Oklahoma: Steve Hale

Perhaps Steve Hale could have played a couple of seasons in the NBA, or maybe he would have been the last guy cut somewhere. Nobody will ever know because Hale decided before his career at North Carolina came to an end following the 1986 season he was going to medical school, so even if the NBA came calling, he wasn’t going to take the plunge.

The NBA did call, as the New Jersey Nets drafted him in the fourth round in 1986, and Hale stuck true to his word even though he averaged in double figures in each of his last two seasons as a Tar Heel and averaged 24.2 minutes per game throughout his UNC career.

Hale ended up becoming a pediatrician, spending the last 30-plus years in Burlington, VT, though he arrived at UNC from Enid, OK.

The consummate role player, Hale did have some huge games for the Tar Heels, including a 28-point eruption against Duke in the first ever game played in the Smith Center on January 18, 1986. Hale backdoored his way to a monster game against Carolina’s bitter rival.

“When they're overplaying every pass, you're gonna get the back door..,” Hale told the Associated Press after the game. “There are not too many players who couldn't hit the layups I got. I shot layups all day. It wasn't a great performance.”

His coach was certainly proud of the performance.

“Hale was outstanding,” Dean Smith said, “offensively and defensively - every which way.”

The 6-foot-3 lefthander averaged 10.6 points and 5.1 assists per game as a junior and 11.3 points and 4.9 assists per contest as a senior. He led the Heels in drawn charges for each of his final three campaigns.

He played 3,176 minutes in 131 games as a Tar Heel scoring 953 points, handing out 503 assists, grabbing 291 rebounds and registering 164 steals. Hale converted 52 percent of his field goal attempts over his career.

Carolina was 111-26 overall, including 45-11 in ACC play during Hale’s four seasons from 1983-86. The Tar Heels advanced to two Sweet 16s and two Elite Eights in that time as well.

UNC’s history of key players getting hurt during or close to the NCAA Tournament includes Hale, who in 1985 broke his collarbone in a first-round win over Middle Tennessee State. The Tar Heels eventually lost to Villanova in the South Regional Final, a game the Heels could have used their third leading scorer and best defensive player.

Like so many other Tar Heels that played for Smith, Hale credits the legendary Carolina coach for playing a role in shaping him into a successful adult.

“He was an old-school coach who cared about his players, it was pretty amazing,” Hale told the Burlington Press following Smith’s death in 2015. “He was no different than your English teacher or chemistry teacher. He was a teacher — that was genuine…

“You just didn't play your four years and that was that. If a player or former player came back, he would stop what he was doing and meet with you. Players were family to him and he made them a priority.”

Hale’s son, Josh, is currently a student at UNC.

Note: There is no representative from Oregon, so next up is Pennsylvania.