We preview UNC freshman Shea Rush as he enters his first season with the Tar Heels
In preparation for the 2016 -2017 UNC basketball season, we want to introduce the four new faces that will be joining the team.
Wearing number 11 this year will be Shea Rush. Rush joins the roster as a preferred walk-on.
The 6’6″ 200 pound small forward is from Kansas City, Missouri where he played at The Barstow School. The Barstow is a small private school where he helped lead the high school team to three consecutive state title games, winning one but coming up short in his senior season.
In that season the team went 27-4 and Rush averaged 15.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and two steals a game.
The Shea Rush story of attending Carolina and playing for Coach Williams cannot be told without the story of his father. Shea is the son of perhaps the greatest high school basketball player from Missouri, JaRon Rush.
The senior Rush was recruited heavily by Roy Williams while Williams was the head coach of the Kansas Jayhawks. It is unclear exactly what happened, whether Williams rescinded the offer at Kansas or if Rush wanted to go to UCLA.
All the same, amidst the drama of referring to Coach Williams as “Roy” and a scandal with his AAU team, JaRon eventually committed to UCLA.
He had two good years playing for the Bruins. In 2000, JaRon declared for the NBA draft but unfortunately he was not selected and was drafted in the ABA .
JaRon Rush played one season for the Los Angeles Stars but entered rehab for alcoholism in 2001. Rush had some playing time with the Roanoke Dazzle after that but eventually entered rehab a second time and retired from basketball in 2002.
Shea was born while Jaron was a senior in high school and has dreamed of attending Carolina since a young age. According to Sam Mellinger at the Kansas City Star, when asked about whether playing at Carolina is his dream or his father’s, Shea responded:
“That’s a great question, my girlfriend asked me that question, too. Am I just going there because I have to? Because I feel, almost, that pressure? And …”
his voice trails off lost in thought. Eventually he continues:
“I don’t think so. I really don’t. But it’s nice. It ties a nice bow on it.”
Shea has been attending Roy Williams basketball camps since he was a young child. He has always dreamed of being on the basketball team but that dream was also to attend Carolina. According to Rob Herrington at Inside Carolina , Shea had this to say about attending Carolina:
“Since I was little, North Carolina’s been my dream school – basically since Coach Williams left Kansas and went out there, that’s when I fell in love with UNC. I’ve always cheered for them, rooted for them and dreamed of being able to go there and play.”
Shea’s Uncles Brandon and Kareem Rush both have had good basketball careers and Brandon is currently playing with the Golden State Warriors. Despite all the basketball players in his family Shea didn’t start playing basketball until 8th grade.
It is unlikely that Rush will earn a lot of playing time in his first year at Carolina but he could develop into a valuable player. According to Rob Harrington at Inside Carolina, Rush’s travel team coach L.J. Goolsby had this to say about Rush:
“He has tremendous upside, he actually hasn’t played basketball all that long and has gotten better every year. I think he could be a pleasant surprise.”
Shea is valuable scholar athlete. He has great academic credentials and from all accounts is a solid young man. It will be exciting to see this athlete live out his dream and have a positive impact on UNC basketball.
Check back with Keeping It Heel as we continue our player preview for the upcoming season.
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