The Dean Smith Era Began With the Famous Three-Peat

Posted Jan 23, 2018
Rusty Clark, Bill Bunting, Dick Grubar, Joe Brown and Gerald Tuttle – the famed Class of 1969 – gave North Carolina the height and depth it lacked in Dean Smith’s first five sea­sons. But their biggest gift to UNC bas­ketball was the freedom that allowed the stars of the team to play where – and how – they would be most effective. Lewis and Miller were Smith’s first two mar­quee recruits. (Chapelboro.com)

Related: Basketball, Basketball Recruiting

Video: Locked On Tar Heels - How Jarin Stevenson & Terrence Brown Transform UNC Basketball
Does a $20 million roster guarantee elite talent or just add pressure to deliver? Jonathan Adams and Isaac Schade discuss Jarin Stevenson as UNC Basketball's...
Wed Sep 9, 2026

Video: Roy Williams Reveals the 5 Greatest Players He Admired Most
Roy Williams reflects on the five NCAA basketball players he admired most throughout his legendary coaching career. From Tyler Hansbrough and Danny Manning to Michael...
Tue Sep 8, 2026

Michael Malone on Sayon Keita's 'Unlimited Potential' for UNC Basketball
"When you look at our frontcourt, and you look at Sayon Keita, I think he just has unlimited potential," Michael Malone said last week at...
Tue Sep 8, 2026

Video: Locked On Tar Heels - Michael Malone Implementing Gritty UNC Defense
UNC Basketball enters a new era as Coach Michael Malone unveils a gritty, defense-first identity. Will this tougher philosophy end the Tar Heels' infamous "wine...
Tue Sep 8, 2026