2010–11 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team

The 2010–11 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the 2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The head coach was Roy Williams. The team played its home games in the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They finished the season 29–8, 14–2 in ACC play to win the conference regular-season championship. They advanced to the championship game of the 2011 ACC men's basketball tournament before falling to Duke. They received an at-large bid in the 2011 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament where they advanced to the Elite Eight before falling to Kentucky.

2010–11 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball
ACC regular season champions
NCAA tournament, Elite Eight
ConferenceAtlantic Coast Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 8
APNo. 7
Record29–8 (14–2 ACC)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home arenaDean Smith Center
Seasons
2010–11 ACC men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 7 North Carolina 14 2   .875 29 8   .784
No. 3 Duke 13 3   .813 32 5   .865
Florida State 11 5   .688 23 11   .676
Clemson 9 7   .563 22 12   .647
Boston College 9 7   .563 21 13   .618
Virginia Tech 9 7   .563 22 12   .647
Maryland 7 9   .438 19 14   .576
Virginia 7 9   .438 16 15   .516
Miami (FL) 6 10   .375 21 15   .583
NC State 5 11   .313 15 16   .484
Georgia Tech 5 11   .313 13 18   .419
Wake Forest 1 15   .063 8 24   .250
2011 ACC tournament winner
As of March 27, 2011[1]
Rankings from AP poll[2]

This season represented the 101st season of basketball in the school's history.

Preseason

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The team lost seniors Deon Thompson and Marcus Ginyard to graduation, while sophomore Ed Davis made himself available for the 2010 NBA draft. The team was dealt an unexpected loss as twin freshmen David and Travis Wear announced that they would transfer from UNC on May 6, 2010,[3] ultimately landing at UCLA. Additionally, it was announced in October 2010 that red-shirt senior Will Graves was removed from the team for violating team rules.

Recruiting

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Coach Roy Williams signed a three-man class for 2010.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Harrison Barnes
SF
Ames, Iowa Ames (IA) 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Nov 13, 2009 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247SportsN/A    ESPN grade: 98
Reggie Bullock
SG
Kinston, North Carolina Kinston (NC) 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Jan 9, 2008 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247SportsN/A    ESPN grade: 96
Kendall Marshall
PG
Dumfries, Virginia Bishop O'Connell (VA) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Sep 19, 2007 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247SportsN/A    ESPN grade: 95
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 3   Rivals: 4  ESPN: 3
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2010 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved April 2, 2010.

Season

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UNC took part in the 2010 Puerto Rico Tip-Off and the ACC – Big Ten Challenge. The following schools will compete in 2010 Puerto Rico Tip-Off: Davidson, Hofstra, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, Vanderbilt, West Virginia and Western Kentucky[4]

UNC had already scheduled non-conference games against Kentucky, Texas (in Greensboro), Charleston, Long Beach State, at Illinois, at UNC-Asheville, at Evansville, and at Rutgers (Madison Square Garden).[5]

Non-conference season

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UNC beat Lipscomb 84–66 in their first game of the season. In their second game, which was their first game in the Puerto Rico tip-off, they beat Hofstra 108–63. In their third game, they lost to the University of Minnesota 72–67. In their fourth game, they lost to Vanderbilt 72–65. The two losses caused UNC to fall in the rankings to #25. The 2–2 start was their worst since the 2001–02 season. After closer-than-expected wins against UNC Asheville and College of Charleston, UNC dropped out of the rankings.

In their ACC-Big Ten Challenge game, the Tar Heels were throttled on the road against Illinois. However, they followed up that loss with a win over then 11th-ranked Kentucky. They had a chance to return to the rankings with a win over Texas in what was essentially a home game at the Greensboro Coliseum, but lost on a last-second shot by the Longhorns' Cory Joseph.

Conference season

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The Tar Heels opened ACC play with close wins over the league's two Virginia teams. However, they came out flat against Georgia Tech, losing by 20 points. They wouldn't lose again for almost a month, with the only close game in that stretch being against Miami. That game was decided on a last-second three-pointer by Harrison Barnes. The month-long winning streak catapulted them back into the rankings for the first time since December.

On February 4, the Tar Heels were broadsided when point guard Larry Drew II abruptly left the team. The Tar Heels beat Florida State in their first game without Drew, but in a subsequent game against Duke, after leading all of the first half, they faltered in the second half and lost 79–73. They would not lose again for over a month, despite close games against Clemson and Florida State.

