University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: 2009 Banner To Drop At Alumni Game
August 10, 2009 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Aug. 10, 2009
By Adam Lucas
A large part of the appeal of the NBA alumni game on Sept. 4 is the chance to reach into the Tar Heel history vault and pull out some moments that might be in danger of getting musty.
Why wouldn't we, of course, want to see Antawn Jamison take an entry pass and slither the ball into the basket in less than a second? Of course we want to see John Kuester on the sidelines just months before he becomes an NBA head coach for the first time. Naturally, we want to see Raymond Felton run the break with Jerry Stackhouse.
But on a night devoted mostly to older Tar Heel history, there will also be a slice of very fresh Carolina basketball memories. In addition to several members of the 2009 national championship team playing in the game, the entire 2009 title squad will be honored at halftime of the game. That ceremony will include the first public unveiling of the 2009 national championship banner in the Smith Center rafters.
"There's a lot of banners up there, but not too many of them say `National champions,'" Bobby Frasor said. "We've had a lot of great teams at Carolina. To see our team up there with a national championship banner, that's when it's going to seem real."
Fans are invited to be a part of the ceremony by purchasing tickets for the alumni game. Only limited seats remain for the one-of-a-kind evening and fans are advised to purchase in advance to avoid the possibility of a game-night sellout.
More alumni game news: Additional participants have committed from the coaching/administrator ranks, as Sam Perkins, Phil Ford, Dave Hanners and Kuester are expected to attend...The big-time atmosphere of the game just got even better, as legendary Chicago Bulls announcer Ray Clay has agreed to serve as the night's PA announcer. Don't know the name? You might not, but you definitely know the voice. Coupled with the new light and sound system that was installed in the Smith Center over the summer, Clay promises to bring the most memorable pregame introductions in the building's history...Selling the players on participating in the game wasn't particularly difficult. "That's home," said Stackhouse. "It's a great chance to come back and see the older guys who have moved on and have families. Whenever any of us have the opportunity to have a reunion, we're all going to clear our schedules to be there."
Notes: Tyler Hansbrough is mulling an opportunity to sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" at Wrigley Field on August 28. Teammate Bobby Frasor--a diehard White Sox fan--threw out the first pitch at a White Sox game earlier this year. The player who caught that ceremonial pitch? Pitcher Mark Buehrle, who threw a perfect game on July 18...Frasor, who said he's gotten comments on the national title everywhere from Las Vegas to DeKalb, Illinois, this summer, plans to play overseas during the 2009-10 season and is waiting for his agent to work out the details with potential suitors...Most of the current Tar Heels have returned home for a brief respite before assembling in Chapel Hill for the fall semester. They'll return for classes around the same time the 2009-10 schedule is released, which is expected to be mid-to-late August.
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