OBannon case. The lower courts ruled that NCAA rules violated antitrust laws, but also shot down a plan to pay college athletes for the use of their names, images and likenesses.The ru

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- North Carolina keeps sharing the ball and putting up big numbers, proving the fifth-ranked Tar Heels still have plenty of offensive punch despite losing a lot of production from last year.Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams is more focused on getting more consistency from his team on the defensive end, and maybe a little more attention to detail, too.Joel Berry II scored 23 points and UNC shot 53 percent to beat Long Beach State 93-67 on Tuesday night for a third straight lopsided win to open the season.Kennedy Meeks added 15 points for the Tar Heels (3-0), who scored the games first 14 points and led by 23 points by halftime. That dominating start was enough to erase any doubt about the outcome, though Williams was aggravated enough at one sloppy second-half stretch that he angrily punched a clipboard to the court during a timeout.That first 10 minutes of the second half ... that was about as bad offensively as Ive seen us in 31 practices and three games and one exhibition, Williams said, adding he also wants more from his team defensively.Still, that stretch was little more than a blip, the kind of moment that will give Williams something to focus on in coming practices. The Tar Heels -- who shot 59 percent in the opening half -- never let the 49ers closer than 16 after halftime.Gabe Levin scored 17 points for Long Beach State (1-2), who never recovered from an awful start that included making 8 of 31 shots (26 percent) in the first half. The 49ers finished at 36 percent and missed 20 of 26 3-pointers.Im disappointed that we didnt take advantage of the opportunity to come out here and play a little better early, Long Beach State coach Dan Monson said.BIG PICTURELong Beach State: This game came roughly 48 hours after a loss at Wichita State as part of a demanding opening stretch that includes a stop at No. 12 Louisville on Thursday as well as visits to UCLA, Washington and Kansas before the end of November. So far, at least, Long Beach State is struggling to keep up, losing the past two games by a combined 63 points.This game will help us get better, Monson said. Hopefully Thursday will too.UNC: Williams angst aside, the Tar Heels offense has gotten off to a quick start. They had 20 assists on 32 baskets after assisting on 72 percent of their made shots through the first two games. They have also scored at least 93 points in all three games -- so far, so good for an offense with new people inheriting key roles from last years NCAA finalist.POLL IMPLICATIONSUNCs three wins have come by an average of nearly 29 points per game, part of the reason the Tar Heels climbed one spot in this weeks AP Top 25 poll.BERRYS STARTBerry is off to a fast start in his development as UNCs No. 1 threat. He matched his career-high scoring total set in the opening win against Tulane to go with six rebounds, four assists and two turnovers in 21 minutes.The junior is shooting 60 percent from the floor so far this season.Im just taking open shots, Berry said. Im not trying to force anything, not trying to play outside of my game and trying to do what I have to do to help this team.THEY SAID ITA lot of curse words, just telling us to get our stuff together because we were playing bad. -- Meeks on Williams angry timeout message.UP NEXTLong Beach State: The 49ers continue their nationwide trek at No. 12 Louisville.UNC: The Tar Heels head west for an extended trip, first to play Hawaii on Friday before beginning play in the Maui Invitational over the Thanksgiving holiday.---Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/aaronbeardap---More AP college basketball at http://collegebasketball.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/APTop-25 Tracy Mcgrady Raptors Jersey . Aaron Harrison scored a 22 points for Kentucky (6-1), which has won four in a row following a Nov. 12 loss to current No. 1 Michigan State. Julius Randle overcame a scoreless first half and added his sixth double-double in as many games with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Toronto Raptors Jerseys . Vokoun departed practice on Saturday morning after discovering swelling in his thigh. He was taken to a local hospital where the clot was revealed. The club announced the surgery following a 5-3 exhibition loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. http://www.nbaraptorsonline.com/Authentic-Vince-Carter-Jersey/ . It might not have mattered. While the Dodgers are preparing for the playoffs, the Padres showed their future has promise behind two rookies. Pascal Siakam Raptors Jersey . -- Whether Jeremy Hill deserves a prominent role in LSUs offence this early in the season is a matter for debate. Fred VanVleet Raptors Jersey . -- Gus Malzahn finally had his day in Fayetteville. In another step toward redefining the amateur status of college athletes, Northwestern has agreed to drop social media restrictions placed on football players after a complaint about the team handbook was filed with the National Labor Relations Board.ESPN first reported Tuesday the complaint was withdrawn in September after Northwestern agreed to modify its rules. The NLRBs advisory memo states the scholarship football players are assumed to be statutory employees and that certain team rules were unlawful. That could affect players at the other 16 private schools that compete in FBS.A group of former Northwestern players, led by an advocacy group for college athletes, failed last year in its attempt to gain the right to unionize the team from the NLRB, although the door was left open for other changes when the board said the players should be treated as employees. The board has no jurisdiction over public institutions, which include the vast majority of colleges and universities in Division I.A complaint to the NLRB from a California lawyer with no connection to Northwestern was filed in August 2015, challenging the teams rules prohibiting activities such as speaking to the media without athletic department permission and posting information on Twitter and other social media without limits or monitoring by coaches. The school also agreed to change its grievance policy, which said players must go to the university, conference or NCAA with complaints.The school does not have similar policies for the rest of the student body.Northwestern considers its students who participate in NCAA Division I sports, including those who receive athletic scholarships, to be students, first and foremost, Northwestern Vice President for University Relations Al Cubbage said in a statement.As noted in the NLRB General Counsels Advice Memorandum dated September 22, 2016, although Northwestern disputes the General Counsels assumption that Northwesterns scholarship football players are employees, the rules off the former Football Handbook that were the subject of this charge have been modified.ddddddddddddRobert Boland, an antitrust attorney, said the initial 2014 ruling by an NLRB regional administrator in Chicago that scholarship players at private colleges and universities are employees creates opportunities to push for more benefits and rights for student-athletes -- possibly even payments.With this one body they are employees statutorily, said Boland, who is director of the masters of sports administration program at Ohio University. You could conceivably widen the niche and say if they are employees they would have the right to have contracts. They would have the right to have certain things that we can guarantee under the labor law for employees.Earlier this month, the Supreme Court said it would not hear the NCAAs appeal of an antitrust ruling against it in the so-called OBannon case. The lower courts ruled that NCAA rules violated antitrust laws, but also shot down a plan to pay college athletes for the use of their names, images and likenesses.The ruling left the NCAA open to further legal challenges and several are working their way through the courts.Boland said because the NLRBs decision affects only private schools its influence in the larger debate over how college athletes should be compensated is limited.It is nothing more than a piece to a large puzzle about the redefinition of the model of college athletics moving from some version of amateurism to some version of greater athlete autonomy and it doesnt say anything about money it just says more autonomy, Boland said.---This story has been corrected to show the NLRB did not make a ruling on the complaint but rather sent an advisory memo and the case was withdrawn after Northwestern agreed to modify its rules. Also, the case does not directly affect the other private schools in FBS but could. ' ' '