CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The anticipation for the University of North Carolina men’s basketball team is over as the Tar Heels are set to square off against the Radford Highlanders Monday night. 

What You Need To Know

  • UNC men's basketball starts season against Radford

  • Return of basketball brings hope

  • Holly Dedmond has worked at Chapel Hill Sportswear since the mid-1990s

The return of the season is welcome news after recent pitfalls on the football field. Not only that, but the shooting death of a beloved professor, Zijie Yan, at the hands of a graduate student happened during the first month of classes. The threat of gun violence appeared again when Mickel Deonte Harris flashed a gun in the student union. 

After a disappointing men's basketball season last year, along with tragedy striking at the start of this academic year, the start of basketball season cannot come soon enough for some.

Holly Dedmond said there are always dreams of raising another banner inside the Dean Smith Center.

“Of course as North Carolina basketball fans we always hope for a national championship at the end of the year, but we just want to start off with a win tonight,” Dedmond said.

Dedmond has enjoyed many of the good times from her perch as store manager at Chapel Hill Sportswear.

“The jerseys that are hanging up are all signed and autographed by the players,” Dedmond said as she pointed to some memorabilia. 

She said they are the largest outfitter of UNC gear on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill.

Dedmond started earning her keep at the store in 1995 when she was still a student at the university.

“Basketball is a way to unite the Tar Heel community and get 21,000 people in the stands cheering for one common goal,” Dedmond said.

She expressed gratitude to coaching greats Dean Smith, Roy Williams and so many more who stopped into their place of business to leave their John Hancock on a UNC placard.

“Knowing that all of those people came into our store. They could have gone anywhere to shop. That’s pretty special,” Dedmond said. “I was in school for the '93 championship. I’ve also worked here long enough that I’ve seen the ‘05, ‘09 and the ‘17 championships, so that was pretty cool,” Dedmond said.

With so much unknown, she said it’s good to at least have hope.

“It’s great. There is nowhere I would rather be. It’s still a lot of fun to still be here in town on Franklin Street every day, interacting with people who love this place as much as I do,” Dedmond said.

Dedmond said T-shirts, sweatshirts and any in-season gear are their biggest sellers.