Lucas: Welcome To The Family

By Adam Lucas

Less than one month into his Carolina career, we've already learned that Pete Nance has very good timing.

After a busy spring that saw him leave Northwestern early to go through the NBA Draft process, then open his recruitment as a graduate transfer, Nance announced his intention to join the Tar Heels on June 18. Four days later, he arrived in Chapel Hill at the exact moment multiple Carolina lettermen were on the court competing against the current team in one of the annual Carolina Basketball camp games.

With hundreds of young campers in the stands, it was about as energized a Carolina Basketball environment you can find in the summer. And Nance, predictably, received a raucous ovation when he was introduced to the crowd.

"It was incredible," Nance said. "It was awesome to see everyone so excited to have me here. Any time you go to a new place, you're naturally nervous about how it will be. Getting that warm welcome from the guys and the young fans was an incredible thing for me."

Although he didn't play in the game, as soon as he was introduced, Nance immediately went and took a spot on the current team's bench, where he watched the rest of the game with his new teammates. It looked like a natural fit, which is exactly what Hubert Davis and the coaching staff had in mind when they pursued Nance.

The first thing that strikes you about Nance is pretty simple: he's big. In fact, at Thursday's practice, to the extreme disappointment of Armando Bacot, who insisted even when they were standing back-to-back that it was a draw, it became obvious that Nance is taller than Bacot.

And while Bacot might have been dismayed on Thursday, he'll be much happier as the season progresses to have a true coworker in the paint. Nance has already shown an ability to play close to the rim on both offense and defense. He's certainly capable of stretching the floor, an important part of any Davis roster addition. But it's not the primary focus of his game.

For some context, consider that approximately 30 percent of Nance's field goal attempts were three-point shots in his last season at Northwestern. When Brady Manek arrived from Oklahoma, over half his shots in his last season as a Sooner had been from three-point range.

"I'm somebody who does a little bit of everything," Nance says. "I can shoot well, pass well, dribble well, and I can guard multiple positions. I pride myself on being versatile, and I want to step into whatever role my teammates and coaching staff need me to do."

Learning about that role was part of Nance's recruiting process to Carolina. The Ohio native's summer essentially went in two stages. First, he was completely committed to exploring the NBA Draft process and getting as much feedback as possible. During that evaluation, he wasn't simultaneously searching out potential college destinations in his free time.

Once he made the decision to return to college, that's when he began to explore his options in depth. And that's also when he was able to have some illuminating conversations with Davis.

"Coach Davis does a really great job of getting to know you as a person first," Nance said. "He establishes that relationship off the floor. That's a huge thing, whether you're a freshman or a new guy like me. On the court, you're eventually going to mess up or forget something. But when you've had so many conversations off the floor with your coach, he can get on you, but you know it's coming from a great place because you already have that relationship with him. That's so important."

Nance never played in the NCAA Tournament during his Northwestern career, and he's well aware that he's joining a Carolina team that was one win away from a national championship last season. And in less than a month on campus, he's already experienced a taste of that Tar Heel fervor that accompanied the postseason run.

"If I had to use one word to describe what I've learned about Carolina Basketball, it would be 'passion,'" Nance says. "The fans have a lot of passion for the team and are super excited for the season. And the same thing is true of the players and coaches. The coaches played here and they chose to come back and coach here. The players love Carolina and are passionate about wanting to hang another banner and make history."

Ultimately, though, Nance could assess the on-court product from afar. There was another, more intangible, part of the program he wanted to evaluate during his recruiting process.

"Carolina obviously has an incredible history," he says. "It's the bluest of bluebloods that exist. What you hear about is the family aspect and how you're a Tar Heel forever. That was what I wanted to see on my visit, if that was really true. And seeing guys like Tyler Hansbrough and Luke Maye and Cam Johnson and Justin Jackson coming back to work out and play with the guys and lift, I knew right away that's not something you see everywhere. I'm excited to be part of that family now."

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University of North Carolina Athletics

Players Mentioned

Armando Bacot

Brady Manek

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