Lucky undies and trusted routines. How Tar Heel and Wolfpack fans try to make their own tourney mojo.

Hours of practice and preparation, the right gear, the proper mindset — a lot goes into making sure your team is successful on the basketball court.

And that’s just for the fans.

The hard-core UNC, N.C. State or Duke hoops enthusiast takes nothing for granted, especially at NCAA Tournament time. While they take pride in the players’ prowess and respect the coaches’ skills, serious fans know deep in the soul that’s it’s their own dedication, their steadfastness, their obsessive-compulsive adherence to their personal training regimens, however peculiar, that gets their boys to and through the Final Four.

“We’re not really superstitious,” said Dava House of Garner, who was out shopping with her boyfriend, Lee Johnson of Raleigh, ahead of UNC’s first appearance in this year's tournament. It was Wednesday — a full two days before UNC takes to the court against Lipscomb — and House and Johnson were sporting an entire catalog of UNC wearables.

The couple are proof that if it sits still long enough, nearly anything can be emblazoned with a licensed insignia.

Earrings, necklaces, rings, shirts, jackets, puffy vests, slacks, socks, shoes. They had them all, along with phones that ring with the tune of the UNC alma mater.

And there was more at home, House said. Lots more, including closets full of UNC clothing, UNC sheets, UNC towels, tiny UNC cars in a glass display case and a stable of stuffed UNC Ramses dolls. Before a game starts, House will line up all the logo’d sheep across the back of the couch, their frozen expressions fixed on the television. Except for the one that House — who is not at all superstitious — holds and talks to during the game. When the team scores, she squeezes the ram, and he plays the Tar Heels’ fight song.

NCSU and Duke fans have their rituals, too. On Thursday, the ones for the Blue Devils seemed to work — Duke rolled over Iona in its first game of the tournament. As for the Wolfpack, well, a little more spectator magic would have been helpful — N.C. State lost .

For Hal Campbell Jr. of Kinston, who was in Raleigh this week dropping off some woodcrafts for sale at the N.C. State Farmers Market, it’s less about what he does than what he doesn’t do to help the Wolfpack along.

“If they’re playing, I don’t watch ‘em,” Campbell said. “Every time I do, they do something stupid, so I have to turn it off, and they start playing better. I’ve been doing that for years.”

Tyson Batts and Chris Dixon, coworkers at a Cary sporting goods store, together practice a long list of hoops juju. Their participation in the paranormal makes the tournament season both exciting and stressful; it’s a big responsibility to keep up with all their jobs.

Most are aimed at keeping a winning streak going, however short it may be.

“First, if they win, you have to watch the next game wherever you watched the last one,” Dixon said. What if it was at a friend’s house, and that person has to go out of town?

“They better leave a key,” Dixon said. “I’ll feed their dog.”

Then there is the wearing of the lucky clothes, and Batts and Dixon each take the multi-layered approach. If it works — and they’re sure it does — then the clothes don’t go anywhere near soap and water.

“No,” Batts said. “You do not wash the clothes. You’ll wash out all the good mojo.”

Mojo also can cling to human hair, which is why, when NCSU is on a winning streak, Dixon doesn’t get a haircut.

At certain times during games, Batts is known to employ the “magic fingers,” a potent wiggling of the digits in the direction of the TV. When the opposing team is doing well, Dixon jumps up, leaves the room he’s in and goes to watch on another TV somewhere else in the house.

They disagree on one superstition: whether it’s OK to talk about how the team will do.

“I think we’ll do good,” Dixon said.

Batts took a step back and waved his hands, to keep that vibe from sticking to him.

“I don’t make predictions,” he said. “It’s bad luck.”

Martha Quillin: 919-829-8989, @MarthaQuillin

This story was originally published March 15, 2018 at 7:00 PM with the headline "Lucky undies and trusted routines. How Tar Heel and Wolfpack fans try to make their own tourney mojo.."