This set up a regular-season finale against Duke with the winner clinching the ACC regular-season title and the top seed in the 2011 ACC tournament—the fifth winner-take-all game in the series' 92-season history. The Tar Heels won with relative ease, 81–67, to win their 28th ACC regular-season title and fifth outright title in seven years. It also completed the Tar Heels' fourth undefeated season in the Smith Center.

The Tar Heels did not have an easy time of it in the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, despite being the top seed. In their first-round game against Miami, they trailed for the entire game before going on a 27–6 run in the final 10 minutes, capped by a Tyler Zeller tip-in with 0.2 seconds left to win the game 61–59. It was the biggest postseason comeback in school history. Against Clemson, they trailed by 11 points before rallying to force overtime, then won 92–87.

This set up their third matchup of the season against Duke; the Tar Heels would lose to the Blue Devils 75–58.

NCAA tournament

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Despite the loss, the Tar Heels returned to the NCAA tournament after a one-year absence as the No. 2 seed in the East Regional. They played their first two games at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte. They played there alongside bitter rival Duke, who is the top seed in the West Regional.

The Tar Heels had a tough first game against Long Island before pulling away late for a 102–87 win. They then beat Washington on the strength of a combined 45 points from Zeller and Barnes.[6] They advanced to the Sweet 16 at the Prudential Center in Newark.

The Tar Heels first faced the 11-seeded Marquette Golden Eagles in the Sweet 16 in Newark. Marquette had an off night and the Heels dominated their opponent with a score of 81–63. UNC next played the Kentucky Wildcats team, fresh off a win against the overall number one seed – the Ohio State Buckeyes. UNC was down early and remained down by 8 at halftime. Despite the barrage of 3-points from the Wildcats, UNC launched a comeback to tie the game late. But freshman Brandon Knight hit a clutch 3-pointer, and Kentucky beat UNC 76–69 to advance to the Final Four in Houston.

Roster

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Name # Position Height Weight Year Home Town High School
Harrison Barnes 40 Forward 6–8 210 Freshman Ames, IA Ames
Daniel Bolick 3 Guard 5–10 175 Senior Carrboro, NC Chapel Hill
Reggie Bullock 35 Guard 6–7 190 Freshman Kinston, NC Kinston
Stewart Cooper 15 Forward 6–5 205 Junior Winston-Salem, NC Forsyth Country Day
Patrick Crouch 30 Guard 5–11 175 Junior Asheville, NC T.C. Roberson
Larry Drew II* 11 Guard 6–2 180 Junior Encino, CA Woodland Hills Taft
David Dupont 22 Forward 6–5 195 Junior Greensboro, NC Grimsley
Van Hatchell 13 Forward 6–4 185 Senior Chapel Hill, NC Cresset Christian
John Henson 31 Forward 6–10 210 Sophomore Tampa, FL Sickles
D. J. Johnston 32 Forward 6–4 195 Junior Lower Gwynedd, PA Germantown
Justin Knox 25 Forward 6–9 240 Graduate Tuscaloosa, AL Central
Kendall Marshall 5 Guard 6–3 186 Freshman Dumfries, VA Bishop O'Connell
Leslie McDonald 2 Guard 6–4 215 Sophomore Memphis, TN Briarcrest Christian
Dexter Strickland 1 Guard 6–3 180 Sophomore Rahway, NJ St. Patrick
Justin Watts 24 Guard 6–4 210 Junior Durham, NC Jordan
Tyler Zeller 44 Forward 7–0 250 Junior Washington, IN Washington

