June 2022 // Special Edition

SPECIAL EDITION

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YOU HELP MAKE MEMORIES OF A LIFETIME. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE RAMS CLUB AND HOW YOU CAN IMPACT THE LIVES OF CAROLINA STUDENT-ATHLETES, VISIT RAMSCLUB.COM. 2

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BORN & BRED

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

What a timely moment for a paper shortage.

I’m still not clear on what exactly a “supply chain” is, but I do know that it impacted the magazine you’re holding in your hands. Just as we prepared to send this month’s Born & Bred to the printer, they informed us that shortages meant they were unable to get the typical type of paper that we use to produce the magazine.

Since paper is sort of an important ingredient in a magazine, this was a problem.

Luckily, the Tar Heels solved the problem for us. We’d received dozens of stories and photos from Rams Club members telling the story of the many different ways they watched Carolina’s Final Four win over Duke. As the stories kept pouring in, and as the legends of Caleb Love’s monumental three-pointer and Armando Bacot’s double-double and the Tar Heels ending an era for Duke began to grow, we realized we already had the answer.

So what you’re holding in your hands is a little different than a typical issue of Born & Bred. It’s different both in the type of paper we used and in content; within these pages, you’re going to find numerous different accounts of that Saturday night in New Orleans from Tar Heel fans all over the world. Our hope is that this issue will be a tangible way to hold on to the excitement from

that night.

And hopefully you don’t mind one more story. I was seated courtside with the Tar Heel Sports Network for the Final Four game against Duke. In the spirit of Woody Durham, we try to remain completely professional throughout the game, no matter what happens. Some team broadcasters actively cheer for their teams; Jones Angell and Eric Montross never, ever do that.

But this was a once in a lifetime game. And when Love swished the three-pointer over Mark Williams, I celebrated by vigorously pounding on the nearest object … which turned out to be Montross’s back.

Luckily, he’s had to deal with more violent treatment from the likes of Christian Laettner, so I think we’re still friends.

I’m not proud of the temporary loss of professionalism … but I’m not sorry, either. And I think Woody would understand.

Adam Lucas Editor in Chief

PRODUCED BY THE RAMS CLUB // EDITOR IN CHIEF ADAM LUCAS // PHOTOGRAPHY MAGGIE HOBSON & JEFFREY CAMARATI // DESIGN JUJUBE SPORTS PUBLISHING

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I WAS THERE!

STORIES FROM NOLA GAME PHOTOS BY MAGGIE HOBSON

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Rufus & Toni Langley // Apex, N.C.

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Ted Elkins // Chapel Hill, N.C. I was in New Orleans with my old football teammates, Paul Hoolihan and Gary Ulicny.

We celebrated on Bourbon Street Saturday night after the Duke game … ate charbroiled oysters at Acme Oyster House … what a fantastic time!

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Neva & Jason Eklund // Jackson, Miss.

Our family traveled at the last minute to New Orleans, got tickets, got the W and celebrated on Bourbon with BDaht and a Biscuit Boy along with all of our Carolina family. Memories to last a lifetime.

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Elizabeth Lowery // Rock Hill, S.C. My dad was a UNC grad, as was his mother and sister. We are literally born and bred Tar Heels. Watching a UNC-Duke basketball game with him was an event in and of itself. He passed away suddenly in August 2020 from a stroke. When Carolina and Duke ended up in the Final Four, my mom decided on a whim we were going to the game.

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We left North Carolina about 5:30 Friday evening and got to NOLA around 3:00 in the morning. I couldn’t sleep. We were staying in the hotel across the street from the team.

The environment was electric. We were in the Superdome for the most incredible college basketball game ever. The only way that night could’ve been better would’ve been to experience it with my dad, although I’m not sure he would’ve been able (or allowed) to stay for the entire game. I know why he never went to one before. It was stressful and tore my nerves up. I tell people it was the best experience of my life besides the birth of my three children and a very close second to that.

We are as superstitious as they come. Adam Lucas wrote a piece and mentioned the girl in the bathroom at the Superdome. My sister was that girl. When she wasn’t with us, they were doing good, so we sent her to the bathroom. She watched the win by watching everyone’s reaction.

The end of the game brought tears. Tears of so many emotions. Joy, relief, astonishment, and a little sadness. I sobbed. This team, this game made me feel closer to my dad than I have since he passed. Carolina Basketball is a religion for our family. “I swear on Dean Smith” is a regular phrase we use. If we say that you know something is true. My kids have adopted the saying. I think being in the Superdome to end Coach K’s farewell tour was as close to heaven as I could’ve been in that moment, and it was beautiful. I’m sure my dad was there, as was Nana (his mother), and a whole host of Carolina Tar Heels that have left this earth. I’m sure the victory bells were ringing loud and proud while they were watching from above yelling, “Go To Hell Duke.”

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Matt Gore // Whiteville, N.C. When arriving with friends the night before at the team hotel, we were able to bump into Hubert Davis and shake his hand. He was ready. His lovely wife snapped our photo. Little did we know the chaos that was about to ensue the following night. We had just gotten to our seats to watch the Final Four game between Duke and UNC to find that we were surrounded by opposing fans. The game went by like a blur, but I didn’t get nervous until there was about three minutes left. It was at that moment that I realized we could win!

The New Orleans arena was definitely pro UNC, but it was something else to see the big shots we made down the stretch. College friends and new friends gathered on Bourbon Street as we celebrated a night that will forever be ingrained in our minds!

