Shea Rush chose to attend the University of North Carolina as a preferred walk-on in 2016, despite being all the way from Kansas City, Missouri and having opportunities for more playing time at other schools. For Rush, it was a lifelong dream to play for UNC head coach Roy Williams and the Tar Heels. It’s something that Shea’s father, Jaron Rush, once had the opportunity to do before having his scholarship offer pulled, and then committing to UCLA.
Rush celebrated a national championship with the Tar Heels less than a year after arriving on campus. As a member of the Tar Heels that beat Gonzaga in Phoenix, Arizona for the program’s sixth NCAA Tournament title, Rush averaged just under one point for the season in 20 appearances of 1.