Tar Heel Blue Steel
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Blue Steel | |||
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File:Pg2 g bsteel sy 200.jpg | |||
University | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | ||
First season | 2010
2010-2011 Season 28-7 (.800) | ||
Head coach | Roy Williams (8th season) | ||
Conference | Atlantic Coast Conference D1 Division | ||
Arena | Dean Smith Center (capacity: 21,750) | ||
Nickname | Tar Heels | ||
Colors | Carolina Blue and White | ||
Uniforms | |||
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Blue Steel
"Blue Steel" is a recently coined term used to describe the North Carolina Tar Heels Men’s Basketball Team walk-ons. Blue Steel is composed of 6 players on the 2010-2011 team who, despite the fact that they are non-scholarship athletes, have a position on the team and play a key role in its development. They are lead by Basketball Hall of Fame coach, Roy Williams, who is third all time in the NCAA for winning percentage.
History
Coinage of Name
The term "Blue Steel" was created by walk-on member Stewart Cooper, a Junior out of Forsyth Country Day School, and has spread like wildfire. It is a term that is now widely known and used by members of the student body, faculty, Tar Heel fans and, more recently, by sports reporters throughout the country.
On the name Blue Steel:
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." [1]
Roster and Statistics
- Patrick Crouch
- Daniel Bolick
- D.J. Johnston
- Van Hatchell
- David Dupont
- Stewart Cooper
## | 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 |
Significance to Others
Blue Steel has approximately 8,000 Twitter fans. They are known for "tweeting from the bench" during basketball games. Their first tweet was on December 15, 2011 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" [3]
Videos
Blue Steel players filmed in action along with comments from members and team players. Submitted with permission from creator. [[1]]
Blue Steel Highlights
- In the rival matchup between North Carolina and Duke 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 hero 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.
- In North Carolina's game during Clemson in the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, N.C., 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.”[5]
- 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.
- During a 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." [7]
Reporters
Dave Wilson--"North Carolina's 'Blue Steel' adds to sports pranks" [8]
Conor Orr--"North Carolina vs. Kentucky: Meet 'Blue Steel,' the Tar Heels' humorous, charitable bench" [9]
Adam Lucas--"Lucas: Prank You Very Much" [10]
Jerome Richard--"'Blue Steel' steals the show at start for Tar Heels" [11]
Lennon Dodson--""Blue Steel" emerges as more than just bench warmers" [12]
Jason Jennings--"UNC's Blue Steel builds a brand" [13]
T-shirts
Blue Steel recently released their own t-shirts with the slogan "Feel the Steel". Proceeds from the shirts go to a summer camp for kids with cancer. [14]
Charity Date Auction
On February 14, 2011, UNC Chapel Hill held an auction for the charity Dance Marathon. Dates with members of the schools 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. [15]
List of Sources
- ^ "Blue Steel: North Carolina's Cult Stars".
- ^ "North Carolina Season Statistics". Retrieved 6 April 2011.
- ^ "RealBlueSteel".
- ^ Cissell, J.B. "UNC Duke Postgame Interviews".
- ^ Lang, Chris. "Walk-ons shake up slumbering Tar Heels". New Era Progress. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
- ^ "2010-2011 Schedule". Tar Heel Blue. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
- ^ Norlander, Matt. "With Final Four in sight, Tar Heels getting last laugh". CBS Sports. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
- ^ Wilson, Dave. "North Carolina's 'Blue Steel' adds to sports pranks".
- ^ Orr, Conor. "North Carolina vs. Kentucky: Meet 'Blue Steel,' the Tar Heels' humorous, charitable bench".
- ^ Lucas, Adam. "Lucas: Prank You Very Much".
- ^ Richard, Jerome. "'Blue Steel' steals the show at start for Tar Heels".
- ^ Dodson, Lennon. ""Blue Steel" emerges as more than just bench warmers".
- ^ Jennings, Jason. ""UNC's Blue Steel builds a brand"".
- ^ Orr, Connor. "North Carolina vs. Kentucky: Meet 'Blue Steel,' the Tar Heels' humorous, charitable bench". Retrieved 12 April 2011.
- ^ Ellis, Sam. "Love and Sports: A Natural Bond".