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Todd Wallace // New Orleans, La. Born and raised in Rocky Mount, I grew up a lifelong Tar Heel fan just as my mom and dad did. Carolina basketball has been a constant source of unbridled passion in my family’s life … It is a bond that continues to this day. Our summers were planned around my attendance at Dean Smith’s Carolina Basketball Camp, we planned birthday parties and other significant family events around the basketball schedule and the ACC Tournament, and we insisted on following every successful superstition (while ignoring those that failed) when the Heels were on a roll. Yes, everyone had to sit in the same seat of the house, wear the same sweatshirt, and position our own Rameses in just the right way to ensure success for our beloved teams. And, like most other UNC fans, my family detested and opposed all things Duke.

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New Orleans is special to most Carolina fans. But the magical spirits of New Orleans mean a bit more to me and my Carolina connections.

I went on to graduate from UNC in 1994 before attending law school at Loyola College of Law in, where else, New Orleans. I met my wife in law school, a New Orleans lady through and through. By that time, of course, MJ had already hit the game winner in the Superdome in 1982 and Chris Webber had already called for a TO when Michigan had none (although the Tar Heels had him trapped with nowhere to go!) to win Coach Smith’s second title in New Orleans while I watched as a student on Franklin Street. I settled in New Orleans with my wife and two kids, all of whom came to embrace the significance of Carolina basketball.

As the season progressed, even the most die hard of fans in the Wallace household doubted that the Tar Heels would make it out of the first weekend of the tournament, let alone, make a run to the Final Four. Let’s face it … our “championship” became a reality when we ruined Coach K’s final home game on March 5, 2022 with a 94-81 thumping. It could not possibly get any better than that.

But, as the clock ticked down on UNC’s win over St. Peter’s in the regional final, reality set in … The Tar Heels were coming back to New Orleans for the Final Four … to play Duke! The two teams came close to meeting one another in 1992 while I as a student at UNC. But the basketball gods never permitted it. But now, for the first time in this historic rivalry, the two teams were finally going to square off in the NCAA tournament … in the Final Four … in the Superdome … just as it should be!

My phone started blowing up. Friends and family from across the country were informing me that they would be descending upon my house the following weekend. “There’s no way we can miss this game - it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.” And, so, the planning began; assigning bedrooms, blowing up air mattresses, planning my trips back and forth to the airport, and squeezing friends and family in all corners of the house. That included my 76-year old parents, who despite their lifelong passion for Carolina basketball, had never had the opportunity to see the Heels in a Final Four. I had to get them to New Orleans and I did.

I spent the day of the Duke game with my mom and dad, my son, Jack, and two of my best friends with their own kids enjoying the sights and sounds of New Orleans. It was incredible to see three generations of Tar Heel fans bask in the glory of this incredible run. We took pictures with Joel Berry, we stuffed ourselves with the best food this great city had to offer, and reminisced about past UNC basketball moments. But, deep down, there was a nervous energy in all of us. Why did we have to play Duke again? We had beaten Coach K in his last game against us; we were always going to have the upper hand but now what?

As the tip-off approached, I settled into my seats with my son and my parents. No; that’s a lie; I was never truly settled! We are lucky enough to have tickets in a suite (80% Duke fans; 20% UNC fans). As the clock struck 0:00, my family … three generations of Carolina fanatics … cheered, hugged, and, yes, cried as we celebrated one of the greatest wins in the glorious history of Carolina basketball. We FaceTimed with my wife and daughter who were watching the game in Washington, DC following my wife’s conference. We cheered and cried with them. We had secured bragging rights forever over Duke and I was blessed to be there to experience it all with my son and my parents.

One of the few UNC fans in the suite took a picture of my family in the immediate aftermath of the win. It captures the pure elation that we, and all UNC fans, experienced in that moment. It is the very definition of “Tar Heel Born, Tar Heel Bred!” It is a night that we will never forget.

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Glenn Deal // Taylorsville, N.C. Three Phi Sig brothers from the early ‘70s followed the Heels to New Orleans for the Final Four. Adrian Shelley, Joe Henderson and I and our spouses went to the Coach K retirement party. In addition to the second consecutive UNC victory over Duke, a dinner at The Commanders Palace was a highlight.

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Chuck Darsie // Chapel Hill, N.C. My son, John, flew in from Long Island to join me at the Sheraton for the Final Four. My trip was eventful after the airline delay caused missed connections, resulting in two standby flights before arriving in New Orleans. He was with me in 2005 in St Louis at the Final Four as a 17-year-old. He and his brother, Paul, were with me in Phoenix in 2017 as we group hugged after Justin Jackson’s dunk. It was his third Final Four and my twelfth. We celebrated before the games at Pat O’Brien’s and at the Sheraton welcoming the team back after both games. It was there we told them how much we wanted them to come back for another year. Obviously, we were very persuasive.

Ron Robinson // Sylva, N.C. I saw tickets on the Rams Club site and immediately went for one without even thinking.

I rushed to find a hotel room close to the coliseum, threw some clothes in a bag, and left Sylva for New Orleans. On pit stops along the way I met other travelers from North Carolina. Every person was headed to New Orleans for only one reason—beat Duke and send coach K home! My seat was surrounded by Duke fans and I out-yelled them all as both teams played the best basketball I have ever seen. None of us could believe it when Caleb Love threw the ball high over his head and Carolina Blue flooded the court.

I will remember for the rest of my days the hardest fought game ever played.

Charlotte Lutz // Dallas, Tex. I was at the game in New Orleans with a ton of Carolina friends. I just graduated from UNC last May and we all traveled to NOLA to watch it together. Can truly say it was one of the best nights of my entire life. Seeing all the great Carolina fans that showed up and taking down Duke was amazing! I also yelled so loudly the entire game that multiple other Carolina fans came up to me after the game (that I had never met before) and said I was the reason we won. I would like to think my loud vocals helped motivate our Tar Heels to victory. After the game, we celebrated on Bourbon Street where I met a number of famous Tar Heels (and Tar Heel fans) that were visiting NOLA for the game as well. I was lucky to meet Joel Berry, Brandon Robinson, KJ Smith, and Seth Trimble (and country music star and Carolina fan Chase Rice)!

