This content is unavailable. Please contact customer service for more information.
Already a subscriber? Login or Activate your account.
You've reached the end of the standard E-Edition.
This content is unavailable. Please contact customer service for more information.
SEIZE THE MOMENT
Troutman's Buchmann wins tourney, clinches spot in bass fishing's Super Bowl
BRIAN MEADOWS
Kaden Buchmann of Troutman shows off a couple of bass he caught
during the 2025 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by
T-H Marine at Lake Norman.
SPECIAL TO THE R&L
Troutman's Kaden Buchmann won the 2026 Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Norfork Lake in Arkansas presented by Bass Pro Shops last week.
It wasn't just any win for the Mooresville High School alum, who graduated from Lander University last spring.
Buchmann's Elite Qualifier championship clinched a berth in the 2027 Bassmaster Classic, which will be held at South Carolina's Lake Hartwell in March 2027.
"Still doesn't seem real," Buchmann wrote on Facebook in the days following the big victory.
"Thank everyone for all of the texts, calls, messages, and comments because my phone had been ringing off the chain!" he continued. "Thank you to my family, sponsors, friends, and Lander University Bass Fishing. We're going to the freakin' Bassmaster Classic."
North Lake hosted the Elite Qualifier Wednesday through Friday, with the tournament featuring 140 anglers.
Buchmann led wire-to-wire, winning with a threeday total of 42 pounds, 7 ounces.
The Bassmaster Elite Qualifier Series also serves as a pathway for anglers seeking to qualify for the prestigious Bassmaster Elite Series.
Buchmann became the first student from Mooresville High School to receive a bass fishing scholarship to Lander University in Greenwood, South Carolina. He graduated from Lander with a Bachelor of Science degree, balancing his college education with his continued pursuit of competitive bass fishing.
Charlotte Hornets waive Dillingham
Why release the Hickory native after trading for him?
JASON KOON
Chicago Bulls guard Rob Dillingham shoots past Dallas Mavericks
guard John Poulakidas during the first half on April 12 at American
Airlines Center in Dallas. Dillingham was traded to Charlotte and
then waived by the Hornets earlier this week.
KEVIN JAIRAJ, IMAGN IMAGES
Hickory native Rob Dillingham's stay with the Charlotte Hornets lasted just over 48 hours.
Dillingham was traded by the Chicago Bulls to the Hornets on Sept. 26 for Buddy Heild, whom Charlotte had acquired from Atlanta days earlier. On Sept. 28, @HornetsPR announced via X that the team had waived the 21-year-old guard entering his third NBA season.
The initial deal got hopes up in the Hickory area that fans would now have plenty of opportunities to see Dillingham nearby. Dillingham grew up in the Mountain View area and played middle school basketball at Jacobs Fork Middle School before spending his high school days split between Combine Academy, Donda Academy and Overtime Elite.
What does this mean? Placing Dillingham on waivers means Charlotte is still responsible for his contract unless another team claimed him off waivers within 48 hours. That didn't happen by the deadline, so Dillingham is now an unrestricted free agent. Charlotte is still on the hook for Dillingham's $6.89 million salary this year. Plus, he will have the opportunity to earn additional salary from a team if they claim him as an unrestricted free agent.
Does this mean Dillingham won't play this year?
Not necessarily. It's impossible to know for sure whether he will reach a deal with a new team, but there are a few factors working in Dillingham's favor.
First, he will likely come cheap. Since Charlotte still has to pay his salary this year, a player like Dillingham, who clears waivers and becomes an unrestricted free agent, often gets picked up at a reduced price.
The second big factor working in his favor is his youth. Dillingham will turn 22 during the season and already has two full years of NBA experience.
After a year-and-a-half of limited action in Minnesota, Dillingham's production ramped up last winter when he was traded to Chicago. With the Bulls, Dillingham averaged 9.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game over 30 games. His shooting efficiency number still needs some work, though (.428 fg%, .300 3pt%), but Dillingham still has a high potential upstart despite a slow start in the league.
Why did Charlotte trade for him and then waive him so fast?
Again, it's impossible to know for sure. The team's announcement Monday just said Dillingham had been waived. However, it is important to note that while some basketball deals are meant to improve an organization's product on the floor, others are more geared toward the bottom line.
Regardless of the Hornets' motivations, the Dillingham trade and then release are two of several moves the organization has made that will free up money and allow them to make some potentially big deals in the near future. Dillingham's $6.89 million salary in 2026-27 replaced Buddy Heild's $9.658 million. In addition, Heild would have had an option to make Charlotte pay again in 2027-28, Dillingham's contract does not include a player option.
In turn, Heild's salary replaced Dorian Finley-Smith's nearly $14.2 million he would have been owed before that trade on Sept. 22. Had the Hornets simply waived Finley-Smith, they would have been on the hook with him for the next two years with a player option for 2028-29.
