama to start the second half of its schedule. So, I think Tennessee will be 6-2 entering that Oklahoma game and the Sooners will look to potentially dethrone the Volunteers from one of the seats in the upper-echelon of the SEC. After going 13-1 in 2023, Florida State fell on its face and went 2-10 in 2024, becoming the first preseason top 10 team to lose 10 games. He got a massive contract extension between those seasons, so I don't think Florida State is ready to move off Norvell. However, that's a wild dropoff. That's why I think the game against Miami (Fla.) on Oct. 4 is a really big one for Florida State. FSU fans want to make sure that last season wasn't a one-year anomaly, where the Seminoles got blown out by the Canes. That game also helps determine the hierarchy of the programs in the state of Florida. Miami has some juice right now, and Florida State needs to prove it can play at that level again. Napier had the hottest seat in the country at one point last season before coaching Florida to a winning record down the stretch. Bringing him back was the right move by the school, with quarterback DJ Lagway blossoming as the Gators won their last four games. The expectations are much higher this year, though. Florida's schedule is just as tough as last year's, playing an incredibly tough four-game stretch early in the year. I think it needs to win at least two of the games in the stretch that features LSU (Sept. 13), Miami (Fla.) (Sept. 20), Texas (Oct. 4) and Texas A&M (Oct. 11). Just like Florida State, that game against Miami is one that Florida particularly has to win in order to establish itself in the state hierarchy. Also, if the Gators don't beat Miami, I'm not sure where they can pick up the other two wins. Let's face it, Year 1 in Tuscaloosa was a little bit underwhelming for DeBoer. Alabama went 9-4, falling short of 10 wins for the first time since 2007 - which was Nick Saban's first year there. The fans aren't going to sit around and wait as you put up eight or nine-win seasons. So, they're trying to be patient. DeBoer has been great everywhere else he's been as a head coach. Of course, he made the national championship game with Washington right before he left for Alabama. But he's now at a place where you're expected to win big and at the sport's highest level. You can't miss the College Football Playoff, especially as we continue to expand the field. I think it could get a little uncomfortable for DeBoer this season. When you look at the schedule, I actually don't think the Georgia game is the pressure game for DeBoer this season. That's always been a coin-flip game. But if Alabama loses to Tennessee in October, I think that's when the fan base's patience with DeBoer starts to wear thin. Home losses aren't good, but that's the first game of a tough second half to the schedule (South Carolina, LSU, Oklahoma, Auburn). If Alabama already lost to Georgia and Tennessee, it would likely have to run the table to make the CFP. Fickell has gone .500 in his first two seasons in Madison, with last season being a bit disappointing. He received an unusual one-year extension, which was part of the program's annual review process. Wisconsin might have the toughest schedule in the country, which makes the building process really difficult. It has Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan and Oregon on its slate this year. If Wisconsin loses those games, I don't think it'll be huge fodder for the fan base. I think the fan base is trying to be patient with Fickell, but he'll be facing pressure when Wisconsin hosts Iowa on Oct. 11. That's a great measuring stick game for the Badgers because those two programs come from the same place. Both programs were previously able to define their success based on how they performed in the Big Ten West. They constantly represented the Big Ten West in the conference title game and got to play in major bowl games because they were in the easier division. Now, Wisconsin and Iowa need to prove to their fan bases that they can rise above and play on equal footing with the other powerhouses in the Big Ten. This is another one of those hierarchy games. If Wisconsin loses to Iowa at home, you look at that schedule and think it might go 3-9. If Wisconsin wins, 8-4 seems possible and the losses to Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan and Oregon would be much easier pills to swallow. We saw promise in Riley's first year in SoCal, when the Trojans nearly made the CFP in 2022. But the last two years have been underwhelming, going 15-11. I will say, they had a good close to the season last year and there are things to get excited about. They won three of their last four games, including a bowl win over Texas A&M. We all felt Riley was a home run hire when USC brought him in. He's still an elite coach, but he's got to turn it around. When you look at USC's schedule, the pressure moment for Riley and his squad this year might come as early as Sept. 27 at Illinois. That game should tell us everything we'll need to know about what USC can be at the top end and what it could be at the bottom end. I think both teams should be 4-0 when they meet that week, but that game marks the start of a tough four-game stretch for USC (Michigan, Notre Dame, Nebraska). If USC loses to Illinois, I don't have a lot of faith that it will win those other three games and Riley can't have another 7-5 season. If USC wins that game, it could be a momentum changer for the program in not just its season, but also in recruiting. After Riley left for USC, Oklahoma's recovery to get Venables was viewed as a home run. Similar to Riley, he's had one great year and two underwhelming ones. Oklahoma beat Texas en route to winning 10 games in 2023 and climbed into the top five at one point that year. Oklahoma has taken a step back since then. Dillon Gabriel left in the transfer portal following that season and Oklahoma's been 10-10 since that win against Texas. 