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1 0 Steven Andrews // Elon, N.C.

I’ve been to quite a few Duke vs. Carolina games, but nothing compared to this one!

Being in the Superdome, you could feel the energy before you even walked in. This was the biggest Duke/Carolina game of all time. And boy did it live up to the hype. In the final seconds of the game, I thought I was going to have a heart attack when Love hit the go ahead 3. I even got light-headed, but that was okay because we just beat Duke and nothing else mattered! My buddy Grayson even lost his shirt in the celebration with other Tar Heels! We celebrated with the thousands of Tar Heels that made the trip down for the Final Four. After we won, we went to the team hotel to welcome back the team before heading to Bourbon Street to continue the celebration.

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1 1 George Wiseman // Kannapolis, N.C.

My daughter, Kendal, and I were watching the St. Peter’s game, and she texted me at half and said, “Dad, we gotta go support these guys!” We requested Rams Club tickets and there were too many requests, so we immediately went online and grabbed some decent tickets. Looked for flights and they were insane, so we agreed to drive from Kannapolis to NOLA! A 12-hour drive for me, but she drove from Raleigh (she’s a freshman at State). Hotels had totally evaporated, but we got lucky on Hotwire with a reasonable room in the Garden District, right on the streetcar line.

So off we went with two nights booked and tickets to the greatest game in the history of sports! We arrived Friday night and went straight to Bourbon Street. We were greeted by an abundance of Tar Heel fans and that amazing party atmosphere. Saturday, we toured more of that incredible historic and beautiful city and got ready to live through history at the Superdome. We arrived early to take it all in and were blown away at how awesome this massive football stadium was transformed into a very accommodating basketball arena. Then the MADNESS began. The most intense battle that simply cannot be put into words. The environment was beyond electric. Everyone seemed to recognize that they were about to be a part of historic college basketball lore. And then Love crushed all hope in the hearts of those who worship that “dark” blue ... it was over!

(Yes, we found tickets and another room for two more nights.)

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1 2 Suzie Finger & Michael Graham // Concord, N.C.

1 3 Morrison & Lib Creech // Charlotte, N.C.

When Carolina and Duke both earned a berth in the Final Four, Lib and I had to be there like we were in 2017 to watch the Heels beat Oregon and Gonzaga. Charles and Kim Royal from Raleigh were going as well. We had a hotel, but the available flights did not work with our schedule, so the Royals picked us up in Charlotte and we were Big Easy bound. We all wore our lucky clothes (same outfits as 2017) and headed to the Superdome Saturday evening.

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1 4 Bill Warren // Columbia, S.C.

My good buddy Ben Bruner ’02 and his son Callum (whose 12th birthday was actually April 2, the night of the epic game) invited me (Bill Warren ’99) and my 11-year old son Frank to travel to New Orleans from Columbia in their new RV bus. Not only was this the “first” maiden voyage of their new RV, it was also our boys’ “first” time in New Orleans, “first” Final Four experience and “first” Carolina/Duke basketball game.

We arrived on Friday evening in time for an amazing “first” cajun meal @ Tujague’s in the French Quarter before heading to the Carolina team hotel. The next day was full of more “firsts” when we attended FanFest and got the chance to see Antawn Jamison, a “first” for Ben and our two sons, but a nice reunion for me, a fellow classmate of Jamison’s in the class of 1999. Later that afternoon, we upheld the tradition of spitting in the Mississippi River before enjoying some beignets at Café Du Monde (a “first” for all of us). En route to the Superdome, we went back by the team hotel to send off our Carolina team and wish them well before the epic evening that would transpire. The attached pictures are 1). The four of us in front of the Carolina team bus before the team loaded to drive to the Superdome on Saturday night and 2). The four of us in front of the Superdome just before Carolina/Dook tipoff. This was a trip that none of us will ever forget.

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15 1 5 Lou Patalano // Cary, N.C.

My family (Jodi, Ali, Will) and I had reservations for a flight on Saturday, April 2, leaving RDU around 5 a.m., connecting in Atlanta, and arriving in Jackson, Mississippi, around 11:30 a.m. (in plenty of time to drive to New Orleans, check into our hotel, change clothes, and attend both Final Four games). Little did we know, Southwest would experience “software issues” and cancel over 2,000 flights on this same Saturday. In fact, our flight was delayed for close to two hours leaving RDU. After a second hours-long delay in Atlanta, Southwest simply cancelled our flight to Mississippi. The best they could offer was to book us on a new flight for the next day (Sunday - needless to say, too late for the game).

- I checked other flights (no availability for 4 of us to get us to New Orleans in time).

- I checked car rentals at the Atlanta airport (no availability).

- I checked car rentals outside of the Atlanta airport (no availability).

- I called a couple of limousine companies - and even one party bus company (no availability).

With no other options, I threw our only Hail-Mary left. I typed “Superdome, New Orleans” into my Uber app. To my surprise, a driver quickly accepted the trip. I called the driver to confirm if he was willing to drive us to New Orleans, and he politely declined. I typed “Superdome, New Orleans” into my Uber app a second time. A second driver, Pavlos, quickly accepted. I called Pavlos to ask him if he was really willing to drive us to New Orleans. Pavlos paused, and then responded simply that he would need to stop for gas (we offered to pay for the gas). The app did not give me, or Pavlos, a cost for the trip – just the mileage (which was about 450 miles). To be honest, it really did not matter.

