North Carolina’s Luke Maye Is an American Hero

North Carolina's Luke Maye is your classic college basketball hero by night and a model college student by day.

The Tar Heel big man hit the biggest shot of this year's NCAA Tournament, nailing a long 2-pointer with 0.3 seconds remaining to defeat Kentucky, 75-73. Maye's bucket booked North Carolina's ticket from Chapel Hill to Phoenix for the 2017 Final Four.

Maye instantly became a Tar Heel hero. But even college basketball heroes have responsibilities away from the hardwood.

As a college student, Maye knows the struggles of waking up for an 8 a.m. class. Such a feat becomes even more difficult when you're a student-athlete. The difficulty increases even beyond that level when you're a student-athlete in-season.

Then try waking up early when, just 12 hours before your class starts, you hit a game-winning bucket in another state that sends your school to the Final Four.

Nobody would blame Maye if he skipped his Monday 8 a.m. class. If we're being conservative, factoring in travel, media, excited fans, eating and bathing, Maye likely slept no longer than six to seven hours.

But, because he's a model college student and an American hero, Maye beat the odds again and attended his 8 a.m. business class.

Odds are the standing ovation is for hitting the game-winner, but it might as well be for attending an 8 a.m. class after what transpired during the previous 12 hours.

Luke Maye is the hero we all need (except for Kentucky).

Source: Sports Illustrated