Photo contributed by UNC Athletics
Meet Duwe Farris, a Myers Park alum and current member of the UNC-Chapel Hill men’s basketball team. After graduating from Myers Park in 2019, Farris took his talents to the next level at UNC, following suit of his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. In his first year, he tried out for the JV men’s team as a regular student and played for the lower team in his first year. Then, Farris walked onto the varsity team in his sophomore year playing for Coach Roy Williams and is now enjoying his last year at Carolina as a fifth-year senior.
However, before Carolina Blue, Farris proudly wore Kelly Green in the Myers Park gym. He was the MP men’s varsity forward, beginning his sophomore year and playing through his senior year. At Myers Park, Farris took full advantage of his opportunities, such as taking 12 AP classes and being a student-athlete. “I loved Myers Park so much. It helped me grow in so many different ways, academically and athletically,” Farris reminisced.
In Farris’s senior year, the team was a 12th seed in the state playoffs but had a spectacular run, defeating Porter Ridge, Northwest Guilford, and Davie. They made it to the Elite 8 before a close defeat against RJ Reynolds. “That was awesome,” Farris said, “and it was with Caleb McReed, who is one of my favorite teammates ever, and Drake Maye, just a lot of really good guys.”
Now at UNC, Farris is part of a stacked roster with stars like Armando Bacot, RJ Davis, and Cormac Ryan. Being on one of the top ten teams in the NCAA, pressure is sure to weigh on the players. Over the years, Farris has learned how to deal with it and prioritize his team, “I want to be the best I can be and help in any way I can.” From his first year onward, he has managed the nerves of competing against his teammates in practice and the time management that comes with spending an average of seven hours in practice daily.
Carolina fans named Farris and two other teammates, Rob Landry and Creighton Lebo, the “Biscuit Boys,” rooted from the Chapel Hill Bojangles 2-for-1 sausage biscuit deal if the Tar Heels score over 100 points in a game. Although Farris, Lebo, and Landry may not be a part of the starting five, they contribute to Carolinian’s love for Bojangles when they are subbed in to score the fans their biscuits, and the crowd adores them for it.
If you’re watching any UNC game, chances are you’ve seen Farris bring his contagious energy to the court. He constantly excites the team and crowd, regardless of the score, opponent, or whether they are away or in the Dean Dome. “With walking on, I knew I wasn’t going to be the guy hitting the game-winning shot. So, I thought really hard about what I could bring to help the team, and I realized I could bring energy, positivity, and encouragement and just be a good teammate. That’s my goal, every day,” Farris explains, and he does just that. His liveliness is seen through his cheers on the side and being the first to fistbump his teammates during water breaks.
During his time as a Tar Heel, Farris has had his fair share of memories to last a lifetime. In his second year playing for “the big team,” UNC made it to the Final Four after defeating Duke in Coach K’s last game at Cameron Indoor. “That year is just so iconic… That was such an amazing, amazing run. That month was probably the best month of my life. It was so crazy but so great because we were in the Final Four.”
Farris has achieved his dreams, playing in Carolina Blue under the Dean Dome. Looking back on what got him there, he thanks Myers Park, “I don’t think I am where I am today without Myers Park. I really love everything about it.” When watching March Madness, Mustangs can be proud to see our very own Duwe Farris in number 34.