How a promise to Dean Smith brought former basketball player Vasco Evtimov back to UNC

Posted Feb 18, 2019
In the summer of 1999, Vasco Evtimov had just forfeited his last two years of college eligibility to sign with a Greek professional team over returning to UNC. Before the 6-foot-10 Evtimov left Chapel Hill, though, he spoke with Dean Smith, who recruited Evtimov and coached him as a freshman. “I promised Coach Smith...I would come back and get my degree. And here I am." (Daily Tar Heel)

Related: Basketball, Basketball Recruiting

Hubert Davis' Challenge
I’m a firm believer that for teams that have a player who goes through significant adversity, there’s an immediate rallying cry. And that next game...
Fri Feb 13, 2026

Where does UNC Basketball go from here while playing without Caleb Wilson?
Caleb Wilson led UNC with highlight dunks, relentless rebounding and a scoring streak that rewrote the program’s freshman record book. But he’s out indefinitely with...
Fri Feb 13, 2026

Video: Locked On Tar Heels - UNC Basketball Looks To Bounce Back Without Caleb Wilson
Host Isaac Schade and Coach Bill Robinson discuss UNC Basketball's inconsistency, Seth Trimble's game-winning buzzer beater and subsequent slump, Caleb Wilson's injury concerns, UNC's defensive...
Fri Feb 13, 2026

Chansky’s Notebook: Breaking News
Caleb Wilson now joins an infamous list of high-profile Tar Heel injuries, including Kenny Smith in 1984 and Kendall Marshall in 2012. Ironically, both of...
Fri Feb 13, 2026