* Left team February 4, 2011

Schedule

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Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site (attendance)
city, state
Exhibition
November 5, 2010*
7:30 pm
Barton W 108–67 
Dean E. Smith Center (14,259[7])
Chapel Hill, NC
Regular Season
November 12, 2010*
7:00 pm, FSSO
No. 8 Lipscomb W 80–66  1–0
Dean E. Smith Center (16,432[7])
Chapel Hill, NC
November 18, 2010*
5:00 pm, ESPN2
No. 8 vs. Hofstra
Puerto Rico Tip-Off
W 107–63  2–0
Coliseo de Puerto Rico (7,205[7])
San Juan, PR
November 19, 2010*
8:30 pm, ESPNU
No. 8 vs. Minnesota
Puerto Rico Tip-Off
L 67–72  2–1
Coliseo de Puerto Rico (10,127[7])
San Juan, PR
November 21, 2010*
5:30 pm, ESPN2
No. 8 vs. Vanderbilt
Puerto Rico Tip-Off
L 65–72  2–2
Coliseo de Puerto Rico (11,575[7])
San Juan, PR
November 23, 2010*
7:00 pm, FSSO
No. 25 UNC Asheville W 80–69  3–2
Dean E. Smith Center (14,428[7])
Chapel Hill, NC
November 28, 2010*
5:30 pm, FSN
No. 25 College of Charleston W 74–69  4–2
Dean E. Smith Center (15,932[7])
Chapel Hill, NC
November 30, 2010*
9:30 pm, ESPN
at No. 19 Illinois
ACC–Big Ten Challenge
L 67–79  4–3
Assembly Hall (16,618[7])
Champaign, IL
December 4, 2010*
12:30 pm, CBS
No. 10 Kentucky W 75–73  5–3
Dean E. Smith Center (20,695[7])
Chapel Hill, NC
December 8, 2010*
7:00 pm, ESPNU
at Evansville W 76–49  6–3
Roberts Municipal Stadium (12,116[7])
Evansville, IN
December 11, 2010*
7:00 pm, FSSO
Long Beach State W 96–91  7–3
Dean E. Smith Center (16,571[7])
Chapel Hill, NC
December 18, 2010*
4:00 pm, CBS
vs. No. 22 Texas L 76–78  7–4
Greensboro Coliseum (20,787[7])
Greensboro, NC
December 21, 2010*
7:00 pm, ESPN2
William & Mary W 85–60  8–4
Dean E. Smith Center (17,357[7])
Chapel Hill, NC
December 28, 2010*
9:00 pm, ESPN2
vs. Rutgers W 78–55  9–4
Madison Square Garden (9,401[7])
New York, NY
January 2, 2011*
3:30 pm, FSSO
Saint Francis (PA) W 103–54  10–4
Dean E. Smith Center (17,613[7])
Chapel Hill, NC
January 8, 2011
12:00 pm, Raycom
at Virginia W 62–56  11–4
(1–0)
John Paul Jones Arena (14,231[7])
Charlottesville, VA
January 13, 2011
9:00 pm, ESPN
Virginia Tech W 64–61  12–4
(2–0)
Dean E. Smith Center (21,089[7])
Chapel Hill, NC
January 16, 2011
7:45 pm, FSN
at Georgia Tech L 58–78  12–5
(2–1)
Alexander Memorial Coliseum (8,125[7])
Atlanta, GA
January 18, 2011
8:00 pm, Raycom
Clemson W 75–65  13–5
(3–1)
Dean E. Smith Center (20,352[7])
Chapel Hill, NC
January 26, 2011
7:30 pm, ESPN2
at Miami (FL) W 74–71  14–5
(4–1)
BankUnited Center (6,026[7])
Miami, FL
January 29, 2011
2:00 pm, ESPN
NC State
Carolina–NC State rivalry
W 84–64  15–5
(5–1)
Dean E. Smith Center (21,750[7])
Chapel Hill, NC
February 1, 2011
9:00 pm, Raycom
No. 23 at Boston College W 106–74  16–5
(6–1)
Conte Forum (7,883[7])
Chestnut Hill, MA
February 6, 2011
2:00 pm, FSN
No. 23 Florida State W 89–69  17–5
(7–1)
Dean E. Smith Center (20,945[7])
Chapel Hill, NC
February 9, 2011
9:00 pm, ESPN
No. 20 at No. 5 Duke
Carolina–Duke rivalry
L 73–79  17–6
(7–2)
Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314[7])
Durham, NC
February 12, 2011
1:00 pm, Raycom
No. 20 at Clemson W 64–62  18–6
(8–2)
Littlejohn Coliseum (10,000[7])
Clemson, SC
February 15, 2011
8:00 pm, Raycom
No. 19 Wake Forest W 78–64  19–6
(9–2)
Dean E. Smith Center (20,229[7])
Chapel Hill, NC
February 19, 2011
4:00 pm, ESPN
No. 19 Boston College W 48–46  20–6
(10–2)
Dean E. Smith Center (21,159[7])
Chapel Hill, NC
February 23, 2011
9:00 pm, Raycom
No. 19 at NC State
Carolina–NC State rivalry
W 75–63  21–6
(11–2)
RBC Center (19,700[7])
Raleigh, NC
February 27, 2011
7:45 pm, FSN
No. 19 Maryland W 87–76  22–6
(12–2)
Dean E. Smith Center (20,853[7])
Chapel Hill, NC
March 2, 2011
7:00 pm, ESPN
No. 13 at Florida State W 72–70  23–6
(13–2)
Donald L. Tucker Center (12,030[7])
Tallahassee, FL
March 5, 2011
8:00 pm, CBS
No. 13 No. 4 Duke
Carolina-Duke rivalry
W 81–67  24–6
(14–2)
Dean E. Smith Center (21,750[7])
Chapel Hill, NC
ACC tournament
March 11, 2011
12:00 pm, ESPN2
(1) No. 6 vs. (9) Miami (FL)
ACC Quarterfinals
W 61–59  25–6
Greensboro Coliseum (23,381[7])
Greensboro, NC
March 12, 2011
1:00 pm, ESPN
(1) No. 6 vs. (4) Clemson
ACC Semifinals
W 92–87 OT 26–6
Greensboro Coliseum (23,381[7])
Greensboro, NC
March 13, 2011
1:00 pm, ESPN
(1) No. 6 vs. (2) No. 5 Duke
ACC Championship Game
L 58–75  26–7
Greensboro Coliseum (23,381[7])
Greensboro, NC
NCAA tournament
March 18, 2011*
7:15 pm, CBS
(2 E) No. 7 vs. (15 E) Long Island
NCAA Second round
W 102–87  27–7
Time Warner Cable Arena (16,852[7])
Charlotte, NC
March 20, 2011*
12:15 pm, CBS
(2 E) No. 7 vs. (7 E) No. 23 Washington
NCAA Third round
W 86–83  28–7
Time Warner Cable Arena (18,329[7])
Charlotte, NC
March 25, 2011*
7:15 pm, CBS
(2 E) No. 7 vs. (11 E) Marquette
NCAA Sweet Sixteen
W 81–63  29–7
Prudential Center (18,343[7])
Newark, NJ
March 27, 2011*
4:45 pm, CBS
(2 E) No. 7 vs. (4 E) No. 11 Kentucky
NCAA Elite Eight
L 69–76  29–8
Prudential Center (18,278[7])
Newark, NJ
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
E=NCAA East Regional.
All times are in Eastern Time.

