CHAPEL HILL - The University of North Carolina men's basketball court in the Dean Smith Center has been refinished and repainted this summer in preparation for the 2007-08 season.

Over 20 years of finish was sanded off the court, stripping it down to the bare wood for the first time since the building was built in 1986. From that point, the wooden floor was repainted to match the court's previous appearance and then refinished.

The finish on top of the paint currently is curing and needs several weeks to dry. No one is allowed on the court until at least the end of August while it dries. The Smith Center is closed to the general public until that point.

To view a photo gallery taken by photographer Jim Bounds of the court's refinishing and repainting, please click on the link above.