We were off and left Atlanta around 1:30 p.m. (with no luggage (the airline told us it would be another hour before our bags were ready)). Tip-off for UNC-Duke was set for 8:51 p.m. Based on traffic (and two wrecks), the GPS initially showed us arriving at the Superdome around 9:10 p.m. - in time for the 2nd half at least. Not great, but still better than nothing. Pavlos (a friendly retiree from Greece with an awesome family and great stories; and most importantly the world’s best Uber driver ever) arrived at the Hyatt right next to the Superdome around 8:30 p.m. We took a quick picture with Pavlos (our new best friend), checked our carry-on bags with the bellhop at the Hyatt, lightly jogged to the Superdome, took a quick family picture outside of the Superdome, scanned our tickets at the Superdome as they were announcing the UNC team lineup, jogged to our seats in time to hear the end of the announcement of the Duke team lineup, and we were situated in our seats all in time to experience tip-off … on-time and in person.

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1 6 Byron & Karen Ritter // Greensboro, N.C.

We had plans to be in Oak Island at our beach home that week, but everything changed with the ending buzzer that Sunday night. I checked flight schedules while my husband searched for available hotels in New Orleans. His search was successful — mine not so much. Flights were impossible to find at first. With Duke moving into the Final Four the day before, flights leaving North Carolina were already booked. We tried looking at flying into surrounding cities near New Orleans — yes, that might work! But rental cars were in scarce supply, and if you could book one, the cost was over $1,500. We continued our search over the next several days and a few flights became available – if you’d like to pay thousands of dollars to book one.

It became clear — there was only one way to get there, and we were committed to being in New Orleans for that weekend.

We left for our 13.5-hour-drive at noon on Friday, April 1, cruising down the interstates and arriving in New Orleans at Saturday, 1:30 a.m. We checked into our hotel, slept a bit, and were excited to head to the Superdome Saturday afternoon. We arrived before tip-off for the first game, and settled in with high expectations. When the Tar Heels took the court for warm-ups, the cheers from the crowd were deafening! It seemed that the fans from Kansas and Villanova were aligned with all of the Carolina blue fans! When the Blue Devils took the court, we were surprised and delighted to hear the loud chorus of boos.

When the buzzer sounded and the final score was 81 to 77, there was an overwhelming joy that we have never experienced at any athletic event! It was more than happiness and more than a usual UNC-Duke victory celebration. It was being a part of this one moment that will live forever in the history of UNC-Duke basketball. We felt like we HAD won the national championship already.

1 7 Courtney Decker // Greensboro, N.C.

As soon as the Tar Heels punched their ticket to play Duke in the Final Four, I knew I had to be there to witness this “Carolina First” in New Orleans!

Several days of planning later, we made it to NOLA, and the trip was 100% worth it. We spent the day exploring the city - from riding the streetcars to visiting Bourbon Street - before arriving at the Superdome to watch the game with great friends from my undergrad years at UNC. The atmosphere was electric, and my heart raced the entire game, but as the clock was winding down, the nervousness turned to sheer joy. An abundance of high fives, hugs and happy tears ensued as we celebrated the victory with other Tar Heels in our section. As a lifelong Carolina Basketball fan, it was truly an unforgettable night, followed by celebratory beignets at Cafe Du Monde the next morning.

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1 8 Lydia Waddell // Lexington, N.C.

I am a sophomore at UNC. As the Fundraising & Special Events Chair for Carolina Fever, I was invited to go to the Final Four games in New Orleans along with my fellow Fever directors.

About 30 of us all carpooled to the giant house we rented where we all stayed together about an hour and a half from the Superdome. We drove from our house into New Orleans the day of the Final Four and spent the morning exploring the city as well as attending FanFest.

We went into the Superdome early to watch Kansas beat Villanova before heading down to the student section for what would be the best night of my life. As the buzzer sounded to end Coach K’s career, my best friend and I were in a puddle of our own happy tears. We celebrated by going to Bourbon Street, since we couldn’t rush Franklin Street. We were able to go to the National Championship game, which was fun, but nothing will compare to the feeling of celebrating a Tar Heel win over Duke in the Final Four surrounded by my closest friends and fellow students.

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1 9 Brenda & Larry Pollard // Durham, N.C.

Larry and I attended the Final Four in New Orleans. There is not enough space to capture the excitement of the moment! It was Christmas, Thanksgiving, July 4th, our birthdays all in one. We are so proud of the team because they NEVER gave up! The idea that Coach Davis, coaches, and the entire staff could take us to the Final Four is a “dream come true.”

The package, the parties and celebrations, and fellowship cannot be beat!

2 0 Liz & Jay Davis // Morehead City, N.C. 2 1 Lee Conner // Burlington, N.C.

My 13-year-old daughter, Caroline, and I drove 12.5 hours from Burlington to New Orleans, and thanks to the Tar Heels, it was one of the best decisions I ever made. (We canceled a previously-planned trip to DC to go.) Being in the Superdome with Caroline when Caleb Love hit the 3 and celebrating with her and so many other Tar Heels are once-in-a-lifetime, neverever-forget-it memories that we’ll share forever.

Not surprisingly, cooping up roughly a Dean Dome’s worth of Carolina fans and another Dean Dome’s worth of Duke fans in the same building with a Final Four win on the line (and oh-bythe-way Coach K’s retirement) produced emotions and energy like no other Carolina-Duke game I’ve ever attended. Both sides seemed to realize that this game was a ‘forever’ game for the rivalry, one never to be forgotten if you won or lived down if you lost. Every basket felt like it was going to swing the game, especially in the last few minutes. It was like a tidal wave of emotion that built until it was so big it had to break, and when RJ Davis secured that final rebound, pure elation poured out of everyone in Carolina blue, while folks in that ‘other’ shade of blue were swept away in tears and disappointment. It was that moment so many of us played out as kids on our driveways across NC, but thought we’d never get to see. It was glorious.

