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About North CarolinaBasketball
University of North Carolina athletic teams are known as the Tar Heels because North Carolina is "The Tar Heel State."
One legend has the nickname being applied to the state's residents as long ago as the Revolutionary War. According to this story, the troops of British General Cornwallis were fording what is now known as the Tar River between Rocky Mount and Battleboro when they discovered that tar had been dumped into the stream to impede their crossing. When they finally got across the river they found their feet completely black with tar. Their observation that anyone who waded North Carolina rivers would acquire tar heels led to the nickname first being used.
Others say the nickname was acquired during the War Between the States. During one of that war's fiercest battles a column supporting North Carolina troops was driven from the field. After the battle, the North Carolinians who had successfully fought it out alone, happened to meet the regiment which had fled to safety and were greeted with the question, "Any more tar down in the Old North State, boys?"
"No, not a bit," shot back one of the North Carolina soldiers. "Old Jeff's bought it all up," he went on, referring to Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy.
"Is that so? What's he going to do with it?"
"He's going to put it on you'ns heels to make you stick better in the next fight."
Upon hearing of the incident, Robert E. Lee smiled and said to a fellow officer, "God bless the Tar Heel boys."
A letter found in 1991 by State Archivist David Olson lends credence to another more direct theory. A letter from Maj. Joseph Engelhard describes a fight involving men from North Carolina in which Lee was heard to have said, "There they stand as if they have tar on their heels."
The letter, dated August 24, 1864, told the tale of a battle on the outskirts of Petersburg, Va. Engelhard was elected secretary of state for North Carolina in 1876.
About the Stadium
Carolina basketball plays its home games at the Smith Center, one of the most recognized athletic venues in America. The Smith Center became the home of the Tar Heels in 1986 and has since become a cherished traditional symbol of Carolina basketball.
The Tar Heels have played over 200 games in the Smith Center in front of a combined audience of more than 4 million fans. Carolina has a 176-27 record in the Smith Center, a dominant winning percentage of .867. That includes a 99-22 record against the ACC and a 77-5 record against non-conference foes. During the 2000-01 season, UNC went 12-2 in the Smith Center and averaged 20,836 fans per home contest. The Smith Center is currently undergoing an extensive facelift that will improve the behind-the-scenes training areas.
In the fall of 2001, the UNC locker room and weight room were completely renovated. A new media center was built and the Bowles Room and Educational Foundation offices were retrofitted to include a practice gym that will allow added scheduling flexibility.
Dedicated in September 1986 as the Dean Edwards Smith Center, the 300,000-square-foot structure stands on seven and one-half acres on the University's south campus. Over 20,000 cubic yards of rock were removed to make room for the 340-foot-wide, 380-foot-long and 140-foot-high building. The first game featured No. 1 Carolina beating No. 3 Duke, 95-92, in a battle of unbeatens on Jan. 18, 1986. The first basket was scored by Carolina center Warren Martin off a pass from Kenny Smith. Since that first game, the Smith Center has been the site of many memorable moments in Tar Heel history.
On Jan. 27, 1993, Carolina trailed Florida State by 21 points with 11:48 to play in the game, but rallied for an 82-77 win. George Lynch's steal and dunk gave Carolina the lead.
On Feb. 3, 1994, No. 2 Carolina beat No. 1 Duke, 89-78, in the first-ever matchup between the great rivals in which the teams held the top two spots in the Associated Press poll.
UNC and Duke repeated their No. 1 vs. No. 2 battle on Feb. 5, 1998, as the second-ranked Tar Heels routed the top-rated Blue Devils, 97-73. Antawn Jamison scored 35 points that evening, one of three occasions he netted at least 35 points in the Smith Center.
On Feb. 8, 1992, UNC rallied from 22 points down to beat Wake Forest, the largest comeback in school history.
On Jan. 31, 1996, the Tar Heels trailed Duke by 17 points in the first half, but won, 73-72, on a last-second tip-in by Dante Calabria.
One of the most prominent features in the Smith Center is the series of banners rewarding the accomplishments of Carolina basketball, including NCAA championship banners for 1956-57, 1981-82 and 1992-93, respectively. Also hanging high above the playing floor are 38 replica jerseys honoring Carolina's greatest individual standouts. Seven of the jerseys are retired, including Jack Cobb, #10 Lennie Rosenbluth, #12 Phil Ford, #20 George Glamack, #23 Michael Jordan, #33 Antawn Jamison and #52 James Worthy.
The Smith Center's four video screens provide replays, stats and information, previews of upcoming games and highlights of past games.
In 2000-01, a special standing-room-only section reserved for students opened on the baseline closest to the Carolina bench. The Educational Foundation funded a $150,000 renovation that allowed approximately 400 students to move courtside.
As a multi-purpose facility, the Smith Center has played host to a wide range of athletic events and concerts. In 1987, U.S. Olympic Festival basketball attracted a Smith Center record crowd of 23,713 for the gold medal game. In 1988, the venue served as the site of the first and second rounds of the NCAA East Regional. In 1994, the Smith Center hosted the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, attracting a three-day total of over 60,000 fans.
Kenny Rogers staged the first concert in the arena on April 12, 1986. Other entertainers to perform here included the Grateful Dead, Bon Jovi, John Denver and Bruce Springsteen. Adjacent to the Smith Center is the Maurice J. Koury Natatorium. One of the finest and fastest swimming facilities in the country, the natatorium features an eight-lane, 50-meter pool. The Smith Center and Koury Natatorium also host such community activities as the Chapel Hill High School Commencement, American Cancer Society Swim-for-Life, the School of Social Work gala, the Chancellor's Club gala, the Kenan-Flagler Business School Dedication, University Blood Drive, University Career Fairs, December Commencement Exercises and May Commencement Exercises. Thousands of school children visit the Smith Center annually.
Koury Natatorium is also open to faculty, staff and townspeople for a designated period each weekday for a free swim program, and both facilities have been used annually for the North Carolina High School Athletic Association championships.