The moves with Heild, Finley-Smith and Dillingham also created two more trade exceptions for Charlotte valued at $4.5 million and $9.6 million, according to jjnba.com. Trade exceptions are created when players with mismatched contract values are traded. They can be used within one year to acquire another player or help manage the league's salary cap and luxury tax obligations, according to NBC Sports.
The Hornets have been wheeling and dealing all year and have the most exceptions and the largest one of any team in the league, according to Sportrac. The trade exception created by last summer's LaMelo Ball deal is the largest in NBA history at $40.7 million. Charlotte currently holds six exceptions valued at $66 million, according to jjnba.com.
Will UNC upset Notre Dame?
Three keys for the Tar Heels this weekend
USA TODAY NETWORK
University of North Carolina Tar Heels running back Benjamin
Hall runs the ball down the field Sept. 19 during the third quarter
against the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium.
ASHLEY TUMLIN, IMAGN IMAGES, USA TODAY NETWORK
It's been 22 years since Connor Barth split the uprights at Kenan Stadium for UNC football's lone victory against a top-five team.
Barth kicked the game-winning field goal in the Tar Heels' 31-28 win against No. 4 Miami in October 2004. Bill Belichick's Tar Heels (2-1, 0-1 ACC) will try to get the program's second top-five victory against No. 3 Notre Dame (4-0) on Saturday, Oct. 3 (Noon ET, ESPN), in Chapel Hill.
"Notre Dame is a great football program, tradition. Coach (Marcus) Freeman has done a great job there," Belichick said to open his weekly press conference.
"They've been pretty dominant. It's a good football team. They're sound all the way across the board. … It's going to be a good challenge for us. We're excited for that."
UNC is 0-1 against ranked opponents under Belichick, losing 17-16 in overtime against No. 16 Virginia last season at Kenan Stadium.
The Heels are 2-21 in the all-time series against the Fighting Irish, with the lone victory coming in 2008. The Golden Domers have lost to an unranked opponent in three of the last four seasons, but they carry a 14-game winning streak — all by double digits — into their road game at UNC.
So, do the Tar Heels have a chance at knocking off Notre Dame? If UNC wants to keep it close, here are three things that have to happen at Kenan Stadium.
Benjamin Hall, UNC have to dominate time of possession
In two of its last three regular-season losses, Notre Dame allowed Northern Illinois and Miami to possess the ball for an average of just over 34 minutes. The Huskies and Hurricanes also averaged 162 rushing yards. If UNC wants to put itself in position to get the upset win, it starts with time of possession and an effective running game. Running back Benjamin Hall is coming off a career-best 130 rushing yards at Clemson, but Notre Dame's defense has allowed an average of 53.8 rushing yards through four games. The Irish have limited each of their first four opponents to under 100 rushing yards for the fifth time in program history and first time since 1982. Offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino will have to work his magic to get the most out of the Tar Heels vs. Notre Dame.
Billy Edwards explosive plays, Rece Verhoff field goals vs Notre Dame
Notre Dame allowed three explosive passing plays for touchdowns in those losses to Northern Illinois and Miami. The Huskies scored on an 83-yard TD pass and the Hurricanes had two TD plays on passes of at least 20 yards against the Irish. UNC's primary priority will be a consistently effective running game, but it needs to find more big-play opportunities with quarterback Billy Edwards, who has struggled with deep throws this season. The Tar Heels have three TDs this season against Power Four competition, but each of those plays came on runs and none of them were more than 15 yards. Fifth-year kicker Rece Verhoff is also set to return, which should aid the opportunity for long field-goal attempts. Northern Illinois and Miami needed multiple field goals to take down the Irish, including two from beyond 40 yards. Aeron Burrell is 0 of 3 on attempts from beyond 40 yards this season, which means Verhoff could be the difference in a low-scoring game as someone who made 10 of 11 kicks last year from beyond 40 yards.
Notre Dame turnovers, UNC takeaways
The Irish had two turnovers each in their losses to Northern Illinois and Miami. UNC will have to create takeaways if it wants a chance against a Notre Dame team that has just one turnover and nine takeaways through four games. The Tar Heels have two turnovers in each of their two games against P4 competition this season, splitting against TCU and Clemson. UNC and Notre Dame are two of the top three teams nationally with the fewest penalties, so the turnover margin will be a huge factor on Saturday. If the mistakes pile up for the Tar Heels, things could get out of hand quickly. If they pile up for the Irish, the pressure will be on them in a close game.
Click and hold your mouse button on the page to select the area you wish to save or print.
You can click and drag the clipping box to move it or click and drag in the bottom right corner to resize it.
When you're happy with your selection, click the checkmark icon next to the clipping area to continue.
