Like his father — and his father, and his father — Duwe Farris lives UNC Tar Heel dream

“Hello Duwe, this coach Roy Williams,” UNC forward Duwe Farris said in his best impersonation of the former coach.

Williams called from a “random Raleigh number” on a Sunday in 2020 to ask the now-graduate student if he was interested in joining the North Carolina Tar Heels. They had a walk-on spot.

Silence.

“Are you still there?” Williams asked.

Yes. One hundred times yes.

Duwe Farris only ever dreamed of becoming one thing: a University of North Carolina basketball player.

When he played in the driveway as a kid, he didn’t imagine himself becoming an NBA star or the next LeBron James. He pretended to be Tar Heel national champion Tyler Hansbrough. He wanted to follow in the footsteps of three prior generations.

“It’s cool for me just to know that I’m living one of my dreams. It’s kind of crazy for me, because I grew up wanting it so bad,” Farris said. “You’re kind of at this place where I’m like, ‘Don’t blow it. Don’t take it for granted.’”

‘Brainwashed to love that university’

Farris, a graduate student, came by his love of the program naturally. The walk-on comes from a line of UNC athletics alumni, with his father Ray “Rip” Farris III (track and field), grandfather Ray Farris Jr. (football) and great grandfather Ray Farris Sr. (football) competing for the Heels.

The eldest two earned the Patterson Award, a department-wide honor given annually to the top student-athlete. It’s still believed they are the only father-son duo to earn the distinction.

“I was born into that family, brainwashed from a very early age to love that university,” Rip Farris said. “We were always told there was another university down the street (Duke) but that We would not be able to attend that school.”

Duwe experienced the same “brainwashing” as his father.

Much of Duwe’s childhood revolved around UNC. He called it a core part of the family. They attended events, often spending time pregame at the Carolina Basketball Museum and other historic campus landmarks. He cried after losses and didn’t go to school for three days after Kris Jenkins’ buzzer-beating shot lifted Villanova over the Tar Heels in the 2016 NCAA tournament final.

Duwe knew Duke and N.C. State were rivals before fully understanding what that even meant. His favorite story is how his grandfather, Ray Jr., led the Tar Heels to a 50-0 victory over the Blue Devils in 1959 after completing the two-point conversion.

It’s no surprise Duwe followed his family and attended UNC — his grandmother and sister also studied in Chapel Hill — but he didn’t even have a spot on the basketball team when he enrolled.

Instead, he started his career on the junior varsity team. Between luck and hard work, he earned a spot on Williams’ final roster.

“When you looked at him, you just saw North Carolina basketball, and I love him,” Williams said. “I think he’s been fantastic for our basketball program.”

‘Didn’t leave anything on the table’

It’s not uncommon to hear stories about varsity walk-ons earning scholarships. With a dwindling number of JV programs, it’s less common to hear about those players getting pulled up. Duwe is one of the few.

The 6-foot-7 forward knew in high school he wouldn’t be good enough to earn a UNC basketball scholarship. He averaged 9.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game as a senior at Myers Park in Charlotte. It wasn’t bad, but he wasn’t exactly a five-star recruit. He often wondered if he picked too difficult a goal.

Duwe had three options: join a Division III school, walk on at another program or try out for the Carolina junior varsity team and hope to earn a varsity spot.

The family never pressured him to continue the tradition. In fact, Duwe’s younger brother, Oliver, attends UNC Wilmington.

Duwe made his decision after one afternoon spent with UNC alumnus Luke Maye at the Dean Smith Center. Maye spent about an hour shooting the basketball and giving Duwe advice.

“He was honest about the whole walk-on stuff; how tough it is and how slim a chance it is,” Duwe said. “But, he was like, ‘It will change your life in ways that going and playing at the D-III school or walking on somewhere else won’t.’”

There was a chance he wouldn’t be on the court in the Dean Dome aside from that day with Maye, but he had to try.

“If it works out, it works out,” Duwe said of his decision. “If it doesn’t, I know I gave it my best shot but didn’t leave anything on the table.”

Duwe made the 2019-20 JV roster his freshman year and shared his goals of playing varsity with assistant coach Brad Frederick, who led the JV team at the time. Due to COVID and varsity roster positions, though, there wasn’t supposed to be an open spot available until Duwe’s senior year.

Then, a player transferred. Frederick asked Duwe if he’d be interested in trying out for the coveted walk-on position. He said yes. It took about two weeks before Williams officially extended the invitation, but the graduate student remembers the shock and gratitude.

Williams actually used to play golf with Ray Jr., but that wasn’t why Duwe earned the spot. Frederick provided a strong recommendation and Duwe fit the requirements Williams sought.

“He has ability. There’s no question about that, but we knew he’d be a great teammate,” Williams said. “At that level, what you’re looking for is somebody to be a great teammate, that can help make everybody else better, would never cause you any problems, is gonna be a great students. Duwe fit every one of the boxes.”

Duwe told his parents, of course, but said nothing was official and asked they keep it a secret. That didn’t last long. He got text messages from people he didn’t even know, congratulating him on something that hadn’t happened.

“I was ecstatic and I got in trouble, because I wasn’t supposed to say anything. That’s hard not to do,” Rip said. “When you’re a father, you’re super proud of the situation. I had to really bite my lip until it became public. That was tricky.”

Duwe participated in practice for about two weeks before officially joining the varsity team. He isn’t a starter like RJ Davis or Armando Bacot, but that was never the goal. All he wanted was to be part of Carolina basketball.

Former Myers Park High star earns spot on Roy Williams’ UNC basketball team

Now in his fourth season, Duwe played in 18 games, scored seven points and pulled down six rebounds. He scored one field goal and grabbed a board in the Tar Heels’ 103-67 win over Syracuse last week.

He also boasts multiple academic honors from the ACC and National Association of Basketball Coaches.

“It’s been exhilarating to watch Duwe achieve a dream,” Rip Farris said. “For all the younger guys and girls out there, this is possible if you just work hard.”

‘The coolest thing’

Duwe Farris carries a piece of his family and its history every time he steps on campus. His experience provided the longtime UNC fan an opportunity to fulfill his childhood dream and extend a family tradition.

He describes himself as “insignificant in the history and culture of UNC,” and that’s OK. Duwe’s time with Carolina basketball is all about the lessons learned and the strengthened relationships UNC provided.

“It’s nice to have my family. They come to like most of the games, and we’ve had some great memories because of Carolina basketball,” Duwe said. “There’s a lot of great memories that have come from it, which I think has been the coolest thing.”

Carolina basketball fans won’t remember Duwe Farris the same way they remember Hansbrough. Or Maye. Or Michael Jordan. His name won’t appear in the record books as one of the greatest players of all time.

The history of UNC basketball, however, goes deeper than the big plays. Its foundation was built on passion and an unbridled love for the Heels.

If anyone needs an example of that, just look to the end of the bench.