UNC Tar Heels Men's Basketball History
The University of North Carolina played its first men's basketball game in 1910 and achieved success early on, joining the Southern Conference upon its founding in 1921. In 1924, Norman Shepard coached UNC to an undefeated record in his only season at Chapel Hill. In 1953, UNC was among seven programs to splinter from the SoCon to form the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). UNC won their first national championship under Frank McGuire in 1957, capping off an undefeated season with a triple-overtime upset over Wilt Chamberlain and Kansas. Dean Smith replaced McGuire in 1961, transforming North Carolina from an already successful program into a national powerhouse before retiring in 1997.
Smith's "four corners" offense emphasized ball control and, because college basketball did not have a shot clock until the ’80s, managed to shut down teams completely. James Worthy led the Tar Heels to the 1982 national championship, with the legendary Michael Jordan hitting the game-winning shot against Georgetown to clinch it. In total, UNC has won six NCAA National Championships in 12 title game appearances and set several March Madness records, including 21 Final Four appearances and 134 tournament wins. The Tar Heels are now coached by Hubert Davis, who succeeded Roy Williams in 2021.
UNC has many local and national rivals, but its most bitter by far is the Duke Blue Devils. The two schools first played each other in 1920 when Duke was still known as Trinity College. With just 10 miles separating them on Tobacco Road, the historic rivalry has remained closely tied to both universities.
UNC Tar Heels Team Info
Conference: ACC
Team Colors: Carolina blue and white
Team Rivals: Duke, NC State, Wake Forest
UNC Tar Heels at Dean Smith Center
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, is home to one of the most successful college basketball programs in the nation. The UNC Tar Heels play at the Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center, more commonly known as "The Dean Dome." The arena first opened in 1986 and currently seats 21,750.