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Other highlights: Caroline got her picture with Coach Roy Williams, Tyler Hansbrough, and Gov. Roy Cooper. I got asked by former Tar Heel star Scott Williams to take a picture of him, Kevin Salvadori, Serge Zwikker, and other former UNC players in the middle of Bourbon Street, and Caroline was quick enough to snap a picture of me doing it. (Picture also attached.)

We also made it by the WWII museum, got beignets at Cafe Du Monde, and got to catch up with lots of Tar Heel friends.

Caroline’s Instagram post summed it up well (caro_conner08): Great day, and even better night in New Orleans, with the best dad in the world @cleeconner!!! GREATEST NIGHT OF MY LIFE thanks to @unc_basketball @caleb & @coachdavisunc #gdtbath

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22 2 2 Katherine Ham // Charleston, S.C.

“So, you’re saying there’s a chance?” As I said this to my dad, my heart rate had already increased, and I was just looking at an empty bracket on Selection Sunday. Now, when I said this it meant a few things: “So you’re saying there’s a chance the Heels will go all the way?”, “So you’re saying there’s a chance we could beat Baylor?”, and “So you’re saying there’s a chance we’ll have to play Duke in the Final Four?” I knew that the prospect of watching another UNC-Duke game would be beyond stressful (though hopefully as joyous as the March 5 game), but this would be the level of stress that cardiologists would advise against and that would probably take years off my life.

After the March 5 game against Duke, we booked our flights. I’d never been to New Orleans before, but after celebrating the national championship win my senior year in 2017 on Franklin Street, I had said that the next Final Four the Heels made it to, I wanted to try to be there in person. And while I thought there was a chance we’d make it with how we’d been playing, I certainly never expected that it would be against Duke. My mom plastered every “Beat Dook” button she had on her shirt, I had on my 2017 national championship shirt, my dad had on his lucky game shirt with a “Beat Dook” button, and Roy Williams was wearing his lucky sweater. We were game day ready. Chants of “TAR” “HEELS” could be heard breaking out on the street as we walked to the Superdome.

At halftime, we took a breath, sat down, hydrated, and tried to relax for just a few minutes. I was surprised I had any voice left at that point. We knew Duke would go on another run, but it was a three point game at the half, even closer than it’d been March 5, so we were hopeful, if not a bit exhausted already.

As the final seconds ticked down, I screamed and just kept screaming. My mom was screaming. Everyone was screaming. My dad hugged me while screaming. I jumped around and cheered and teared up a bit because they did it—they defied odds and expectations and they sent Coach K and Duke packing in the Final Four. What a game! We stayed in our seats to sing the alma mater and yell, “Go to hell, Duke!” one more time this season. We went back to the hotel to greet the team after the game and it was so loud! Everyone was so proud and excited of what they’d done. The Heels had beaten Duke, I’d lost my voice, and all was right with the basketball world.

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2 3 Dottie Marlow Kinlaw // Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Where else but the magical city of New Orleans could I be for the Final Four FareweLL (2 L’s) for Coach K? The game was everything it was hyped to be with no shortage of hair-pulling and heart-stopping drama. My sister, Valorie Songer, and I joined the Rams Club charter and cheered on the Heels from the upper arena. We rushed back to the team hotel afterwards where we were staying and joined in the celebration of the team’s return. It was a madhouse. It’s hard to remember ever being so proud of a UNC team and coaching staff. As a special treat for me, I got to meet my favorite all-time Tar Heel basketball player that night, the one and only George Lynch.

2 4 Margaret High // Chapel Hill, N.C.

April 2, 2022 was the first time attending a national championship tournament weekend. As a third-generation Tar Heel, I stormed Franklin Street in my hometown for 2005 and 2009, then the real Franklin Street as a student in 2017. When I had the opportunity to attend the Final Four again as a graduate student at UNC, it was serendipitous that I would travel to New Orleans, the same city my parents traveled to for the 1993 national championship run. Carolina blue is in my blood; I used to say my family has blue eyes because we’re Carolina fans. So when the stars aligned that we played the Dark Side for the Final Four, I knew I would either die of happiness or despair. I made the 14 hour drive to NOLA with my classmates and nervously walked around Bourbon Street before entering the Superdome to watch the greatest college sporting event of all time. It was my first time watching a championship tournament in person and it was the only time I could watch the greatest rivalry in college sports in the biggest arena.

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2 5 Tom & Leslie Hicks // Durham, N.C.

We watched the game with 70,000 new friends in the Superdome. We met first cousins Josh and Jennifer (left and middle) in the hotel bar on our first night and had a great time talking. Jennifer grew up in Chapel Hill, attended UNC and now lives in NOLA. Josh is a fireman on Oahu, and always wanted to see a UNC vs. Duke game and a Final Four game (two checks off the bucket list in one game). They sat near us at both games so Leslie was able to talk to them again Monday night and relive the unbelievable game against Duke.

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2 6 Bunky King // Raleigh, N.C.

I was 10 years old in 1957 when we beat Kansas, a team led by Wilt the Stilt, to finish a perfect 32-0 season. I was at the 1982 championship game in New Orleans when MJ hit the shot with 16 seconds to go, and Coach Smith had his first national championship.

And I was at the semifinal game in New Orleans when we beat Duke. The emotions I felt at that 1982 game don’t even come close to what it felt like to beat Dook in the Final Four. That we beat them in Durham at Coach K’s final home game, and again in the Final Four the first time our teams had ever met in that tournament, tops any UNC athletic experience I ever had before that game. I can think of no better words than “pure joy” to describe what it was like.

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STORIES FROM NEW ORLEANS

2 7 Reggie Harrison // Wilson, N.C.

