University of North Carolina Athletics
I'm A Tar Heel: Luke Davis
November 26, 2014 | Men's Basketball
Dear Tar Heel Fans,
There is no way I will ever be able to fully explain what being a part of Carolina Basketball has meant to me. Every gameday, we have the privilege of playing basketball in the Dean E. Smith Center, for the greatest coach in the country, in front of the greatest fans in the country. For those of you who may not know much about me, I grew up in Raleigh and have dreamed about playing basketball for the University of North Carolina all my life. I want to thank you for helping make my dreams come true.
When I was eight years old I remember being decked out in a Carolina uniform playing in the driveway with my best friend, pretending to be Ed Cota and Vince Carter. One of us would inevitably hit a buzzer beater to win the national championship, as the other would emulate Woody Durham making the play-by-play call. Twelve years later I would play on the same court as Vince Carter when he came to play pick up with us one summer.
In November of 2009, I rushed home from school to watch Harrison Barnes announce his college decision with my dad, two years later we were teammates. My senior year of high school I remember getting fussed at for watching highlight videos of James Michael McAdoo in class after he had just committed to UNC. He and I would end up rooming together for two years and I consider him to be one of my best friends.
It was on July 21, 2011, when I walked outside of a restaurant in Raleigh to answer an unknown number calling my phone. That call turned out to be from Roy Williams, who told me that I was officially a Tar Heel. For those of you who have been a Tar Heel for all of your life, you can imagine what it felt like to get that phone call.
I remember looking into the stands at my very first home game and seeing my mom wipe away tears as the highlight video played before the starting lineups were announced. All of the memories I have growing up as a die-hard fan has made this experience even more incredible. I know how lucky I am to be where I am right now and to do the things that I am able to do. Even as a senior, I still find myself amazed that Roy Williams is really my coach. It's still surreal to me that I get to go play basketball in the Smith Center everyday.
Every time our team steps on the floor, we know we are playing in front of the greatest fans in the country. But it's not just filling the Dean Dome that makes you all so great. It's our bus pulling into the parking lot at 2 a.m. after beating top-ranked Michigan State to hundreds of fans waiting outside for you. It's the fans waiting in the snow for hours only for the game to be cancelled, then come back days later to deliver one of the best home atmospheres I've ever been apart of as we beat Duke. It's the fans that rush Franklin Street, it's looking at the crowd after someone dishes out a beautiful assist and seeing thousands of fingers pointing to the passer. The list goes on.
Most importantly, my experience at North Carolina has provided me with an extraordinary education that has undoubtedly impacted my life much more than any game ever could. The academics at UNC have challenged me in ways that I never could have imagined and taught me to strive for excellence in everything I do. Since first arriving at UNC, I've had the pleasure of having two Academic All-Americas as teammates in Tyler Zeller and Marcus Paige. As a soon-to-be-graduate, I am so grateful to be part of such an amazing university that has provided me with an education that has undoubtedly prepared me for the future.
Running out of the tunnel before a game in front of the best fans in the country is a feeling all of us will cherish forever, and on behalf of the basketball team and all the student-athletes at UNC, thank you for your tremendous support, and for helping give us the greatest college experience anyone could ever ask for.
Sincerely,
