Tar Heels Fans Give Team Raucous Sendoff

ABC News On Campus reporter Walter Storholt blogs: Josh Perez finished filling out his bracket before traveling 30 minutes on a school day to see his championship selection walk by. Perez, a sophomore at Wake Tech Community College in Raleigh, N.C., and a lifelong Tar Heels fan, cheered on his team as they took the 100-yard walk from the Dean Dome to their bus.

The Tar Heels were headed for Greensboro, N.C., to face Radford today in the first round of the NCAA tournament, but Perez predicts UNC will travel much further than that. Try Detroit, Mich., for the NCAA Final Four. Perez thinks UNC will defeat Louisville in the final game. And he’s not the only one to say so. A day before the start of the tournament, President Obama revealed his bracket picks to the nation. In the final game, he put North Carolina on top against Louisville. That shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. North Carolina has been one of the favorites to win the tournament since day one. About a year ago, Obama met the Tar Heels in person. In fact, while in Chapel Hill for a campaign rally before the North Carolina Democratic Primary, Obama played a pickup basketball game in the Dean Dome with team members. As Obama revealed his championship pick to ESPN, he reminded the Heels, “I’m counting on you. I still got those sneakers you guys gave me.” As the Heels made their way to the bus, Tyler Hansbrough looked poised and confident as always. Bobby Frasor led the way with a huge smile. He probably cracked a joke right before they walked outside to go to the bus. But the only question mark remaining with Tar Heels fans is about point guard Ty Lawson. His big toe, which he badly stubbed in practice nearly two weeks ago, might keep him out of the lineup in the first round of the tournament.

Despite a recent loss to Florida State with Lawson out of the lineup, Perez says the Tar Heels will be OK. “As long as the rest of the team stays focused and plays strong,” Perez said, “I think they can do well without Lawson.” There shouldn’t be too much to worry about, anyway. The Tar Heels have support from a student who doesn’t even go to their school. Hundreds of fans showed up at noon Wednesday to say goodbye. Even the president is rooting them on.