Dean Smith Among College Basketball Coaches Who Changed the Game

Posted Nov 16, 2021
Dean Smith, the head coach at North Carolina for 36 years (1961-1997), was one of basketball's more forward thinkers and statistical minds. He used advanced analytics as far back as the 1960s, when his team managers tracked points per possession. “All signs point to him being the father of basketball analytics,” said longtime NBA executive Daryl Morey. (History.com)

Related: Basketball, Tar Heels in the NBA

Video: Locked On Tar Heels - Sayon Keita Arrives, UNC Quarterback Battle
UNC Basketball finally unites as Sayon Keita arrives in Chapel Hill. But will NCAA eligibility setbacks sideline freshman 7-footer? UNC Football is experiencing a murky...
Mon Aug 17, 2026

Video: IC Podcast - Tales from the UNC Basketball Recruiting Trail
Sherrell McMillan and Rob Harrington have been following high school basketball recruiting for decades, and in this special episode, the duo from Inside Carolina pulls...
Mon Aug 17, 2026

UNC Basketball Week in Review: Keita Arrives, Trimble Transfers, Jordan Page Offered
It was a full week for the North Carolina Basketball program — a departure, a long-awaited arrival, a five-star offer, and a handful of alumni...
Mon Aug 17, 2026

With Sayon Keita arriving in Chapel Hill, UNC Basketball has plenty of center options
With Sayon Keita clearing a key hurdle standing between him and a UNC Basketball jersey, his arrival completes a frontcourt reconstruction that has been at...
Sun Aug 16, 2026