Lucas: Tar Heels In Cherokee This Weekend

By Adam Lucas

The Tar Heels are going on tour this weekend.

Well, sort of.

In a throwback to the barnstorming games of yesteryear—really just a couple of years ago—Carolina is spending the weekend in western North Carolina. With classes paused for fall break, the Heels practiced early on Thursday and then loaded the bus for Cherokee.

They'll have a meet-and-greet tonight in Cherokee, and then have a combined autograph session and Blue-White scrimmage tomorrow at Cherokee High School. And in doing so, they'll also spread the Carolina word to a section of the state that doesn't frequently get in-person visits from their sports heroes.

"It's a huge deal," says John Holbrook, who grew up in and played his high school basketball in Hickory, about two hours down I-40 from Cherokee. "You don't get many chances to see Carolina Basketball this far west in North Carolina, so for a lot of fans and families out here, this is really special. There's a big Carolina presence in western North Carolina, and bringing the team out here makes people feel even more connected to the program."

The game action tomorrow will be Carolina's final public appearance before they travel to take on No. 8 BYU in Salt Lake City next Friday night. The Heels will then play an exhibition game against Winston-Salem State on Oct. 29 at the Smith Center (a reminder to season ticket holders that the exhibition game is on the season ticket package) before opening the regular season Nov. 3 against Central Arkansas.

In addition to the chance to energize the standard daily practice environment, the weekend is also a chemistry-building opportunity to spend several days together before the real challenges begin. Preseason activities for the Heels have now spanned the state. Hubert Davis also took his team on their annual beach trip in August. Multiple Tar Heel players and staffers have identified chemistry—even with a roster featuring ten newcomers—as an asset early in the year.

And in the process, they might even cement a few long-term Tar Heel fans this weekend. "Let's just say," Holbrook said of his reaction if Carolina had visited the western part of the state during his younger years as a UNC fan, "young John Holbrook wouldn't have slept that week. The Heels playing that close to home would have felt like the state fair, Christmas, and March Madness all showing at once. That's how big of a deal it would've been."

Ticket information for the weekend is available here.

Scoreboard Slider

University of North Carolina Athletics

Players Mentioned

John Holbrook

Related Videos