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

Same Shirt, Same Chair, same Food, Hocus Pocus, Carolina-Duke Traditions
Food. Clothing. Where one sits. How one sits. At home alone. At home with friends or family. At a watch party or at a bar...
Sat Feb 7, 2026

North Carolina Basketball’s Ten Best Wins vs. Duke
No. 1. 2022 Final Four (81-77) – This Final Four contest trumps all other games in the rivalry and is easily No. 1. For decades,...
Fri Feb 6, 2026

Seth Trimble Leaning On Experience In His Final Home Game Against Duke
Seth Trimble is among the last of a dying breed in college basketball. Saturday night will be the Tar Heel senior captain’s fourth and final...
Fri Feb 6, 2026

Video: The Story Behind Caleb Wilson and the Boozers
An interesting storylines entering the UNC vs. Duke basketball game Saturday is the relationship between Tar Heel star freshman Caleb Wilson and Blue Devils star...
Fri Feb 6, 2026