CHAPEL HILL – Harrison Ingram has made a point to mention something in nearly all of his interviews since he joined UNC basketball ahead of the 2023-24 season.

“I’m playing basketball at North Carolina,” Ingram said after the 17th-ranked Tar Heels’ 100-92 win against No. 10 Tennessee on Wednesday night.

“I still feel like I’m living a dream. I’m just trying to have as much fun as I can.”

That infectious energy, emotion, aggressiveness and thankfulness is something UNC coach Hubert Davis sees on a daily basis from Ingram, who played his first two seasons at Stanford before deciding to join the Tar Heels.

“I just love that,” Davis said Wednesday night before a brief pause.

“It’s a privilege to be here (at UNC) – it just is. There’s a number of people that wish that they could put on that uniform and run out of that tunnel and play on that floor and play on this type of stage.”

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Seemingly always thankful for being a Tar Heel, Ingram has made the most of his opportunity as one of UNC’s top performers through seven games. The 6-foot-7, 235-pounder is averaging 15 points and 6.9 rebounds.

“I feel like I have something to prove this whole year,” said Ingram, who had 20 points, six rebounds and three steals against the Volunteers inside of a packed Smith Center to help UNC improve to 6-1.

“Coming in, I feel like I was doubted – people don’t think I’m as good as I think I am. Every game, I feel like I’m coming out with an intensity and a fire that I didn’t have last year.”

Ingram displayed that intensity from the start against the Vols with eight of UNC’s first 10 points, including a swipe of Tennessee star Dalton Knecht that led to a left-handed dunk. Ingram let out a scream as he ran back on defense.

Even in practices, Ingram added, things are intense.

“(Tuesday), in practice, we were going at it and diving on balls the day before a game,” he said. “Everybody has that intensity.”

Described as UNC’s “X-factor” by preseason All-American center Armando Bacot, who had 22 points and 11 rebounds against Tennessee, Ingram gives the Tar Heels a versatility that’s been tough for opponents to handle.

“It’s really just picking your poison with us,” Bacot said.

In the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament, Ingram had a pair of double-double performances. He didn’t come off the floor against Arkansas, finishing with 13 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in 40 minutes against the Razorbacks.

He had 20 points against Villanova after logging 16 points and 10 rebounds against Northern Iowa.

In every moment, every step of the way, Ingram continues to soak in every experience with the Tar Heels, never shying away from showing his emotions. He's thankful every time he puts on his No. 55 UNC jersey.

“To me – what I think is required here – in order to be the best that you can be, there has to be a motivation out of thankfulness for being a part of this program. Harrison has that every day,” Davis said.

“His smile on his face in practice, shoot-arounds – not just in games – it spreads to everybody on the team. … To play in a game like that, with that type of crowd, not many people get a chance to do it. When you get a chance to do something like that, a part of your motivation is coming from a thankfulness. That’s something that’s really special and required here in order to be the best that you can be.”

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: What Harrison Ingram continues to say about UNC basketball