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This program has built itself on such solid footing over the last few years, reaching the CFP semifinal and playing for a Big Ten title last year. Yet, Penn State still doesn't have that "big" win against a team that's on equal footing or superior to it. Now, Penn State and Franklin have done something that's incredibly difficult to do: They don't lose to teams they should beat. So, they're incredibly consistent. That's a credit to Franklin, but it's time to win a big one. Franklin will feel the pressure when Penn State hosts Oregon on Sept. 27. It's a White Out Game, too, which is one of the best environments in college football. Oregon is bringing in a new quarterback and doesn't have a veteran under center like it's had the last few years. As good as Oregon has been, the talent in this game is equal, especially with all the players Penn State is returning. If Penn State loses that game, all anyone will talk about is that James Franklin can't win these games. We'll start to wonder "Oh no, is this going to work?" Luckily for Penn State, it will have a chance to redeem itself with a game against Ohio State at The Shoe in November. Penn State could also make the Big Ten Championship Game and CFP again. It's already Year 4 for Kelly in Baton Rouge. Remember when he debuted that accent? Or that video of him dancing with a recruit? Anyway, Kelly had two 10-win seasons to go with a nine-win year during his time at LSU. That sounds good on paper, but the expectations are higher for that program. Every LSU coach this century has won a national title. That's why Kelly went to LSU, not to build South Bend South. The pressure point for Kelly and LSU is right away: Week 1 at Clemson. That's the moment for Kelly. He can't lose that game, and I actually think Clemson is a little better than LSU. So, now we're expecting him to beat a slightly superior team on the road against a title-winning coach, along with an accomplished quarterback in Cade Klubnik. After Week 1, LSU still has games against Florida, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Alabama and Oklahoma. So, if LSU loses at Clemson, winning each of those games becomes more paramount for the Tigers if they're looking to make the CFP. They'd have to go 6-2, at minimum, in those games to finish 9-3. If LSU wins that game, it could have a victory over the eventual ACC champion on the road for its résumé. That could end up being massive down the line. Joel Klatt is FOX Sports' lead college football game analyst and the host of the podcast "The Joel Klatt Show." Follow him at @joelklatt and subscribe to the "Joel Klatt Show" on YouTube. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.
Fox News
7 hours ago
- Fox News
Bill Belichick plugs book as Father's Day gift idea in response to questions about relationship ‘noise'
Bill Belichick's brief tenure as UNC football coach has largely been defined by the NFL legend's relationship with Jordon Hudson. Tuesday was no different when the longtime coach faced more inquiries about his personal life. Only this time, he embraced the line of questioning as a marketing opportunity. Speaking to reporters this week, the former New England Patriots head coach faced a pair of questions about the buzz surrounding his personal life during the Tar Heels' offseason. Belichick was asked specifically what he believed was the "biggest misconception" about his time at Chapel Hill. "I don't know. I'm really focused on doing my job here at Carolina, which is to help our football team, and that's just to get better every day. You know, to stack those days together – training days, preparation days, days out on the field, and we've done that. Our staff's done a great job of working hard to do that. That's my big focus." "Is there noise out there? We've always dealt with that," he continued. "Really, our job is to build the football team and… also build their individual careers. That's really where we're at." Belichick was pressed further when asked if he would have come back to coaching knowing what he does now about the attention or if it's taken away from the experience. But instead of a brief response that many NFL fans have become familiar with, Belichick responded with a quip about his recent book. "On some of the noise that's out there – the book and stuff like that, I mean it is what it is. That's a personal venture that I entered into when I wasn't in coaching last year. Hopefully that'll be a big purchase on Father's Day," he said with a smile. Belichick's book – and relationship with 24-year-old Hudson – made headlines in April when, during an interview with CBS News, Hudson shut down questions about the couple's relationship. According to reports at the time, Hudson interrupted on several occasions, including shutting down the question about how they met, and even stormed off at one point, delaying the interview by around 30 minutes. Belichick responded at the time to the fallout from the interview with a statement claiming that he "clearly communicated with my publicist at Simon & Schuster that any promotional interviews I participated in would agree to focus solely on the contents of the book." Belichick added that he was "surprised" about getting the questions about his relationship and that when Hudson stepped in, she was doing her job. He went on to accuse CBS of creating a "false narrative" with so-called "selectively edited clips." CBS responded, disagreeing with Belichick's version of events. "When we agreed to speak with Mr. Belichick, it was for a wide-ranging interview," the company said. "There were no preconditions or limitations to this conversation. This was confirmed repeatedly with his publisher before the interview took place and after it was completed." Belichick will make his debut when UNC hosts TCU on Monday, Sept. 1. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
