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: TarHeel247 Podcast - What to Make of Summer Basketball Narratives
Summer basketball information is popular and entertaining among North Carolina fans. But what is there to make of everything that the media reports and fans...
Thu Jul 16, 2026

Video: Locked On Tar Heels - Terrence Brown's Leadership, UNC Camp Session 2 Takeaways
UNC Basketball has a new on-court leader in Terrence Brown. Can his relentless competitiveness elevate the Tar Heels? Coach Rob discusses the second session of...
Thu Jul 16, 2026

Former UNC Basketball Players Mourn Changes in Chapel Hill: 'It's Not Franklin Street Anymore'
Gone are beloved Chapel Hill staples like The Rathskeller, Schoolkids Records, Bub O'Malley's, Pepper's, Spanky's, and others that served generations of UNC students along Franklin...
Thu Jul 16, 2026

Seth Trimble pours in 24 points; RJ Davis logs double-double in NBA Summer League
Seth Trimble put up 24-points at the NBA Summer League on Wednesday night, while former UNC teammate R.J. Davis produced an impressive double-double. Washington has...
Thu Jul 16, 2026