The "road to redemption" for the UNC-Chapel Hill men's basketball team ran through state government as Gov. Roy Cooper and the General Assembly honored players and staff for last month's NCAA title.
Cooper hosted his alma mater's team Wednesday at the Executive Mansion before the Tar Heels went to the Legislative Building, where lawmakers approved a resolution celebrating their victory over Gonzaga. The team bounced back a year after losing in the finals to Villanova.
UNC graduates-turned-legislators praised the team for their hoops as well as for their examples on and off the court for young people.
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Coach Roy Williams told lawmakers this year's title team was marked by persistence. He urged them to keep working across the aisle to improve education in North Carolina.