CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WNCN) — The star of the North Carolina men’s basketball team in the mid- to late-2000s is returning to campus this month to welcome UNC’s latest class of co-eds.
Tyler Hansbrough, who led the Tar Heels from 2005 to 2009 — an era that culminated with UNC winning the 2009 NCAA Championship — will be the keynote speaker at this year’s New Student Convocation at the Smith Center on Aug. 17, the university announced Wednesday.
“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome more than 6,000 first-year and transfer students to campus,” Chancellor Lee Roberts said in a release. “We look forward to kicking off the academic year with them at Convocation, where we are delighted to have Tar Heel legend Tyler Hansbrough as our guest speaker. I know he will share an inspiring message and it’s going to be a fun and exciting day for these new Tar Heels.”
Hansbrough won several awards throughout his four-year tenure in Chapel Hill, including the National Player of the Year in 2008. He finished his career as the Atlantic Coast Conference’s all-time leading scorer with 2,872 and is the only player in league history to be named first-team All-ACC and All-America four times. Hansbrough was inducted into the National College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023.
“I thoroughly enjoyed my four years at Carolina as a student and am honored to help the chancellor and university kick off a new year by speaking at Convocation,” said Hansbrough. “The start of another school year is always an exciting time, especially for all the new students. It should be fun to once again spend time with a group of enthusiastic students at the Smith Center, a place where I shared many great memories with UNC fans.”
Doors for convocation are set to open at 4 p.m. for the 5:30 p.m. event, the school said, with parking available in the Skipper Bowles Lot. Students will then walk to Kenan Stadium after convocation for the annual FallFest event, which is scheduled to take place from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.