“The museum is carefully displayed and you can tell how much Carolina basketball means to Chapel Hill,” Tess Allen of Goldsboro, N.C. said about her experience.
The Carolina Basketball Museum consists of eight main viewing areas: Intro Theater Film, Coming to Chapel Hill, Four Corners, The Game, Impact, Tower, Month of March and National Championships. Each focuses on different aspects of Carolina history.
“The organization of the museum was awesome because there were sections that represented the team accomplishments, individual accomplishments and the history and tradition of the team,” Edgar Walker said.
At the entrance of the museum is a walk-in IMAX thater. Several Chuck Stone Program participants were blown away by the film, featuring highlights from various games and player interviews projected onto a basketball-shaped screen.
“It was awesome, it gave me chills,” Mikala Whitaker remarked. “I really want to see some Carolina basketball now.”
then move on to their national championship showcase room. Here, UNC’s ACC title nets, final four tickets, and six national championship trophies and rings are on display.
“It makes me want to be a basketball player so I can play at Chapel Hill,” Charlotte Matthews joked.
The Chuck Stoners were then lead onto the half-court replica filled with player profiles and souvenirs. Signed player shoes, jerseys and basketballs fill the court.
“It really captured the Tar Heel spirit,” Santana Jackson said. “It really embodied what Carolina basketball is about.”
There were six profiles of the most prolific players and coaches in Tar Heel history. Michael Jordan, Tyler Hansbrough, Frank McGuire, Dean Smith, Roy Williams and Bill Guthrie were all featured,
Along with UNC’s six national championships and 17 Atlantic Coast Conference championships, the ‘Heels also have the most Final Four appearances of any NCAA basketball team– 18.
Most recently, the program reached the Elite Eight of the 2012 NCAA Tournament, and produced four first round selections in the 2012 NBA draft.
“It’s a breath taking experience and opens your eyes to Carolina history,” Seyi Gbadgesin said.
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Seyi Gbadesin is a rising senior at Charles E. Jordan High School in Durham, N.C. He is a native of Nigeria as well as an accomplished track athlete.
Raoul “Junior” Dolcine is a rising senior at Suncoast Community High School. He is an award-winning videographer who is proficient in video editing and layout design.