Born & Bred: Tar Heel Nickname Origins

Posted Jun 6, 2023
A New York sportswriter had seen Kenny Smith play a high school game and wrote that he raced up the court "like a jet." Walter Davis said that "my teammates at North Carolina started Sweet D." Tyler Hansbrough explained that "to get through a workout and motivate myself, I was screaming at myself. That’s when Jonas started calling me 'Psycho T.'" (Rams Club)

Related: Basketball, Basketball Recruiting

Video: Locked On Tar Heels - Can Hubert Davis Fix UNC's Defense?
Isaac Schade and Coach Bill Robinson dissect UNC Basketball's struggle to defend ball screens, recent second-half collapses, and the absence of a true floor general...
Fri Jan 16, 2026

History: Building UNC Basketball's 'New Blue Heaven'
As a man suffering from a fatal disease, Hargrove "Skipper" Bowles couldn’t be without his respirator for more than an hour. He still decided to...
Fri Jan 16, 2026

Carolina Insider Podcast: Jeff Lebo Discusses 1986 Duke at Carolina (First game in the Smith Center)
Carolina just won its 500th game in the Smith Center, so we look back at the first game (No. 1 UNC vs. No. 3 Duke...
Fri Jan 16, 2026

Frustration Rises in Palo Alto: 'I hate to lose"
Can you describe your emotions after this loss and the emotions in the locker room? Caleb Wilson: "I’m frustrated. I hate to lose and I...
Fri Jan 16, 2026