Why Luke Maye's success wasn't such a big surprise for UNC after all

If the past is prologue, the legend of Luke Maye will grow again this month.

The North Carolina star is getting the prodigal son treatment in Charlotte this week with the Tar Heels, No. 2 seed in the West region, here to open the NCAA tournament.

Maye, who grew up in nearby Huntersville, already has his own place in NCAA tournament history. The memory of his game-winning shot against Kentucky, 354 days ago, remains crystal clear. And it will every March from here on out, just as Michael Jordan’s jumper against Georgetown in 1982 is replayed and remembered.

But the details of how Maye actually got to Carolina remain fuzzy. There’s part myth to all legends and Maye’s plucky “walk-on to NCAA hero” narrative has already been romanticized. That Maye became an All-ACC player this season, and one of only six UNC players in the past 40 years to average a double-double, only adds to it.

There is a misconception that Maye was an afterthought on the recruiting trail in 2015, unwanted after a standout high school career at Hough, and somehow blindly stumbled upon by UNC.

That’s not true.

“He could have gone any place he wanted to go,” UNC coach Roy Williams said on Thursday.

Here’s what really happened.

Geography a factor

Mike Brey took one look at Maye, who averaged 20.7 points and 15.5 rebounds as a senior at Hough, and saw Luke Harangody.

If you’re not familiar with Notre Dame basketball, that’s high praise from the longtime Fighting Irish coach. Harangody was the 2008 Big East player of the year and three-time all-conference player.

At 6-8 and 240 pounds, Harangody could score inside and out and the stubborn big man would rebound as if his life depended on it.

Brey saw Maye and saw his future.

“Oh, I wanted him bad,” Brey said after Notre Dame’s loss at UNC on Feb. 12.

So did Virginia, Clemson and Davidson. All three schools offered Maye, who was ranked as the No. 155 prospect in the class, a scholarship.

Maye, who’d rather talk about anything but himself, wanted to play in the ACC but geography was a factor.

“My family is really important to me and I wanted to have my family come to as many games as they could,” Maye said.

Maye still has high praise for Brey and Davidson coach Bob McKillop. It doesn’t take a leap of imagination to see how Maye’s skill set — the soft jumper, the rebounding tenacity — would have fit in at either Notre Dame or at Davidson. Maye averages 17.2 points and 10.1 rebounds for the Tar Heels this season.

McKillop said he spent more time recruiting Maye than anyone.

“I thought he could have been a star for us and he’s clearly a star for North Carolina,” McKillop said after Maye had 24 points and 17 rebounds in a win over Davidson on Dec. 1.

Natural choice

Maye had gone to summer camps in Chapel Hill and Williams had liked the same qualities about Maye that had appealed to Brey and McKillop.

The Tar Heels were a natural choice for Maye. Both of his parents, his dad Mark and mom Aimee, graduated from Carolina. His dad played football for the Tar Heels in mid-1980s.

“I kept telling his dad, ‘Don’t be in a hurry to make a decision, he’s got a chance,’ ” Williams said.

The only problem with UNC? Williams didn’t have a scholarship available.

“What I had to do was convince him, you would be treated just like a scholarship guy,” Williams said. “You’ll never have anything different.”

Williams also figured the scholarship situation would only be temporary, a year at most. He offered Maye a roster spot as a preferred walk-on. Maye committed in November of his senior season at Hough.

“You are going to surprise people here,” Williams told Maye.

Brey, who understood the family dynamics, took the recruiting loss in stride.

“I couldn’t even beat Carolina in a walk-on situation,” Brey joked. “I’m a great recruiter, huh?”

The shot

Williams had kept the last scholarship open for Brandon Ingram, the No. 1 recruit in the state and star high school player from Kinston.

Ingram delayed his decision until the end of April and chose Duke. UNC fans were upset with Williams at the time.

That decision turned out to be fortuitous. Maye was never a walk-on, he had a scholarship from his first day on campus. Ingram, meanwhile, starred at Duke during the 2015-16 season. The Blue Devils reached the Sweet 16 in his only season there.

Maye played primarily as a backup his first two seasons. He hit the big shot against Kentucky, to move the Tar Heels into the Final Four. The Heels won the 2017 national title and Maye has turned into a star this season.

“He’s where he should be,” Brey said. “I’m really happy for him. Nobody is playing better than him in the whole country. He’s fabulous.”

This story was originally published March 15, 2018 at 6:31 PM with the headline "Why Luke Maye's success wasn't such a big surprise for UNC after all."