North Carolina Center Pete Nance Interview

Now we're being joined by the newest North Carolina Tar Heel, that being Pete Nance, who's going to be banging in the post with Armando Bacot, our guy we've gotten to know the last handful of years, and I got to ask you this though, when North Carolina first appeared on your radar screen, when North Carolina was playing Duke in the Final Four, where was Pete Nance watching?

I was watching at home with my family. You know, just being able to, being able to be there and watch that with them, I think is something I've kind of done every year. And, you know, it's definitely a really cool experience to being able to follow that run that that these guys made. And, you know, it just kind of always makes me hungry to be out there. So to be here is to be here and have a chance to hopefully, you know, make a run at that again is is surreal.

See, that was before you entered the portal, though. So what would Pete Nance say to you? Pete Nance at that time have told me if I informed him he'd be playing with all these guys who ended Coach K's career with the exception of Brady Manning. You know, I thought I'd you know, it would have been I would have definitely been awesome to hear. You know, at that time, I was obviously I was real focused on the NBA draft process. So I kind of had my mind set on, you know, being able to go to the next level, hopefully.

But, you know, luckily, you know, it wasn't it wasn't what I wanted to be. So I think having the opportunity to come back to college and and play for such an amazing program like North Carolina with, you know, so much history and, you know, such an amazing roster and amazing, amazing coaches, I think is really just a dream come true. Pete Nance, North Carolina big joining us on WSJS NewsTalk Sports.

So your older brother, he went from Wyoming to the NBA. And I can imagine even though your dad was in the league for a while, there's still some culture shock that comes with that. Are you experiencing at all any culture shock or you expect you're going to see it transferring from Northwestern to Carolina? Yeah, I think so a little bit.

You know, for sure. I think just the just the, you know, the history and I think the the storied, the storied history, obviously walking in here and seeing seeing these banners and these National Player of the Year jerseys all hanging up, I think is, you know, something that I'm I'm not really used to. But I think it's just it's it's really cool to be here. And I think you can you could tell just walking in the walking in the Smith Center that there's, you know, some incredible things that have that have been done here and some amazing players that have walked through.

And I think just being in this environment has been has really been amazing for me. For those who don't know your older brothers, Larry Nance Jr. in the week. He's seven years older than you, Pete. So what's the closest you ever came to beating him one on one? Well, you know, I haven't. I've come pretty close over the years.

Obviously, you know, when I was younger, he usually beat on me beat up on me pretty good. Seven years is a lot, man. Seven years. I know. I know.

No, for sure. He's always been. He's always been really strong. So he's kind of always really bullied me and kind of pushed me around being the being the older brother. But I think over the past couple of years, you know, I think he purposely really wasn't keeping score on the game that we played. So because he doesn't want to know who wins because it might it might not have been him every time.

So, you know, it's it's definitely been fun to to to get close to him in that way. You know, but I've gotten older. But you have beaten pops, though, right? Oh, easy, easy.

Yeah, no problem. He's too slow now. He can't keep up. Pete Nance is with us here from the Tar Heels. Who's the guy that's really made you feel at home since arriving?

Yeah, I think I think there have been there have been a couple of guys. I think Justin McCoy has really has really made me feel welcome. Kind of, you know, invited me to dinner and stuff like that and kind of help me get to know some of the best restaurants and things like that in town. OK, where's he sending you?

Where's McCoy sending you? Man, I've been to I've been to Stony Rivers really good. Obviously, you know, it's a little bit of a bigger name, but Ben and Ben and Jerry's and Franklin has been really good.

You know, a bunch of different places. But, you know, I've I've definitely appreciated him for that. And then, you know, I've been I've been getting closer and closer with with Armando being able to go through workouts with him and stuff like that. Him and Coach May, I think, you know, that's that's been great as well. So I really appreciate those guys making the effort to, you know, to, you know, make me feel comfortable.

We're getting to know Pete Nance, noted ice cream enthusiast, it sounds like joining us here on the way out. Did you get to play in some of those pickup games with the North Carolina NBA guys who came back? You know, I've been able to play in a couple for sure. How'd that go?

I've been able to. It was awesome. It was awesome. I think, you know, I think it says a lot about the program that those guys want to come back and kind of take time to try to, you know, play with the guys that are currently on the team. And I think, you know, you know how how good of a player these these guys were here, guys like Tyler and Burrow and Marcus Page and just Jackson Camp Johnson.

I think it really says a lot about their character and who they are as a person with them coming back and kind of giving their time to the to the guys that are next up. So it's it's been really cool for me to see. Pete Nance, look forward to seeing you face to face. Thanks for making the time.

Welcome to the Carolinas. All righty. Thank you so much. I appreciate you having me on.