Blue Steel

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In the 2010–2011 season, the term "Blue Steel" was coined to describe the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team walk-ons. Blue Steel is composed of six players who, despite being non-scholarship athletes, have a position on the team and play a key role in its development. They are led by Basketball Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams, who is third all time in the NCAA for winning percentage.

Roster and statistics

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Patrick Crouch—a Junior guard
Daniel Bolick—a Senior guard
D.J. Johnston—a Junior forward
Van Hatchell—a Senior forward
David Dupont—a Junior forward
Stewart Cooper—a Junior forward[8]
## Player GP-GS Min Avg FG-FGA Pct 3FG-FGA Pct FT-FTA Pct Off Def Tot Avg PF FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg
30 Patrick Crouch 12–0 20 1.7 4–8 .500 1–3 .333 0–0 .000 0 1 1 0.1 5 0 0 3 0 0 9 0.8
03 Daniel Bolick 14–1 19 1.4 1–4 .250 0–1 .000 4–4 1.000 0 5 5 0.4 1 0 2 1 0 0 6 0.4
32 D.J. Johnston 13–1 21 1.6 2–8 .250 0–1 .000 0–0 .000 2 6 8 0.6 0 0 1 1 1 0 4 0.3
13 Van Hatchell 11–1 16 1.5 0–5 .000 0–4 .000 1–2 .500 1 3 4 0.4 2 0 1 2 0 0 1 0.1
22 David Dupont 12–0 18 1.5 0–4 .000 0–3 .000 0–0 .000 2 3 5 0.4 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0.0
15 Stewart Cooper 12–0 17 1.4 0–2 .000 0–0 .000 0–0 .000 1 3 4 0.3 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 0.0

[9]

