Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing and the dominance of the Tar Heels and Hoyas in the 1980s

Posted Jan 12, 2024
Dean Smith returned UNC to national prominence in the 1970s, regularly taking the Tar Heels on deep NCAA Tournament runs. But it was in 1982 that he took them to the mountaintop, with a little help from Michael Jordan. Before becoming one of the greatest NBA players in history, Jordan was a lanky freshman on a team led by James Worthy and Sam Perkins. (Associated Press)

Related: Basketball, Tar Heels in the NBA

Seth Trimble is the Barometer for UNC Basketball
For UNC Basketball to make any type of deep run, whether it be in the ACC Tournament or the NCAA Tournament, they can’t just rely...
Fri Feb 27, 2026

Hubert Davis has UNC Basketball in great position despite injury-riddled season
For all the flack Hubert Davis catches as UNC's head basketball coach, he sure wins a lot of games, particularly in the injury-riddled, 2025-26 season...
Fri Feb 27, 2026

UNC Continues Smith Center Debate
The topic of the Smith Center’s fate has hung over the UNC community for the last few months. After working for years to determine whether...
Fri Feb 27, 2026

Video: Coast To Coast Podcast - All About UNC Basketball Commit Dylan Mingo
Who is Dylan Mingo? To better answer that question, the Coast to Coast crew from Inside Carolina welcomes someone who knows him well: Terrence "Munch"...
Fri Feb 27, 2026