A group of Heels friends took different methods of travel, but all convened in New Orleans for the Final Four. This game and win was unlike any other and the resulting euphoria and celebrations likewise. We celebrated for a while in our seats and then made to head out into The Big Easy for more. I can’t explain why we decided to stop in the concourse just before exiting the Superdome but it resulted in the most incredible experience that I can’t even really put into words. We turned and started cheering and high fiving any and all Tar Heel fans as they made to exit the building. Many of them stopped and joined us in the impromptu celebration. ALL of the Tar Heel fans were rapturous and everyone was laughing, crying, dancing, hugging, bouncing in the concourse. And it didn’t matter who the Tar Heel was in terms of age, race, celebrity status, etc. We were all Tar Heels.

2 8 Wayne Miller // Rock Hill, S.C.

Our Final Four story begins on February 8, 2012. My mother, Helen, had always wanted to go to a Duke/Carolina game so I decided to take her for her 68th birthday. We know the result, Austin Rivers hit a last second shot to win. I was so disappointed for her that we lost that game. Fast forward to this year. When UNC won the regional final to go to Final Four, and would play Duke again, I decided to take my Mom to her first Final Four. She has regretted not going with me in 2017, so she was quick to accept the invitation. We drove from South Carolina so it was a great opportunity for us to spend quality time together. A few years ago, she had a pacemaker installed and her heart activity is recorded and read by her cardiologist. The last time she went to see him, she was informed that she had had an A-Fib episode about 11:30 on Saturday night, about the time when Caleb Love hit “The Shot.” My mom told her doctor that was about the time when she knew we were going to beat Duke. I think my heart stopped too, I just don’t have a way of knowing. She certainly got her revenge for the loss in 2012.

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2 9 Roxanne & George King // Spartanburg, S.C.

“Home” came to New Orleans. Our daughter, Elizabeth, a five-year resident of the Crescent City, shared this once-in-a-lifetime experience with her visiting Mom and Dad. Victorious over Duke in the NCAA semifinals, bedlam ensued while tears of joy flowed in the Superdome.

Strangers became instant family through a connection of oneness. We were frozen in euphoria! As we turned to our daughter, for a moment she was six years old again, dressed in her Tar Heel cheerleader dress and all was right with the world!

3 0 Gregory Parent // Atlanta, Ga.

I was able to sit with and around the Tar Heel Legends of my Carolina lifetime, including my friend Dave Hanners, who sat to my left. People won’t believe me when I say I never really got that big game sense of dread or any feelings of despair even when it got tense. And my Bub’s family knows I have those spells during the Final Four and ANY Duke game where things can become unhinged.

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But I remained calm because Dave was accurately predicting most of the Carolina plays and things we needed to do down the closing stretch. I won’t say he foresaw Caleb’s three but he called Manek’s shot just seconds before he launched it.

And when Dave wasn’t predicting plays, I was getting insights all around me in stereo.

My favorite thing I heard was George Lynch telling me he wanted to suit up and give Coach Davis just a couple of minutes. And that sums up one of the things we love about the Carolina family. To a man, I think each one of those former lettermen would have answered the call to run through a wall for him if Coach Davis would have pointed their way.

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I WAS HERE!

SCENES FROM CHAPEL HILL PHOTOS BY JEFFREY CAMARATI

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Mary Morgan Bitler Keyser // Durham, N.C. We welcomed our first child, our son Wells, this past January, and we loved cheering on the Heels with him by our side the first few months of his life. He seemed to be a lucky charm as the Heels hit their stride going into March. Our Tar Heel friends from Charlotte called immediately after the Elite Eight game and suggested we go to Chapel Hill for the showdown. Our friends worked feverishly to acquire a game-watching spot at Vecino Brewery, just down West Franklin Street in Carrboro. We made a day of it, and went to Chapel Hill in the early afternoon to walk around and soak in the sights and sounds in an attempt to ease our anxiety. We brought our 10-week-old baby, plenty of bottles, diapers and necessities. A last-minute addition on loan to us was a pair of baby over-the-ear headphones to protect Wells’ fresh ears.

After passing the day with Tar Heel festivities and many diaper changes and feedings on the go, it was gametime and Wells was sound asleep in his stroller, stationed next to our table at the packed brewery. It was as if a forcefield existed around the stroller as fans jumped around the brewery, always careful not to disturb or jostle the stroller with the infant Tar Heel. Wells did his part and slept like a baby. When it became evident that a quick post-game exit may be necessary, we closed our tabs, packed up baby necessities, and made a (largely unspoken) game plan for rushing Franklin. We walked, jogged, then sprinted down Franklin Street with the masses. As we approached central Franklin Street, we swapped the stroller for a baby carrier and left the stroller in a safe location to enter the crowd with Wells safely encompassed in the chest carrier. All the while, we had been receiving stares, glares and cheers at the sight of our infant companion sprinting up Franklin Street. Once we entered the crowd, onlookers were torn between calling social services and giving us high fives. As we found our way to a “baby appropriate fire” on Franklin, the other fans cleared the way.

With minimal thought/debate put into the decision, I made the jump with Wells soundly sleeping against my chest in the carrier. At less than three months old, he had rushed Franklin, jumped a fire, and celebrated the best way we knew how.

After the jump, a few college-aged fellows came running up to me and said, “Is there really a baby in there?!?” I confirmed, and they began following me around saying they had joined the Baby Protection Squad. While their generosity and concern may have been augmented by a few adult beverages, the sentiment was very kind all the same.

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I have rushed Franklin Street on a few previous occasions, including in 2009 and 2017 for the National Championships. Taking my newborn son along for the adventure was about as special as I could have imagined. This is, hopefully, the first of many Chapel Hill celebrations for our son.

