If you look at the team photos of UNC's championship teams in the last 30 years, only one face will grace all three pictures: athletic trainer Marc Davis

"We're spoiled. I'm spoiled," Davis admits. I've been to ten Final Fours in thirty years. That's one every three years."

For 30 years, Marc Davis has treated the most famous names in Carolina basketball, and taped a number of ankles along the way.

"I would estimate that I have probably taped 40 to 50,000 ankles," Davis jokes. "Give or take a thousand."

Like all trainers, Davis has known the frustration of an unresponsive fifth metatarsal.

But the long-time Tar Heel also counts a number of happy endings.

For instance, in 1987, UNC star guard Kenny Smith came back from a knee injury two weeks early and helped the Heels whip Clemson.

"He had no swelling in his knee. He had full range of motion," Davis recounts. "So the doctors and I agreed it would be OK if he played and I think he scored thirty-something that night.

Time after time Davis has come to the aid of Tar Heel players, treating the little known role player with the same care as Michael Jordan or James Worthy.

The current Tar Heel team kept Davis quite busy in what turned out to be his final season.

"It is unusual to have the number of injuries we had this year among players that played a lot," Davis says. "We had other years where there were as many injuries, but not involving people that played so many minutes."

Davis won't miss the start of practice, but that first game day could be difficult.

"Not going to pre-game meal or going through the other parts of the game day ritual are something I'll probably miss," a reflective Davis admits. "But I won't miss the 4am bus trips back from Blacksburg or Clemson."

The players, however, will most certainly miss Marc Davis.