What Did Dean Smith Mean When He Talked About 'The Duke Game'? Posted May 23, 2024 The 1965 game featured a really good Duke team losing to a better-than-average North Carolina team, with neither advancing to the NCAA Tournament. But the game meant more than that. This one ranks among Dean Smith’s biggest wins, though nowhere near the top. But from Smith’s perspective, it may have been the most important on a variety of levels. (Inside Carolina)