Recovering from surgery on his right foot following leading his Tarheel team to the NCAA 2009 Championship, Luke Gadling has high hopes for the future, hopes that include, possibly shaking a nickname he has no hopes of shaking.

A month away from his eighteenth birthday, Luke Gadling is also two semesters and a summer session and a half away from his Bio-Chemistry degree. Last season's breakthrough college star, winning the ACC Player of the Year award, most people found it hard to believe that Luke was a junior level scholar at only the age of seventeen. His young age and pre-med major earned him a special nickname from his teammates.

"In high school and at all the basketball camps, they'd call me 'Skate' because I take my skateboard everywhere. Now they call me Doogie. I'm worried that one is going to stick."

Oh, it will.

"He's a senior and he's younger than me," says teammate Tyler Zeller. "It cracks me up. Yeah, Doogie is the only name that suits him.

Completely unassuming but charming in person, "Doogie" is most often seen getting around campus on his familiar skateboard. When he's not on the basketball court, he can be found in the library, pouring through the books. Keeping up a solid B+ average, his goal is to pull his grades up to a 4.0 while taking the championship team back to the NCAA tournament.

"I'm not immune to the fact that we're rebuilding this year. We lost a huge majority of the team to graduation and declaring for the draft, but those of us who are here for this season have been there and we know the ropes. I'm really looking forward to being a leader on this team."

A role that most people in North Carolina were worried could be cut short. After rolling his foot in the game against Maryland at the end of the regular season, Luke re-injured an old fracture. Despite the pain that grew worse with every step, Luke played in all but two games for the rest of the season and blames himself for the ACC Championship loss to Duke. "Oh, that's the one that got away. We're taking that championship this year."

If the hours sepnt at the gym and with the physical therapists to rehab his foot are any indication, he means it.

And the foot?

The surgery removed some loose fragments from his foot and from the moment he began rehab, he's felt better. "It's still tight and I don't have much lift off of it yet. But I am starting to run and jump again and I plan to be on the court starting our first game in September."

In the meantime, he's working through the summer on getting stronger and making it through the remainder of his core classes so he can focus on the tough ones next semester. He can also be found at UNC Girl's Soccer practices, cheering on girlfriend Jessica Beaumont. As for his dreams after college?

"I want to go to the NBA of course."

Los Angeles? Cleveland? Where is his dream team?

"Utah."

Utah?

"It's a childhood dream. When I was about six, my dad got us floor seats to a San Antonio, Utah game. I was already in love with the game, but this just sealed it. And then, after the game, John Stockton came out to meet me. He showed me a few things and it was just heaven. Since then, I have had this dream to wear that jersey. To play for Jerry Sloan."

But there are much bigger markets out there. Why Utah? What about Los Angeles with it's 15 championships or Cleveland and Lebron?

"With all due respect to Phil Jackson and Derek Fisher and the team they've developed out there, I have a real issue with the celebrity culture in Los Angeles. I mean, I really don't care if Justin Timberlake goes to a game, you know and it kind of bugs me that ESPN does care. One of the reasons my father wanted to move his band from Los Angeles to Austin was because of the celebrity culture there. But you're talking to a kid who has been in love with the game of basketball his entire life. All that matters is that I'm playing the game. Right now that means focusing on getting completely healthy and working with the team to really build a team. As for next year and the possibility of the draft? We'll handle that then. Right now, I just want to play basketball."