North Carolina's Flight to Basketball

Abstract

North Carolina, "First in Flight", is steeped in a rich heritage with authentic Southern hospitality. This article is about basketball and what happened here in 1952. Enter Frank McGuire, coach at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. In 1952, McGuire, after a second place finish for St. John's Universitiy, in the NCAA Tournament, headed south on Tobacco Road. By 1957, he piloted UNC (32-0) to the National Championship led by All America, Lenny Rosenbluth, against Kansas with Wilt Chamberlain. This story also covers coaches, Dean Smith, Kay Yow, Bill Guthridge, Harold Hunter, Clarence "Big House" Gaines, Roy Williams and Coach "K". Also, it includes such illustrious players as Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Shane Battier, Carlos Boozer, Billy Cunningham, Larry Brown, Earl "The Pearl" Monroe, Jerry Stackhouse, Sam Jones, Billy Packer and a bevy of others.

Keywords: North Carolina, Basketball, Michael Jordan, Dean Smith, Coach K