Missing a Tar Heel presence on this season of "American Idol" now that all our North Carolinians have been eliminated?

At least you'll get to hear last year's "Idol" winner, Garner High School senior Scotty McCreery, left, when each of the remaining 13 finalists is ejected.

"Idol" producers announced today that Scotty has recorded a new version of Tim McGraw's hit "Please Remember Me," which will be played over farewell video montages when contestants are voted out. The final 13 perform live tonight, with the contestant receiving the fewest viewer votes being sent home on Thursday night's live show.

"It's always a sad time whenever this song is played, but it's definitely a really big part of the show," says Scotty, 18.

His version of the song also will be available as a single on iTunes starting Thursday.

As "American Idol" inches closer to naming its Top 13 on Thursday, North Carolina's hopes for the next Scotty McCreery are down to just one -- country singer Chelsea Sorrell, right, of Stokesdale, just north of Greensboro.

Chelsea, 23, who also tried out for the popular singing competition last season but didn't make the voting rounds, will perform tonight, along with 11 other women hoping to make the finals. Based on viewer votes, the top 5 men and top 5 women will advance to the Top 13, along with one wildcard pick each from judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Wacky Old Uncle Steven Tyler.

Fayetteville residents had hoped David Leathers Jr. -- the baby-faced singer who had received lots of screen time earlier this season -- would make the cut as a surprise on Tuesday night's show. Producers had listed David as one of four previously ejected male singers who would be invited back.

"American Idol" finally -- FINALLY -- will winnow down to its 24 finalists this week, following nearly two months of sob stories, bad auditions and highly manufactured drama. (OMG, that girl just fell off the stage!!! Is she dead??? Um, no. Just dehydrated. Please move on.)

So will another North Carolinian take the title now held by last year's winner, Garner High School senior Scotty McCreery? There are still a few in the mix, though none seems to have received as much early-season airtime as Scotty did last year.

David Leathers Jr. of Fayetteville, right, -- the ladies man with the voice of a young Michael Jackson -- has been featured on the show a few times. And his group performance of "Rockin' Robin" (natch) last week from Las Vegas was pretty good. He's still in the pack.

Scotty McCreery, the reigning "American Idol" from Garner, has received a double dose of good news: he now has a second gold single and he's up for a second country music award.

"The Trouble With Girls," the second single from Scotty's album, "Clear As Day," was just certified as a gold record, meaning more than 500,000 copies shipped. Scotty's first single, "I Love You This Big," also went gold. The CD has reached both gold and platinum status. A platinum album has sold at least 1 million copies.

Scotty also learned that he is a nominee for New Artist of the Year at the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards.

N.C. State women's basketball announced on Thursday that Scotty McCreery will perform at halftime during the program's seventh annual Hoops 4 Hope event on Feb. 12.

State hosts Wake Forest at Reynolds Coliseum at 5 p.m. 

The Hoops 4 Hope event, which was started by former State coach Kay Yow, advocates breast cancer awareness and research. The event was started to offer hope to suvivors of the disease. 

McCreery, a burgeoning country music star, will sing a song at halftime as a special tribute to survivors in attendance. 

As "American Idol" opened its 11th season Wednesday, at least three Tar Heel residents won golden tickets to the Hollywood rounds, hoping to follow in the footsteps of fellow North Carolinian Scotty McCreery.

Scotty, the Season 10 winner and Garner High School senior, was mentioned right off the bat by the first contestant of the night, David Leathers Jr. of Fayetteville. David, right, a 17-year-old high school senior who looks about 12, said he even competed against Scotty -- and won -- in a local music competition several years ago.

David, who said his friends refer to him as "Mr. Steal Your Girl" because of his way with the ladies, sang a version of The 21st Century's "Remember the Rain." The "Idol" judges loved it, comparing him to a young Michael Jackson and asking for a quick encore of "Never Can Say Goodbye."

The honors just keep coming for Garner's Scotty McCreery, whose first CD has just gone platinum.

"Clear As Day," released in October, has sold more than 1 million copies.

"It means the world to me,” said Scotty, 18, who became the winner of Season 10 of "American Idol" in May. “It’s one of the highest honors you can get with your album, and it’s a huge testament to the loyalty of country music fans and how great they have been to me."

Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade (10am, ABC) - Scotty McCreery, Justin Bieber, Cee Lo Green, Jennifer Hudson, and Christina Aguilera headline this holiday extravaganza at Disney's Florida and California theme parks.

The Polar Express (8pm, ABC Family) - The animated story of an 8-year-old boy who's whisked to the North Pole by a mysterious train conductor. Features the voices of Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (8pm, ABC) - The animated Dr. Seuss tale abut the Whos and the evil Grinch with a plan to steal their beloved Christmas holiday. Boris Karloff narrates.

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (8:30pm, ABC) - The live-action version of the original classic, starring Jim Carrey as the coldhearted Grinch trying to thwart Whoville's Christmas celebration.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (9pm, Disney) - Don't get excited, it's the 2005 remake with Johnny Depp, not the 1971 Gene Wilder classic. But it's still not bad.

Downton Abbey (9pm, UNC-TV) - In part 3 of 4 parts, the rivalry between Mary and Edith reaches a fever pitch, and Thomas and O'Brien plot against Mr. Bates while Anna's fondness for him grows.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (10pm, ABC Family) - Family man Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) tries for a fun-filled family Christmas at home, but things don't work out quite the way he hopes.

Not sure how this slipped by us for so long, but it's a gem. This skit from last weekend's "Saturday Night Live" has Michael Buble recording a Christmas Duets album with some of today's biggest singing stars (many of those stars were portrayed by host Jimmy Fallon). They're all really hilarious, including the Scotty McCreery bit. Scotty is portrayed by Taran Killam.

America's Most Wanted: U.S. Marshals Special Edition (8pm, Fox) - Regular series episodes of this show are now on Lifetime, but Fox will have a few specials each season. This is one of them. U.S. Marshals Service's 15 most-wanted suspects are spotlighted, along with the work of federal marshals.

WWE Tribute to the Troops (9pm, NBC) - Pro wrestlers and other entertainers gathered at Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville on December 13 for the WWE's annual tribute to the armed forces. Featured performers were Nickelback (pictured),  Mary J. Blige, and George Wallace. And of course, there was wrestling.

The Story of Santa Claus (9pm, CBS) - An animated musical from 1996 that explains how a toymaker named Nicholaus Claus (voice of Ed Asner) started the tradition of delivering toys to every child on Christmas. I haven't seen this so I'm not sure how it varies from the official story of Santa Claus ("Santa Claus is Comin' to Town") but they better not take too many liberties here! Betty White provides the voice of Mrs. Claus.

Earth's Final Hours (9pm, Syfy) - A doomsday scenario unfolds after a super-dense fragment of interstellar mass pierces the earth's core and slows down the planet's rotation.

CMA Country Christmas (9pm, ABC) - This is a repeat but it's another chance to see Scotty McCreery sing "The First Noel." Other performers include Darius Rucker, Vince Gill, and Faith Hill.

Pit Bulls and Parolees (10pm, Animal Planet) - A pit bull and her puppies must be rescued from an abandoned home, and Tia's daughter has a difficult choice to make when her dog's health worsens.

Saturday Night Live (11:29pm, NBC) - SNL alum Jimmy Fallon returns to host, and Michael Bublé is the music guest.