The Road to Blue Heaven: An Insider's Diary of North Carolina's 2007 Basketball Season

by Wes Miller, Adam Lucas

Wes Miller grew up in the shadow of the Atlantic Coast Conference, college basketball's most powerful league. But as a high school senior, none of those elite programs offered him a scholarship-they thought he was too small and too slow. After a year at a mid-major program, he chose to attend North Carolina without a basketball scholarship. Over the next four years, Miller's hard work resulted in a major role on the Carolina team. He earned a starting spot as a junior, displacing more highly touted players. He began his senior year with a mission-to chronicle all aspects of his final season in Chapel Hill. Off the court, it is a glimpse of a life few will ever enjoy. At a basketball-crazy school like the University of North Carolina, basketball players are the Beatles. On the court, Miller had to find his place in one of the most talented Carolina teams in history. This is the story of his senior year in his own words, as he takes you inside the locker room, on the court, and behind the scenes in the most unique book ever written about one of the most famous college sports dynasties of all time-Carolina basketball. Wes Miller is a senior on the men's basketball team at North Carolina, one of the nation's most elite programs. Adam Lucas is the author of three books on North Carolina Going Home Again , Led By Their Dreams , and The Best Game Ever . He lives in Chapel Hill.

Hardcover

First published August 4, 2009

Reviews

[Drew Steen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is very cool to see what the UNC Men's ball team looks like from the inside. For a guy who worked as hard on the court as Wes did, however, I think he took a bit of a lazy approach to writing. I'd like to see fewer sports cliches ("That was a very special experience...") and more critical examination.

[Karen Wedinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up because Wes Miller is now the coach of my alma mater. It’s not a page turner, but it is insightful, and I came away with an appreciation of college basketball players, UNC, Roy Williams and Wes Miller. I also gained more knowledge of basketball strategy. If you like college basketball, it is a worthwhile read.

[Jerome Gilbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read. The flow in the first half of the book is a little choppy however in the 2nd half when the author is coming up on the last part of the season he shares an excellent insider view of the Tarheels coming together late in the season. If anything, it presented an in-depth view of Coach Williams, something most folks may not see as fans.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved hearing about the Tar Heels!

[Shea · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like Carolina basketball, you will like this book. I'm also a huge fan of Adam Lucas (whose articles are on tarheelblue.com) and one of the things I like best about the book is that it includes a lot of his articles from this season.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book only for light blue believers, but if you are a UNC fan, a truly enjoyable read.