The 1923–24 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team (variously "North Carolina", "Carolina" or "Tar Heels") was the fourteenth varsity

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

team to represent the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC S ...

(UNC) as a part of the

Southern Conference The Southern Conference (SoCon) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly k ...

(SoCon) for the NCAA season. The team went undefeated, and the season was the first played in the

Tin Can A steel can, tin can, tin (especially in British English, Australian English, Canadian English and South African English), steel packaging, or can is a container for the distribution or storage of goods, made of thin metal. Many cans ...

. The head coach was

Norman Shepard Norman Westbrook Shepard (August 20, 1897 – August 22, 1977) was a head coach of various college athletics at several American colleges and universities. He is best known for being the only Division I college basketball coach to go undefeated ...

, coaching in his first and only season with the Tar Heels. Their fast play and

defense Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense indus ...

won them the 1924 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament. The Tar Heels by winning the SoCon tournament were named

Southern Southern may refer to: Businesses * China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China * Southern Airways, defunct US airline * Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US * Southern Airways Express, M ...

champions, and were retroactively named national champions. North Carolina has one of the most prestigious college basketball programs, with their first official national championship was in

1957 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1957th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 957th year of the 2nd millennium, the 57th year of the 20th century, and the 8th year ...

. The 1924 team is thus one of the school's first great teams, when the nationally prominent athletic schools were in the

northeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sep ...

midwest The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...

rather than the south. All of the team's players were from

North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...

. The team's high scorer was forward

Jack Cobb John Blackwell "Sprat" Cobb (August 4, 1904 – September 9, 1966) was an American college basketball player at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Cobb is one of eight Tar Heels basketball players who have had their jersey retired, ...

, known as "Mr. Basketball" and the earliest of eight Tar Heels basketball players who have had their jersey retired. The team also featured All-American Cartwright Carmichael, brother of William for whom the

Carmichael Arena William Donald Carmichael, Jr. Arena is a multi-purpose arena in on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. It is home to four Tar Heels athletic teams: women's basketball, voll ...

is named. Others stars included pivot man

Bill Dodderer William A. Dodderer (1901 – December 3, 1990) was a basketball player for the North Carolina Tar Heels, a member of the 1924 national champion team alongside Cart Carmichael and Jack Cobb John Blackwell "Sprat" Cobb (August 4, 1904 – Se ...

, and guard and three-sport athlete

Monk McDonald Angus Morris "Monk" McDonald (February 21, 1901 – September 2, 1977) was an American college athlete, a head coach for the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team, and a urologist. He is best known for his time as a college athlete pla ...

, considered the best all-around athlete to ever attend UNC. The team's captain was forward Winton Green.

Before the season

This season, for the first time, each player who was fouled was required to shoot their own

free throw In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points by shooting from behind the free-throw line (informally known as the foul line or the charity stripe), a line situated at the end of the restricted area. Free throws ...

s. It used to be a shooter from among the players on the court was designated by each team as the person to take all the free throws. In these early days of the sport, there was a "running guard" who dribbled the

ball A ball is a round object (usually spherical, but can sometimes be ovoid) with several uses. It is used in ball games, where the play of the game follows the state of the ball as it is hit, kicked or thrown by players. Balls can also be used f ...

up the

court A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in acco ...

and passed or attacked the basket, like a point or

combo guard A combo guard is a basketball player who combines the attributes of a point guard (1) and shooting guard (2), but does not necessarily fit the standard description of either position. In men's basketball, such guards are usually within the 6' 3" ...

. There was also a "stationary guard" who made long shots and hung back on defense before there was the rule of backcourt violations. Nobody on the UNC team was taller than 6 feet 4 inches, which in those days was considered exceptionally large. 1923-24 Tar Heels Coach Norman Shepard

The Tar Heels had played the previous two seasons without a coach. ''The Tar Heel'' wrote that "If Carolina continues to lead the South in this branch of athletics, a capable coach will have to be employed." On January 16, 1923, it was announced that Graduate Manager of Athletics Charles T. Woollen tapped current law student and Freshman football and basketball coach

to become

head coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in asso ...

of the varsity basketball team. Shepard had turned down the opportunity to coach the varsity team prior to their previous season because he felt he was busy coaching the Freshman teams already and was completing his Bachelor of Sciences degree in Commerce. Shepard had played Freshman

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

and basketball at Carolina in 1919 then left the school for

Davidson College Davidson College is a private liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina. It was established in 1837 by the Concord Presbytery and named after Revolutionary War general William Lee Davidson, who was killed at the nearby Battle of Cowan� ...

where he continued to be an athlete. Shepard had a brief stint in

minor league Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in No ...

