North Carolina goes into the season a preseason top 25 team and the favorite in the Coastal Division, a program that finally seems headed in the right direction after so many years where it could not get out of its own way.
Yet the headline Wednesday was not about the marquee matchup against Georgia next week, or the energy and excitement players feel as they embark on what could be another stellar season. No, coach Larry Fedora created a sideshow when he decided to bring in former Illinois coach Tim Beckman as a volunteer assistant. Fedora and North Carolina can justify this all they want, saying Beckman is only there to watch film and scout, that he will provide no instruction to players.