Dean Smith, Rick Robey and the moment UNC and Kentucky became real rivals

Posted Dec 13, 2014
It came in the 1977 NCAA Tournament. There were 22 seconds left in the NCAA East Regional championship game when Dean Smith charged all the way down the basketball floor of the University of Maryland's Cole Field House. The North Carolina coach had watched Kentucky power forward Rick Robey knock down Carolina guard John Kuester with a forearm. (Lexington Herald-Leader)

Related: Basketball, Basketball Recruiting

Roy Williams tells Carolina pitchers what to throw
As UNC's pitching staff powered the program to its 13th College World Series appearance, they were guided by a Hall of Fame voice. Former basketball...
Tue Jun 16, 2026

Video: Locked On Tar Heels - Top 10 UNC Men's Basketball Players Of The Last Decade
Who makes the list of the Top-10 UNC men's basketball players of the last decade? Isaac Schade shares his list of the Tar Heels he...
Tue Jun 16, 2026

Video: IC Podcast - Michael Malone Pursuing 5-stars, UNC Basketball Recruiting Reset
Now that the transfer portal movement has subsided, Michael Malone and his UNC staff have begun the process of sorting out their high-school recruiting board...
Tue Jun 16, 2026

Video: IC Podcast - UNC Basketball's New-Look Frontcourt
As the dust settles around Coach Michael Malone's first basketball roster at UNC, there are plenty of things to be excited about regarding the Tar...
Mon Jun 15, 2026