The Fiery and Fickle Relationship Between College Basketball Coaches and Refs

Posted Mar 7, 2019
“Dean Smith said to me after he was retired, ‘John, that night we played Clemson, you called that block/charge and that was the wrong call,'’’ says John Clougherty, a referee for 30 years who later spent 11 years as the ACC’s director of officiating. Smith was referencing a game from the 1980s. “And I’m thinking, I’ve had 15,000 block/charges. But he remembers that.” (Sports Illustrated)

Related: Basketball, Basketball Recruiting

Court Ruling Makes UNC Center Cameron Fens Ineligible, For Now
A Tennessee Court of Appeals ruling on Wednesday halted the injunction that had been protecting UNC center Cameron Fens’ fifth season of eligibility for the...
Wed Aug 26, 2026

Video: IC Podcast - UNC Athletes and the NCAA's Five-for-Five Conundrum
Greg Barnes and Tommy Ashley of Inside Carolina discuss the NCAA's messy failure to take the simple step of grandfathering in the 2022 class to...
Wed Aug 26, 2026

Video: Locked On Tar Heels - Isaiah Denis Set to Shine for UNC Basketball
UNC Basketball looks to sophomore guard Isaiah Denis for a breakout season as the Tar Heels revamp their backcourt. Isaac Schade and Jonathan Adams spotlight...
Wed Aug 26, 2026

Which Tar Heels appear in early 2027 mock NBA drafts?
Michael Malone hasn’t coached a game at Carolina, but the NBA is already circling several names on his first UNC Basketball roster. Four Tar Heels...
Wed Aug 26, 2026