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

and attended the

University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Uni ...

' coaching school led by football coach Robert Zuppke. After taking the position, Shepard stated: "I hadn't intended to stay in coaching." Prior to the season, practice was being held three times a week. Expectations were high due to the performance of the team the previous two years, winning the Southern Conference tournament in

1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...

and going undefeated in the 1922–23 regular season, only to lose in the tournament due to fatigue and illness. The student-run newspaper, '' The Tar Heel'' published a pre-season article where an author wrote: "Carolina has without a doubt the chance of her life to set fire to this neck of the woods during the coming season." Seniors Cartwright Carmichael, Monk McDonald, and Winton Green were cited as being among the best players in the South. Carmichael last season was retroactively selected All-American, the earliest Tar Heel to be selected such for any sport. ''The Charlotte Observer'' wrote that Winton Green, Jack Cobb, and Jimmy Poole were the best looking forwards on the team in their season preview. The writer also expressed belief that the bench for this team was much deeper than that of the 1921–22 conference tournament champions. Poole weighed 120 pounds but was fast and could pass well.

and Billy Devin got promoted to varsity from the previous season's Freshman team. Cobb quickly became known as "Mr. Basketball" on campus. Cobb was versatile on the court and able to shoot, rebound, and pass effectively. Bill Dodderer, star of the 1921 Freshman team, returned to school after a season's absence and got placed on the varsity. Winton Green was named captain for the team for the 1923–24 season. Monk McDonald had been captain last season, and Carmichael two seasons ago. Guard Carl Mahler who played in the previous season, did not return to school and thus was not a part of the team. Sam McDonald was announced to be returning in early December and thought to be the one to replace Mahler's guard spot, but later did not participate. Monk McDonald was also a medical student, who did not participate in practices due to schoolwork, and was not expected to be on the court until after

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

. The only reserve not expected to return was Thomas Graham. Coach Shepard later recalled, "That 1924 team was characterized by quickness and speed...It was a very, very fast team, and we used the

fast break Fast break is an offensive strategy in basketball and handball. In a fast break, a team attempts to move the ball up court and into scoring position as quickly as possible, so that the defense is outnumbered and does not have time to set up. The ...

effectively...I had inherited a very good group of boys from the team before...Carmichael and Dodderer were exceptionally good...Carmichael and Cobb were so fast and quick with their faking and feinting and breaking, and Carmichael could drive to the basket with unbelievable speed and hold himself in the air for a long time, like he was suspended."

Roster

Staff

*Head coach: Norm Shepard *Manager: Bretney Smith

Depth chart

Starters

Substitutes

After Green's injury in the Maryland game, Devin took his spot in the starting five.

Schedule

, +1923–24 North Carolina Tar Heels , - !colspan=9 style="background:#56A0D3; color:#FFFFFF;", Regular season , - !colspan=9 style="background:#56A0D3; color:#FFFFFF;", Southern Conference tournament

Season summary

''The Charlotte Observer'' felt Carolina's schedule was "exceptionally hard" and pointed to the Mercer game being a tough one after Christmas break since they were runner's up in the

Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) was one of the first collegiate athletic conferences in the United States. Twenty-seven of the current Division I FBS (formerly Division I-A) football programs were members of this conferen ...

tournament two seasons ago. The latter portion of the schedule was revised and announced on January 8, 1924. The alterations mainly involved date changes with games like the Mercer game being moved from January 9 to the 8th, the Washington & Lee and Virginia games swapped dates, and the Durham Elks game that was scheduled for January 4 was pushed back to January 22nd. In addition, there were five open dates revealed. The schedule, as in years past, featured a northern tour that will go through the

District of Columbia ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle (Washington, D.C.), Logan Circle, Jefferson Memoria ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...

, and

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

UNC beat Mercer 35 to 23. "Two thousand spectators, well wrapped in overcoats, shivered away...and saw the "Tin Can" christened with a victory." Cobb scored 14, and Mercer star George Harmon was held to just one

field goal A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. The entire ba ...

. Consuello Smith led Mercer scorers with 8. Guilford was beaten 50 to 22. Cobb made 10 field goals and the entire Guilford team made 9. All of Carmichael, Cobb, and Dodderer were used at center. Durham Elks was beaten 49 to 23. The scored was tied 18 to 18 at the end of the first half. UNC outscored Durham Elks 31 to 5 in the second half. During the Elon game, Cartwright Carmichael was shifted to guard and

took over at center. What followed was the season's biggest win, 60 to 13. The first half ended 33 to 3. Cobb led scorers with 20. Green had 17. Carmichael had 10 and McDonald had 9. In the game with Maryland on February 5, captain Green received a Charley-horse which incapacitated him for the rest of the season. Carmichael took over as captain.