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Julianne Hoell, Dan Lercher and Farrell Wiggins // Chapel Hill, N.C. With a great group of Tar Heels assembled, we spent the day downtown at Top of the Hill and The Carolina Inn. Facing Duke in the Final Four was a doomsday scenario, and a few of us agreed that we would get the final score tattooed if Carolina could somehow pull it off. Never bet against the Heels!

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Gary Pickeral, Jr. // Gretna, Va. We watched at the Dean Dome. I went home to Virginia, slept from 2 a.m.-6 a.m., took a shower, loaded a bag, and drove to New Orleans by myself (for the championship)..

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Jerry & Sarah Cobb // Holly Springs, N.C.

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SCENES FROM CHAPEL HILL

Chad Duke // Greenville, N.C. I was fortunate enough to join several thousand like-minded Tar Heel fans and watch the epic showdown in the Dean Dome! The atmosphere was absolutely electric. The fans participation throughout the game was awesome. I have been in the Dean Dome for a lot of games, but I’m not sure if it has ever been louder than as those last seconds wound down and it was clear we had beaten Duke in the Final Four. I hope the team has seen videos of that atmosphere of true Tar Heels supporting them in the Dean Dome when they were hundreds of miles away creating history.

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David Joyner // Rocky Mount, N.C. My wife (Anna) and I traveled to see our beloved Tar Heels in Philly and then took in the last two games at the Smith Center surrounded by thousands of our Tar Heel friends. It was electric and would only be second best to being there in New Orleans.

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I WAS WHERE?!

TALES FROM ALL OVER 5

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Dan Wilson // Suwanee, Ga. I am a 1995 graduate, and my son Walt is an admitted out-of-state student, incoming freshman for the class of 2026. For his last spring break of high school, we planned an epic trip to St Lucia, staying in a remote villa with no TV and only a faint hope of reliable WiFi. Of course, we panicked a little when we learned the UNC/Duke matchup in the NCAA tourney would happen during our trip. We struggled through sketchy connections to watch Coach K’s retirement party with a beautiful view of the Pitons and Caribbean Sea. We were so excited with the win that we startled the night watchman and neighbors with our celebration! This is also the trip when Walt made his commitment to attend UNC!

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Kristy Woodson Harvey // Beaufort, N.C. I was on a book tour and was supposed to land in North Carolina in plenty of time to watch the Heels. But my flight was delayed … and delayed … and delayed … And I ended up streaming it from my phone at 30,000 feet. Throughout the course of the day I’d made plenty of Tar Heel friends in the airport, and we were running around finding each other during key moments — and, of course, celebrating the big win! It wasn’t quite what I had envisioned, but I am certain it’s a Final Four I’ll never forget!

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Brennan Fox // New York, N.Y. Reed Romine, Peter Ko and I all live in NYC and were connecting through Miami en route to New Orleans on Saturday, April 2, to make it in time for the Duke game. On the runway in Miami, our flight was cancelled due to weather over the Gulf and it was clear we were going to miss the game since all flights around the Gulf were impacted. We sold the tickets on StubHub for a $400 loss each and stayed in Miami for the night, watching the game at Eden Roc Hotel.

After we won and celebrated excessively in Miami, we booked new flights from Miami, but all had a connection and long layovers while costing $800+. We also looked at Tampa, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and other airports. Ultimately, we decided to rent a car in downtown Miami. When we arrived, the line was approximately 100 people long, and one agency informed us they were out of cars. We nearly gave up because the Miami airport was also out, but instead took an Uber to Fort Lauderdale and booked a car there and began the 12+ hour drive to New Orleans. At 10:30 pm on Sunday night, after having left NYC at 9 a.m. Saturday morning and missing the Duke game, we finally made it to NOLA and ended up sitting in the 38th row of the 200 levels. Terrible outcome for the Heels but incredible saga for us to get to see the national championship in person.

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Chris Searson // Chapel Hill, N.C. We were golfing in Murrells Inlet, SC. We watched the game at Drunken Jacks … as soon as the game ended, all the Duke fans ran out the doors.

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Tracey Melnick // Washington, D.C. I watched the EPIC game with the greatest game watching crew there is. We have been together from Chapel Hill to Capitol Hill. If you couldn’t be in Chapel Hill, then DC was the next best place. Your Nation’s capital is home to TONS of Tar Heels. It felt like a bar on Franklin St as hundreds of Heels gathered to cheer on our boys in Carolina Blue. This crew has been watching Carolina games together for over 20+ years, picking up a new Heel here and there over years. We have become a game watching family and couldn’t miss gathering together for this historic game. The bar was packed, LOUD and felt like home.

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Michelle Hockman Cunningham // Glen Rock, N.J. I never miss a Tar Heel basketball game, and this epic game would be no different. My daughter, Lucy, who attends the University of Wisconsin in Madison, had a mother/daughter weekend, so my other daughter, Grace, and I flew there for the weekend. The mother/ daughter event started at 4pm on Saturday, and of course I was wearing my Carolina blue (not Badger red) and checking my watch.

We got back to the hotel so we could watch the pregame, and then screamed our way through every minute of the game. We didn’t get any complaints – even when I ran down the hall screaming when we won!

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Drew Stuck // Carrboro, N.C.

