Goin’ to Carolina in My Mind

My first memory of attending a college basketball game was Duke vs. North Carolina. Cameron Indoor Stadium. March 1981. These were the days well before Duke had anything resembling a dynasty. Cameron was just a quaint old gymnasium where subdued Dook coeds and locals from the Research Triangle Park area came together to see their team get beat on a pretty regular basis.

I remember sitting up in the rafters in the sweltering heat that is Cameron, not yet totally understanding all the rules and intricacies of the sport, but knowing that I was there to root for Carolina and to hate Duke more than anything in the world. The game was competitive – nothing at all like the drubbing that Carolina regularly served up on the Blue Devils back in the day. Duke’s star point guard at the time was Gene Banks. I’ll never forget his larger than life afro. I think I still have an autographed copy of a Gene Banks picture in a box somewhere. With one second remaining in regulation, Banks nailed a turnaround jumper to force overtime, in which Duke would eventually prevail 66-65. An immediate sense of shock and numbness made its way down the length of my body as the Duke student body spilled out on to the court. I remember my Dad (and one of his friends that was with us) rushing us back to the car to beat the traffic getting out of the campus and back to Chapel Hill in time for dinner. The only thing I remember about that run/walk back to the car was the disappointment, anger and ensuing tears that streamed down my cheeks. It was the first time that I cried over a sporting event rather than being punished by my parents and I didn’t fully understand why. The basketball gods were cruel that day. It wasn’t supposed to go down that way. Carolina would go on to win the National Championship the following year with a young 18-year old by the name of Michael Jordan.

The Duke-Carolina games have since turned into the biggest rivalry in not only college basketball, but arguably the sporting world. Year in and year out – regardless of the caliber of each team - the rivalry continues to produce epic battles that never fail to amaze. If you’ve never lived in ACC country, it’s unlikely that you could ever fully comprehend the significance of these games.

Yesterday – the final Sunday of the regular season college basketball season - the basketball gods were smiling down upon the sunny Carolina Blue skies of Chapel Hill. Come to think of it, they were grinning from cheek to cheek. After one of the most shocking days of the season (#1, #3, #7 all lost within hours of each other), Carolina and Duke took to the hardwood of the Dean Dome in front of the largest Chapel Hill crowd ever – 22,125.

After the now traditional “Jump Around” tip-off music, Duke started to drain 3-pointers like nobody’s business. The Tar Heels worked through their now familiar early game jitters and ended up taking a 6 point lead into the locker room. With about 13 minutes left in the 2nd half, the Heels were up by 7 – a lead which quickly disappeared into a 9 point Duke lead with just under 3 minutes left to play. I would be lying to you if I told you that I wasn’t ready to pack it in right then and there and start thinking ahead to next week’s ACC Tournament. I would be lying to you if I told you that I didn’t doubt the big game abilities of this year’s nationally-ranked #2 Carolina team.

Duke did not score one more point during the rest of the game. Big stops, forced turnovers, huge rebounds, 3-point plays. Roy telling his team in the huddle, “Believe, believe!”. The seniors remembered 8-20 two years ago. They ain’t goin out like that! It was not part of the script. What was part of the script was 11 straight unanswered points. May outmuscles the entire Duke team for a 3-point play in what will forever be known as (arguably) the biggest performance ever by a Tar Heel big man. Forced turnover. Another tussle at center court. Somehow, Freshman Marvin Williams grabs Felton’s missed free throw attempt after the ensuing Rugby scrum and banks in a fade away. He’s fouled. The stadium is so loud, the crowd doesn’t even know that he’s going to the line. The Dean Dome is literally shaking. People are hugging and high-fiving perfect strangers. Pure jubilation. Marvin sinks it. Duke has the ball with 16 seconds and misses 2 or 3 great looks that I’m sure half of the crowd expected would go in. May grabs the last rebound in disbelief and the mass of humanity formerly known as “Wine and Cheese” empties out on to the court to bask in the glow of the best game they’ve ever seen and carry their heroes on their shoulders.

The day wasn’t over just yet. The Senior Day Festivities were just beginning and what a way to send them on their way. This was how our cherished Seniors should always get to say good-bye to Chapel Hill. "I'd like to thank the coaching staff for helping me find myself," Jackie Manuel says in front of the still strong, now silent crowd. Roy breaks down. Sean breaks down. Not a dry eye in the house. Sometimes there are perfect days. And on this beautiful March southern evening, the Basketball Gods agreed that this is how it was all supposed to end.

I now know exactly why I sobbed back in March of 1981.