SoCon Tournament

On February 29, 1924, UNC beat Kentucky, 41–20, in the first-ever game of the Kentucky–North Carolina rivalry. Kentucky's star player James McFarland had been a high school All-American. Cobb and Carmichael combined for 31 points, "and easily poured in enough shots from long distance to win the game". On March 1, UNC won 37–20 over a Vanderbilt team coached by

Josh Cody Joshua Crittenden Cody (June 11, 1892 – June 17, 1961) was an American college athlete, head coach, and athletics director. Cody was a native of Tennessee and an alumnus of Vanderbilt University, where he played several sports. As a versatil ...

and led by Pep Bell. Cobb scored 17. In the semifinals, UNC defeated the defending SoCon champion Mississippi A&M team led by K. P. Gatchell. A&M's H. G. Perkins, a good shooter from long-distance, played in the first half despite injuries to his ankle and hand, and could not finish the game. Carmichael and Cobb combined for 25 points. And in the final, UNC beat Alabama 26–18, coached by

Hank Crisp Henry Gorham Crisp (December 10, 1896 – January 23, 1970) was an American football, basketball, baseball and track coach and college athletics administrator. In spite of an accident when he was 13 years old that resulted in the loss of hi ...

and led by

Slim Carter ''Slim Carter'' is a 1957 American comedy film directed by Richard Bartlett and written by Montgomery Pittman. The film stars Jock Mahoney, Julie Adams, Tim Hovey, William Hopper, Ben Johnson and Joanna Moore. The film was released on October 2, ...

. The game was considered close. "For the first time" since the start of the tournament "the Tarheel was laboring.""North Carolina Wins Second Basketball Title in Stirring Finish Here," by Ed Danforth, Atlanta Georgian, March 5, 1924. Alabama was marred by foul trouble. They had two players foul out, and then Carter fouled out, leaving Alabama with only four players. "Captain Carmichael, of North Carolina, waived the rule and insisted on Carter's remaining in the game." Cobb scored 15.

Aftermath

The local news reported that hundreds of students at North Carolina "waited in the streets in front of telegraph offices and cafes" for news about the game and after the victory students "went wild" and set a

bonfire A bonfire is a large and controlled outdoor fire, used either for informal disposal of burnable waste material or as part of a celebration. Etymology The earliest recorded uses of the word date back to the late 15th century, with the Catho ...

on the athletic field. Some 500 students marched to Cobb's house in Durham and woke up the household with fight songs. Head cheeleader Vic Huggins reportedly led a group of around 500 to Durham to welcome the team home after beating Alabama who arrived at around 4 AM local time. On March 4, ''The Tar Heel'' reported that Coach Shepard would be leaving in March for

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

to work as a representative for the

Liggett and Myers Tobacco Company Liggett Group ( ), formerly known as Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company, is the fourth largest tobacco company in the United States. Its headquarters are located in Durham, North Carolina, though its manufacturing facility is 30 miles to the west in ...

. His departure caused "a great deal of regret" for the student body. Monk McDonald was hired as head coach, and Jack Cobb was elected captain. Carmichael and Cobb were retroactively named as All-Americans by the Helms Foundation at the Forward position for 1924. The

Helms Athletic Foundation The Helms Athletic Foundation, founded in 1936, was a Los Angeles-based organization dedicated to the promotion of athletics and sportsmanship. Paul H. Helms was the organization's founder and benefactor, funding the foundation via his owners ...

retroactively named All-America teams for years 1905–35, and are considered the "official" teams of those years by the NCAA. Carmichael, Cobb, and Monk McDonald made the contemporary All-Southern Conference tournament team by sportswriter

Morgan Blake William Morgan Blake (February, 1889 – July 26, 1953) was an early 20th-century American sportswriter in the South who in his 24 years on the job covered seven Rose Bowl games. He also taught the south's largest Sunday School class. Early ye ...

. In 1943, after spending six months researching material, the

named the team retroactive national champions. In 2009, the

Premo-Porretta Power Poll The Premo-Porretta Power Poll is a retroactive end-of-year ranking for American college basketball teams competing in the 1895–96 through the 1947–48 seasons. The Premo-Porretta Polls are intended to serve collectively as a source of informa ...

added rankings for the 1895–96 through 1947–48 seasons, which also deemed the Tar Heels national champions for the 1923–24 season.

References

Footnotes

Citations

Bibliography

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:1923-24 North Carolina Tar Heels Men's Basketball Team North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball seasons NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament championship seasons

North Carolina Tar Heels Men's Basketball Team North Carolina Tar Heels Men's Basketball Team