What Happened: Could Anyone Have Predicted Al Wood’s Outburst in 1981 Final Four?

Posted Jun 20, 2024
One of North Carolina’s most contentious set of rivalry basketball games took place in 1981 against Virginia, who beat the Tar Heels twice only to lose a rematch in the national semifinals. That game was decided by a three-minute burst by UNC's Al Wood, one of the most famous single-game performances in Carolina history, especially given the setting. (Inside Carolina)

Related: Basketball, Basketball Recruiting

Carolina Insider Podcast: UNC vs. Notre Dame Football preview, Christo Kelly and Kevin Thomas join
UNC Football faces a big challenge as No. 3 Notre Dame comes to Kenan Stadium (9:09). Tar Heel basketball continues to practice with its first...
Fri Oct 2, 2026

Video: Locked On Tar Heels - Neo Avdalas, Terrence Brown To Transform UNC PG Position
UNC Basketball's dynamic duo of Neoklis Avdalas and Terrence Brown embrace a selfless, team-first mentality as the point guard debate heats up. Can their complementary...
Fri Oct 2, 2026

UNC Basketball Film Room: Michael Malone’s Offensive System
UNC Basketball coach Michael Malone left the NBA with 11+ seasons of film that provide us a decent blueprint for what we might see from...
Thu Oct 1, 2026

Caleb Wilson at Chicago Bulls Media Day
I asked Caleb Wilson at Chicago Bulls media day how his time at North Carolina prepared him for the NBA. "It did a lot for...
Thu Oct 1, 2026