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Campbell Cepeda // Summit, N.J. Carly Carillo // Durham, N.C. Eliza Vinci and I (and our husbands) were flying back after a cross-country drive to California (we watched both the UCLA and the St. Peter’s games from our Winnebago). We were able to watch the first half in the San Diego airport, propped up on the iPad. The timing was perfect as boarding happened during half time. Luckily the flight had WiFi, and the game was accessible on the plane. We missed the opening minutes of the second half but were then able to watch most of the second half from the plane. We were sitting in backto-back rows so we could easily turn around/reach up to give high fives. We got quieted many times by the flight attendants as we were getting too loud. With about 30 seconds left (as Caleb was heading for the top of the key for his infamous shot), the internet in the plane went off! The whole plane started screaming. It took a few minutes for it to come back on, but when it did, there were 10 seconds left in the game and UNC was up. We were able to watch the rest of the game, getting shushed several more times in pure excitement. Our flight was only to Phoenix, so when we got off we were able to celebrate more and at our gate that was headed to RDU, we were met with loud cheers and Tar Heel chants.

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BORN & BRED

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I’M A TAR HEEL

CAROLINA FAMILY TIES 3

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London Williams // Oro Valley, Ariz.

For my family, Carolina Basketball has always been more than just a collegiate game and the Tar Heel name is more than just an epithet. My younger sister and I both graduated from Carolina in 2021 and 2014, respectively. While we had vastly different experiences, we both agree that Carolina Basketball has positively shaped our lives at the undergraduate level and beyond. What has been so moving about Carolina Basketball is how it reminds us of the importance of family, connectedness, passion, healing, and being present. Carolina Basketball, for us, centers more than just a notable history of outstanding athletes, awards, and memorable games. The 2021-22 season, the Final Four game in particular, was indicative of this.

Over the course of the season, our dad, a huge Tar Heel fan, survived two heart attacks within a few months of each other. The passionate sports fan we knew to hype up everyone during a Carolina matchup now struggled to perform normal daily activities. Due to his unstable health, we were unable to travel to attend games like we had originally planned. However, when it was finalized that UNC would play Duke in the Final Four NCAA Tournament, we knew we had to witness the historic moment together, even if we couldn’t make it to New Orleans. With just two days until the Final Four game, I received a text from my dad saying, “I’m coming to LA,” and from there my dad, sister, and her partner, spontaneously, flew into Los Angeles to watch the game with my friends and I at a local sports bar (The Garage on Motor Ave.). Other UNC alumni living in LA were also in attendance.

During a time of so much uncertainty for my family, we were able to connect and reconnect with friends and other Tar Heels. I firmly believe in the healing power that pure joy, excitement, and love from fellowship can provide. As the game clock ran down and it was clear that we would beat Duke, my dad led the Tar Heel chant and everyone at the bar joined in. The Final Four Carolina vs. Duke game was not just a memorable moment for my beloved alma mater, but also for my family.

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Chris Elliott // Charlotte, N.C. I watched with Winn Elliott and Nikki Hardy. Our daughter, Faith Elliott is UNC 2026. Hardy’s daughter, Emma is UNC 2025. The Hardy family is from England and just learning basketball … and what a lucky charm they were that night for the Tar Heel nation!

Wendy Rietvelt // Raleigh, N.C. There was no way I could be with other people to watch this game. Not a game I ever wanted to happen. Too much at stake. I watched from my couch. My husband (not a sports fan) went to bed. I picked up my Yorkie and she slept in my lap the whole game. She kept me sane. I can’t actually throw her across the room. My husband woke up with about three minutes left. I made my husband hold my dog so I could pace the floor and lose my mind when we won.

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Rick Nelson // Supply, N.C My daughter, Mary Britt Nelson, graduated from UNC’s Dental Hygiene Program in May of 2016. She married Jacob Ferguson in November of 2017. Their son, JJ Ferguson, was born in June of 2021. Everyone in our family is a die-hard Tar Heel fan, including JJ. When he was born, he left the hospital wearing Carolina blue and he went to every single home football game.

On November 22, 2021, JJ passed away, completely unexpectedly. We were devastated. We decided that we needed to run the Charleston Bridge Run every year (something the family had done before), in honor of JJ. This year, more of our family joined us for the race. Mary Britt and Jacob had received a very special teddy bear from a wonderful foundation that makes them for families like ours. The race was on April 2 this year, so I pushed JJ’s stroller all 10k again, with his Molly Bear inside, wearing the medal that he won at last year’s race. As you know, that was the same day as the UNC-Duke NCAA Tournament basketball game, so we all watched it together as a family that night in Charleston.

Although we were all very sad because JJ couldn’t be there with us, that night at 11:06 we could not have been any happier. We yelled and screamed and hugged each other. Thank you University of North Carolina Basketball and University of North Carolina Football for being a very special part of our family.

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Usman Rahim // Chapel Hill, N.C. My story is one that is simple, yet as deeply rooted as the eight miles that separate UNC and Duke. My own household is divided, with my brother being a die-hard Duke fan, just as I am a Carolina fan (and the added bonus of being an alum). For us, almost every rivalry game has ended up in a heated discussion, heartbreak, and fumes. Just a few weeks prior to the Final Four, we watched Coach K’s last home game together. I had assured him that he had nothing to lose and that our team wouldn’t spoil the night … Fast forward, for a season that seemed like a wash, turned into one of my favorite runs.

I went to Philadelphia to cheer on the Heels with no talk of what might be in the Final Four. Then after the buzzers struck in Philadelphia and San Francisco, my brother and I both had one question on mind: do we watch together? We agonized for three full days, trying to talk each other out of it. However, we caved and watched history together. For us, we witnessed history knowing that it was going to be the most epic game in the history of the rivalry. And we both would agree, there is no one we would have rather watched the game with than one another.

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Stuart Griffin // Myrtle Beach, S.C. After several Final Fours and National Championship games, my wife and I have to separate to watch them away from each other. My little retirement home I purchased has a bedroom upstairs with a loft looking below to the den and TV. I was told to go up there and stay until the game was over. I felt like I was at the game standing to watch the whole thing.

BORN & BRED

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