Chartered by the North Carolina General Assembly on December 11, 1789, the university's cornerstone was laid on October 12, 1793, near the ruins of a chapel, chosen because of its central location within the state.[26] The first public university chartered under the US Constitution, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is one of three universities that claims to be the oldest public university in the United States and the only such institution to confer degrees in the eighteenth century as a public institution.[27][28]
The University of North Carolina men's basketball team will begin Atlantic Coast Conference play December 5 at Georgia Tech in the first regular-season ACC game for first-year UNC head coach Hubert Davis. Carolina's ACC opener will come in its eighth regular-season game, four days after the Tar Heels host Michigan in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. (GoHeels.com)
The updated 247Sports rankings for the 2022 basketball recruiting class were released Wednesday. All of UNC's commitments made a significant shift. Point guard commit Seth Trimble jumped from 41 to 28 in the rankings. Center Jalen Washington fell from 22 to 49. Center Will Shaver fell from 103 to 141. And forward Tyler Nickel moved from No. 75 to No. 79. (Inside Carolina)
Earl Grant, formerly of College of Charleston, has a massive rebuilding job ahead in Chestnut Hill after Jim Christian was shown the door following seven seasons. Four-year starter Steffon Mitchell graduated and a trio of sophomores – C.J. Felder, Jay Heath and Wynston Tabbs -- transferred. Grant was active in the transfer portal, bringing in Mississippi State center Quinten Post, College of Charleston guard Brevin Galloway and Drexel forward T.J. Bickerstaff to supplement his thin roster.
Why North Carolina? Tyler Nickel: "It was the best for me -- me and my future. I feel like I can go in there and contribute right away. And be able to be me -- play like Tyler Nickel. When I get there, be able to contribute to a great team and win a national championship in the process of me and my development, and everyone else that's there." (Inside Carolina)
Basketball coach Dean Smith was widely known for his idea of "The Carolina Way", in which he challenged his players to, "Play hard, play smart, play together."[172] "The Carolina Way" was an idea of excellence in the classroom, as well as on the court. In Coach Smith's book, The Carolina Way, former player Scott Williams said, regarding Dean Smith, "Winning was very important at Carolina, and there was much pressure to win, but Coach cared more about our getting a sound education and turning into good citizens than he did about winning."[173]
Notable among a number of songs commonly played and sung at various events such as commencement, convocation, and athletic games are the university fight songs "I'm a Tar Heel Born" and "Here Comes Carolina".[194] The fight songs are often played by the bell tower near the center of campus, as well as after major victories.[194] "I'm a Tar Heel Born" originated in the late 1920s as a tag to the school's alma mater, "Hark The Sound".[194] "Hark the Sound" was usually played at the end of games, but as of late it has been played at the beginning of games as well.
From the late 1990s and onward, UNC-Chapel Hill expanded rapidly with a 15% increase in total student population to more than 28,000 by 2007. This is accompanied by the construction of new facilities, funded in part by the "Carolina First" fundraising campaign and an endowment that increased fourfold to more than $2 billion within ten years.[45][46] Professor Oliver Smithies was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2007 for his work in genetics.[47] Additionally, Professor Aziz Sancar was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2015 for his work in understanding the molecular repair mechanisms of DNA.[48]
Justin McKoy grew up like a lot of kids in the state of North Carolina. He wanted to be a Tar Heel. "I'd always mimic playing basketball in the house with my brother," McKoy said. "It would be like Justin from Carolina playing against his brother from Duke." Entering his junior season, McKoy is finally getting the chance to live out his childhood fantasy. (WRAL Sports Fan)