History

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Coinage of name

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The term "Blue Steel" was created by walk-on member Stewart Cooper, a 2010–2011 Junior from Forsyth Country Day School, and has quickly gained prominence.[citation needed] Although the players to which it refers were once known by nicknames such as "the JV guys," and "the blue team", the new term of "Blue Steel" is one that is now widely known and used by members of the student body, faculty, and Tar Heel fans.[citation needed] Beyond the local fanbase, sports reporters around the country have begun to use it as well.[citation needed]

The Blue Steel movement first caught on in the 2010–2011 season. At the end of North Carolina’s 84–64 win over N.C. State at the Dean Smith Center on January 29, fans chanted their new group name. The chant was at its optimum in Saturday’s pre-game introductions and when the walk-ons went to cut down the nets after three of them started against Duke on Senior Night.[10]

Players on the name "Blue Steel"

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BOLICK: Williams called us a combination of "J.V." or "Parentheses." On the actual practice plans, all the walk-ons' names were on the practice sheets in parentheses next to the player they'd substitute in for. So he'd say, "Parentheses, get in there." We said, "We can't go with being called the parentheses."

COOPER: We didn't want to tell Williams to start calling us [Blue Steel]. We told one of the assistant coaches.

BOLICK: The assistant coaches started calling us Blue Steel at the beginning of the week. By the end of the week, Coach Williams had caught on as well.

COOPER: It was pretty funny the first time he said it. He said he liked it. He's never really gone back.

JOHNSTON: It definitely started off in practice, not as sort of a schtick-type thing, which is what it turned into. When he first said it in a game, we looked at each other like, "Nice."[11]

Significance

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Twitter

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Blue Steel has approximately 10,000 Twitter fans. They are known for "tweeting from the bench" during basketball games. Their first tweet was on December 15, 2010 and was "What's up world? 2010–11 UNC basketball walk-ons fresh on the twitter scene. stay tuned FRIENDS." Some other examples of Blue Steel tweets are:

• "You're welcome Tar Heel fans. If we didn't get dunked on every day in practice, you wouldn't be able to see it in the game. #feelthesteel"

• "bucket, drawn charge, airball and one of the biggest blocks ever in the nc state game...the world saw all aspects of Steel's game. #respect"

• "We're gonna have a far better view than the "crazies" and we didn't waste all of January sleeping in a tent. #feelthesteel"[12]

Videos

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Blue Steel players filmed in action along with comments from members and team players. Submitted with permission from creator. [1]

Playtime in big games

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In the rival matchup between North Carolina and Duke University in 2011, Roy Williams started the senior members of Blue Steel.

Harrison Barnes' audio response to question about Blue Steel players: "From the walk-ons starting, to the students rushing the court, is this your finest memory as a Tar Heel thus far?" "Just to see Blue Steel get some recognition out there and be able to start—they work so hard and are the unsung heroes of this team. Then to have them rush the court, we haven't had that happen this year, and it's a great experience to have that, to know that a ring is on the way. That's the best feeling.[13]

In North Carolina's game against Clemson in the ACC tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina, Roy Williams took out all of his scholarship players and put Blue Steel in the game.

Point guard Kendall Marshall said in response to this occurrence, “Just to sit on the bench and hear coach telling us all of the things we’re doing wrong – in so many words that I can’t say here – to see Blue Steel out there giving it their all, it inspires you.”[14]

Blue Steel had the opportunity to play in the 2011 NCAA tournament in the opening game against Long Island University and in the Sweet 16 game versus Marquette University.[15]

During an NCAA press conference, Kendall Marshall said, "But, still, you've just gotta feel the Steel sometimes. They bring a whole other dimension to this team. They're part of that goofiness that we have. They started a name for themselves, and all the little things that bring us close – it's been great."[16]

Hand signal

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Blue Steel have their own hand gesture, called the "dip snap". This gesture is used as a sign of respect when Blue Steel players are entering the game. The steps for completing it are reportedly as follows:

  1. Press your thumb and middle finger together
  2. Let your forefinger fall limp
  3. Raise your hand up and turn your wrist so that your hand faces you
  4. Sling your hand down towards the floor, allowing your forefinger to snap against your other fingers
  5. Repeat until ample signs of respect have been shown[8]

Reporters

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Ben Doster--"Blue Steel: New Look to an Old Tradition"[10]

Dave Wilson--"North Carolina's 'Blue Steel' adds to sports pranks"[17]

Dave Wilson--"Blue Steel, North Carolina's Walk-ons, Earn Cult Hero Status"[18]

