Barnes would prefer to forget duel with Dean here
Posted Mar 19, 2009
In Barnes' last trip here for a game, North Carolina and Dean Smith were putting the finishing touches on a 78-62 quarterfinal win over Barnes' Clemson Tigers in a quarterfinal of the ACC tournament. That's when things got interesting. In the game's waning minutes, UNC's Jerry Stackhouse drove to the basket and was fouled by Iker Iturbe. Smith jumped off the bench, pointing and yelling at Iturbe and didn't let up. Eventually, Barnes called a timeout and began yelling at Smith. The two got into a face-to-face argument and had to be separated by referees. Time has a way of changing people and perceptions. These days, when Smith and Barnes talk, it's much more congenial. The two even shared a raft on a fishing trip among current and former college coaches two years ago.
(Greensboro News & Record)
Related: Basketball, Basketball Recruiting
Chansky’s Notebook: The Dean Dome’s Greatest GamesDuke’s Mark Alarie made the first basket at the Dean Dome and Warren Martin dunked North Carolina’s historic first bucket. In the year before college...
Thu Jan 8, 2026Can't Run, Can't Hide: UNC’s backcourt is a problem
One of the biggest questions around UNC entering the college basketball season was how well this backcourt would gel. So far, the results have been...
Thu Jan 8, 2026
UNC Basketball Entering Tricky 3-Game Stretch
Wake Forest, Stanford, and California are all capable of beating the Tar Heels. Wake has guards that can cause issues for UNC defensively, Stanford has...
Thu Jan 8, 2026
Indiana Pacers plan to bring back center Tony Bradley on a 10-day contract
Tony Bradley was waived before his contract was fully guaranteed, but the Pacers plan to bring back the depth center on a 10-day contract starting...
Thu Jan 8, 2026