San Francisco Chronicle
7 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Tar Heels players embrace new world as part of coach Bill Belichick's first college team
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Jordan Shipp remembers the conversation with his roommates after learning Bill Belichick was North Carolina's new coach. 'It was just like, 'That's the greatest coach of all time,'" the receiver recalled, ''and he's about to be coaching us.'' Belichick's arrival has triggered plenty of change for the Tar Heels, who are making a big bet on the man who won six Super Bowls as an NFL head coach to spark their football program. No one knows that better than the players — both the holdovers and the transfer-portal arrivals — after months of Belichick overhauling the roster and building the foundation on his first college team. North Carolina players hadn't spoken to reporters since last year's team ended its season with a Fenway Bowl loss to UConn three days after Christmas, all of which came after Belichick had been hired as coach for the 2025 season. So Tuesday marked the first time UNC had made players available to reporters since then to discuss Belichick's arrival. That has meant being coached by someone with a long track record of success at the sport's highest level, along with getting a peek behind the terse and grumpy persona he was known for with the New England Patriots. Defensive back Will Hardy said the players are used to curiosity that comes with being coached by the NFL lifer now giving college a try. 'There's a lot of that, you get a lot of 'How is Coach Belichick? What's new? What's different?'" Hardy said. 'So I've rehearsed these questions a lot with family and friends.' The school hired Belichick in December to elevate the program at a time when football's role as the revenue driver in college sports has never been bigger. He and general manager Michael Lombardi have described their goal as building a pro-style model at the college level. It's been a key pitch as the 73-year-old Belichick made his first foray onto the recruiting trail, as well as the volume of players transferring in and out of the program. Belichick's first on-field work in Chapel Hill came during spring workouts, lodged between portal windows in December and April. 'Look, these are great kids to work with, they really are,' Belichick said Tuesday. "We've had great buy-in. There have really been no problems at all. These guys are on time, they're early, they work hard, they put in the work in the weight room, out on the field. They spend time on their own, whether it's doing extra training or coming over and watching film and that type of thing. 'They've made a ton of improvement and these guys are a lot better than they were when we started in January, on every level. So it's exciting to see where that's going to take us." Enticing opportunity For the players, part of the adjustment had been the reality that their coach was winning Super Bowls with quarterback Tom Brady while they were growing up and watching on TV. Intimidating much? 'I mean, maybe at first when you see him, all you see is the Super Bowls that he's won,' said offensive lineman Christo Kelly, a Holy Cross transfer and Belichick's first portal commitment. "But when you get here and you see the way he cares, you see the way that he approaches the game, you see how hard he works, there's no question why he has the success that he has. 'The attention to detail, the emphasis on fundamentals, and really just kind of creating competition for the guys, that's what's getting built here. Guys are embracing it. He treats everybody with tremendous respect and it's been great." Defensive back Thad Dixon had met Belichick before when he was at Washington, playing under Belichick's son Steve — now the Tar Heels' defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. The two shared a few conversations then, and he jumped at the chance to head east. 'I really just wanted the opportunity just to learn from somebody like that, that had did it in the league for so long," Dixon said. Behind the curtain Yet not every surprise has been about X's and O's. Sometimes it's simply when Belichick has dropped the all-business facade to expose an unexpectedly humorous side. 'I feel like that's the biggest curveball, you're coming to the first meeting and you're expecting it to be serious, 100% locked in," said Shipp, who played 12 games for UNC last season. 'He comes in and he introduces himself and then he busts a joke. That's the second thing he said.' Hardy pointed that vibe, too. 'There are times when he'll just crack a joke out of nowhere,' he said. "And just him being kind of monotone sometimes will make those jokes so funny.' Still, Hardy noted it's mingled amid the work, such as film sessions when 'there's no hiding' when Belichick highlights a mistake. UNC opens the season on Labor Day against TCU in a college version of Monday Night Football. 'I've loved having 1-on-1 conversations with him," Hardy said. "It's cool to see and meet him personally, because you grow up and see him on TV and everything. And he's just a completely different coach and guy when you get to be around him all day. It's cool.' ___