Conor Orr--"North Carolina vs. Kentucky: Meet 'Blue Steel,' the Tar Heels' humorous, charitable bench"[19]

Adam Lucas--"Lucas: Prank You Very Much"[20]

Jerome Richard--"'Blue Steel' steals the show at start for Tar Heels"[21]

Lennon Dodson--""Blue Steel" emerges as more than just bench warmers"[8]

Jason Jennings--"UNC's Blue Steel builds a brand"[22]

T-shirts

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Blue Steel recently released their own T-shirts with the slogan "Feel the Steel". Proceeds from the shirts go to a Camp Kesem North Carolina, a week-long summer camp for youth whose parent or guardian have cancer.[23]

Charity date auction

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On February 14, 2011, UNC Chapel Hill held an auction for the charity Dance Marathon. Dates with members of the school's basketball team were auctioned off in order to support the organization, which aims to raise money for sick children. Specifically, members of Blue Steel were auctioned off for $375.[24]

Team players drafted into the NBA

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Year Round Pick Player NBA Club
2012 1 7 Harrison Barnes Golden State Warriors
2012 1 13 Kendall Marshall Phoenix Suns
2012 1 14 John Henson Milwaukee Bucks
2012 1 17 Tyler Zeller Boston Celtics
2013 1 25 Reggie Bullock Los Angeles Clippers

[25]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "ACC Standings - 2010-11". ESPN. Retrieved December 27, 2010.
  2. ^ "2011 NCAA Men's Basketball Rankings". ESPN. Retrieved December 27, 2010.
  3. ^ Wear twins to transfer from UNC
  4. ^ "2010 PUERTO RICO TIP-OFF TEAMS". puertoricotipoff.com. Archived from the original on November 25, 2009. Retrieved November 20, 2009.
  5. ^ "Scout article". Archived from the original on April 7, 2010. Retrieved April 7, 2010.
  6. ^ Zeller, Harrison Barnes combine for 45 as Tar Heels squeak by Huskies[dead link]. ESPN, March 20, 2011.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al "2010–11 North Carolina Season Statistics". Season Schedule/Results & Leaders. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. March 28, 2011. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  8. ^ a b c Dodson, Lennon. ""Blue Steel" emerges as more than just bench warmers". Archived from the original on August 25, 2011. Retrieved April 21, 2011.
  9. ^ "North Carolina Season Statistics". Archived from the original on November 23, 2010. Retrieved April 6, 2011.
  10. ^ a b Doster, Ben. "Blue Steel: New Look to an Old Tradition". Archived from the original on April 13, 2011. Retrieved April 21, 2011.
  11. ^ "Blue Steel: North Carolina's Cult Stars".
  12. ^ "RealBlueSteel".
  13. ^ Cissell, J.B. "UNC Duke Postgame Interviews". Archived from the original on August 15, 2011. Retrieved April 21, 2011.
  14. ^ Lang, Chris. "Walk-ons shake up slumbering Tar Heels". New Era Progress. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
  15. ^ "2010–2011 Schedule". Tar Heel Blue. Archived from the original on March 18, 2010. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
  16. ^ Norlander, Matt. "With Final Four in sight, Tar Heels getting last laugh". CBS Sports. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
  17. ^ Wilson, Dave. "North Carolina's 'Blue Steel' adds to sports pranks".
  18. ^ Wilson, Dave. "Blue Steel, North Carolina's Walk-ons, Earn Cult Hero Status".[dead link]
  19. ^ Orr, Conor. "North Carolina vs. Kentucky: Meet 'Blue Steel,' the Tar Heels' humorous, charitable bench".
  20. ^ Lucas, Adam. "Lucas: Prank You Very Much". Archived from the original on January 12, 2011. Retrieved April 21, 2011.
  21. ^ Richard, Jerome. "'Blue Steel' steals the show at start for Tar Heels".
  22. ^ Jennings, Jason. "UNC's Blue Steel builds a brand".
  23. ^ Orr, Connor. "North Carolina vs. Kentucky: Meet 'Blue Steel,' the Tar Heels' humorous, charitable bench". Retrieved April 12, 2011.
  24. ^ Ellis, Sam. "Love and Sports: A Natural Bond".
  25. ^ "2012 NBA Draft on databaseBasketball.com". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 30, 2012.