University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: ANTHONY SORBELLINI
Lucas: A Passion To Play
December 12, 2023 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Paxson Wojcik's intangibles are exactly what this year's Tar Heels needed.
By Adam Lucas
Paxson Wojcik can't help himself.
The question is about his individual goals, about what a good season would mean for him personally. And he tries. He really does try to make his answer about himself. But he just can't fully do it.
"For me personally, if I can help the team win games and continue to be a great teammate and leader, that's something to be proud of," Wojcik says. "Any way that we can win a championship, I'd be happy to be part of it and be part of something bigger than myself."
And now you understand why Wojcik is the right fit on this year's Tar Heel roster. There's the fact that he tallied 14 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals at the Smith Center when his old squad, Brown, lost to the Tar Heels during the 2021-22 season. That first-hand exposure to the Carolina coaches left an indisputably good impression.
What they saw in that game was exactly what they wanted to add to the 2023-24 roster.
"I feel like I can do a lot of things," Wojcik said. "Bringing energy, making shots, lifting up teammates, talking it up on defense, diving on the floor…there's a lot of ways to impact a game, and I'm capable of doing a lot of those things."
Wojcik has already started three games and is averaging double-digit minutes. He plays very much like the son of a coach—seeing the game a little more deeply than an average player and possessing an advanced understanding of how a team is trying to defeat any given opponent—which makes sense. He's the son of two Division I athletes, both of whom played basketball at the Naval Academy. His mother, Lael, also ran track at Navy, and his father, Doug, has spent a lifetime in coaching and is currently on staff at Michigan State.
Growing up, it wasn't always easy to be the kid whose parents were the most accomplished in any particular gym.
"My parents always told me when I was growing up that I could do whatever I wanted," Paxson says. "I never felt pressure like I had to play basketball. I was around the game so much that it happened naturally and I grew to love the game on my own."
"We definitely had our fights growing up. They're a parent, but they also know so much about the game. If you played bad, you were told you played bad. And if you played well, they knew you played well. In high school when I started getting recruited I had to learn on my parents for advice and help. That's when I realized they were going to be really important in helping me make decisions for the next few years."
But don't misunderstand. Even with that extensive basketball pedigree—including a stint as a young child living in Chapel Hill when Doug was an assistant coach under Matt Doherty—Paxson was no lock to be a future Tar Heel.
In fact, in a world where many of his teammates have known or at least suspected since middle school that they would one day play major Division I college basketball, Wojcik is the exception.
"In middle school and high school, I was never the best player on my teams," he says. "I played junior varsity as a freshman. I didn't start a high school game until my junior year. But it was always about competing and pushing myself and getting better every day, and I stuck with it."
So, why is he here? It's a steep climb from coming off the bench as a high school sophomore to playing double-digit minutes for a top-ten team in college basketball.
What would he tell all those other players who wonder if the game will ever love them back?
"Run your race," he says. "Everyone has a different process, and it doesn't happen overnight. Keep working at it and stay positive, and trust the process and embrace it. Hard work is undefeated."
Paxson Wojcik can't help himself.
The question is about his individual goals, about what a good season would mean for him personally. And he tries. He really does try to make his answer about himself. But he just can't fully do it.
"For me personally, if I can help the team win games and continue to be a great teammate and leader, that's something to be proud of," Wojcik says. "Any way that we can win a championship, I'd be happy to be part of it and be part of something bigger than myself."
And now you understand why Wojcik is the right fit on this year's Tar Heel roster. There's the fact that he tallied 14 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals at the Smith Center when his old squad, Brown, lost to the Tar Heels during the 2021-22 season. That first-hand exposure to the Carolina coaches left an indisputably good impression.
What they saw in that game was exactly what they wanted to add to the 2023-24 roster.
"I feel like I can do a lot of things," Wojcik said. "Bringing energy, making shots, lifting up teammates, talking it up on defense, diving on the floor…there's a lot of ways to impact a game, and I'm capable of doing a lot of those things."
Wojcik has already started three games and is averaging double-digit minutes. He plays very much like the son of a coach—seeing the game a little more deeply than an average player and possessing an advanced understanding of how a team is trying to defeat any given opponent—which makes sense. He's the son of two Division I athletes, both of whom played basketball at the Naval Academy. His mother, Lael, also ran track at Navy, and his father, Doug, has spent a lifetime in coaching and is currently on staff at Michigan State.
Growing up, it wasn't always easy to be the kid whose parents were the most accomplished in any particular gym.
"My parents always told me when I was growing up that I could do whatever I wanted," Paxson says. "I never felt pressure like I had to play basketball. I was around the game so much that it happened naturally and I grew to love the game on my own."
"We definitely had our fights growing up. They're a parent, but they also know so much about the game. If you played bad, you were told you played bad. And if you played well, they knew you played well. In high school when I started getting recruited I had to learn on my parents for advice and help. That's when I realized they were going to be really important in helping me make decisions for the next few years."
But don't misunderstand. Even with that extensive basketball pedigree—including a stint as a young child living in Chapel Hill when Doug was an assistant coach under Matt Doherty—Paxson was no lock to be a future Tar Heel.
In fact, in a world where many of his teammates have known or at least suspected since middle school that they would one day play major Division I college basketball, Wojcik is the exception.
"In middle school and high school, I was never the best player on my teams," he says. "I played junior varsity as a freshman. I didn't start a high school game until my junior year. But it was always about competing and pushing myself and getting better every day, and I stuck with it."
So, why is he here? It's a steep climb from coming off the bench as a high school sophomore to playing double-digit minutes for a top-ten team in college basketball.
What would he tell all those other players who wonder if the game will ever love them back?
"Run your race," he says. "Everyone has a different process, and it doesn't happen overnight. Keep working at it and stay positive, and trust the process and embrace it. Hard work is undefeated."
Players Mentioned
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