Art Chansky - The Deans List: A Celebration of Tar Heel Basketball and Dean Smith

Copyright 1996, 1997 by Village Sports, Inc.

All rights reserved.

Warner Books, Inc.

Hachette Book Group

237 Park Avenue

New York, NY 10017

Visit our website at www.HachetteBookGroup.com

First eBook Edition: September 2009

ISBN: 978-0-446-56586-8

Hugh MortonPages 1, 3 (upper), 6, 7, 11, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21 (upper), 24, 33, 45 (insets), 46, 56 (lower), 74, 75, 76, 81 (3), 82 (2),83, 84, 85, 91 (2), 94, 95 (lower), 96, 97 (2), 100, 104 (upper), 107 (left upper, right lower), 108 (insets), 109, 110 (2),111 (upper), 112, 113 (lower), 115, 117, 118 (upper), 126 (2), 127 (2), 136 (2), 137, 138, 139 (lower), 141 (2), 142, 143,144 (lower), 148 (upper), 150, 151 (lower), 152, 153, 154 (insets), 155; Bob Donnaniii, vii, 72, 90, 107 (2), 111 (lower), 113 (upper), 114, 119 (lower), 121 (upper), 122, 123, 124, 131 (2), 132, 133, 135,139 (upper), 140, 154, 157, 158, 162; Sally Sather89 (lower right), 92, 94 (upper), 98, 99 (upper), 108, 118 (2), 121 (lower); Rich Clarkson9 (upper right), 25, 32, 36 (3), 63, 69; Robert Crawford2, 3 (upper), 4, 5, 12 (upper), 129, 156, 159, 160, 161; Art Chansky9 (2); Courtesy of Dr. Lou Vine14 (upper); North Carolina Collection, UNC Library16; Official White House Photographviii; Sports Illustrated57 (cover), 69 (Rich Clarkson), 83 (cover), 100 (cover), 142 (cover), 102 (Manny Millan), 150 (upper, Rich Clarkson ); Mark Dolejs/Durham Herald-Sun144 (upper), 145 (2), 148; Bernard Thomas/Durham Herald-Sun149 (2); Scott Sharpe/Raleigh News & Observer106, 147; Associated Press146, 150 (lower); Courtesy of UNC Sports Information OfficeHerald-Sun/Charles Cooper 30, 31, 42, 45, 46 (middle inset); Herald-Sun/Harold Moore 25, 62, 99 (lower); Herald-Sun/Tony Rumple 17; Herald-Sun/Jim Sparks 34, 44 (lower), 46 (upper inset); Fayetteville Observer-Times/Ken Cooke 86; Danville Bee/John Hamlin 104; G. Thomas Barnes 93, 95 (upper); Tommy Esteridge 46 (lower inset), 49, 51, 52, 53; Jeep Hunter 48; Tom Maguire83 (lower); Tom Norby 70; Tom Schnabel 65; Al Steele 103; Unidentified8, 10 (2), 15, 18 (2), 19, 21, 23, 27, 28, 29, 35,36 (lower left), 37, 39, 44 (upper), 47, 50, 54, 55 (2), 56 (upper), 60, 61, 64, 67, 73, 74 (inset), 75, 76 (inset), 78 (2),79 (2), 87, 88, 89 (insets), 106.

F or me, writing a book about the last 35 years of Carolina basketball under Coach Dean Smith was not as difficult as one might imagine. You see, I have lived this story since arriving in Chapel Hill as a student during the 1960s.

First as a writer for the Daily Tar Heel and later as sports editor of the Durham Morning Herald, I have covered Carolina closely with both my head and my heart. From that time, Eddie Fogler has been a best friend, and picking up anecdotes and insights from one of Smiths former players and assistant coaches has been a 30-year osmosis.

In 1982, I wrote and published March to the Top, the story of Smiths first NCAA championship, and in 1985 my company, Four Comers Press, began pulling out an annual on the Tar Heels called Carolina Court. Fortunately, in 1993, we were able to publish the national championship sequel, Return to the Top.

So a great deal of the research, anecdotes, and quotes for The Deans List had already been compiled by myself and others on our staff.

Thus, I want to extend heartfelt acknowledgments to Alfred Hamilton, Jr., Ron Morris, and Lee Pace, who through the years have contributed informative, funny, and moving pieces on UNC games, players, and coaches for our publications, which also include ACC Basketball: An Illustrated History, written by Morris in 1988.

In addition, I have used material from Carolina Court stories written by David Glenn and my good friend Woody Durham. Voice of the Tar Heels. Dozens of newspaper and magazine stories and videos covering Carolina were also scanned for background.

The extraordinary collection of photos in this book come from a variety of sources, primarily Hugh Morton and Bob Donnan. The esteemed Mr. Morton, governor of Grandfather Mountain in Linville, N.C., has been taking pictures of special events at his alma mater since before I was born. At 75, hes as good as he ever was. Donnan shoots brilliant color action and candid basketball photos, annually risking his life to hang his strobe lights from the rafters of the Smith Center.

Other outstanding photos in The Deans List were contributed by Sally Sather, Rich Clarkson, and the many photographers who have filled the files of the UNC Sports Information Office, completing what is unquestionably the definitive pictorial anthology of Smiths Tar Heel tenure as well.

Rick Wolff, senior editor at Warner Books, has been a driving force behind this project. The son of the famed baseball announcer and recent Hall of Fame inductee Bob Wolff, Rick navigated its publication with the same kind of care he uses in writing the acclaimed Parents Guide To Kids Sports series in Sports Illustrated. Rob McMahon, Wolffs editorial assistant, kept us all straight with his organizational excellence. Copy editor Fred Chase and production editor Mari Okuda made sure we were accurate on all names, numbers, and facts, and Howard Robertas design speaks for itself.

On the home front, Linda Belans lent her eyes and ears, Jim Wilson was a master of grammar and punctuation, and Andy Diamondstein, one of the typically brainy out-of-state students at UNC, edited the overall manuscript so it would be understood by those who might not know as much about the Tar Heels as longtime die-hards.

The heart and soul of the book come from the actual Tar Heels, the players who have competed in Woollen Gym, Carmichael Auditorium, and the Smith Center over the past 35 years. Their personal recollections and testimonies about having worn the light blue, playing for a legendary coach, and representing UNC are, as the old saying goes, what its all about. Special thanks go to Larry Brown, George Karl, and Jeff Lebo.

And, of course, there is Dean Smith, himself. Although he made it crystal clear from the beginning that he would not do an autobiography, Smith provided the private mailing list of his former players and managers so they would have a chance to contribute to the book. Always looking out for members of his extended family, Smith wanted to know if we intended to pay any of them.

I said we were on a very tight budget, but kidded him that we might be able to find a few hundred bucks for the guy who agreed to write the foreword.

Ha, ha, said the man to whom The Deans List is dedicated.

M aybe I would still be a professional basketball player, but I am not sure how good Id be or where I would be playing if Ihad not gone to Carolina and played for Dean Smith.

The two most important men in my life have been my father and Coach Smith. Now that my father is gone, Coach Smith fills thatrole in many wayseven more than 12 years after I left Chapel Hill.

I was a skinny, shy youngster when I first went to Carolina, not really secure about my basketball ability. Some people backhome in Wilmington thought I should go to a smaller school where I could play for sure. My high school principal once suggestedI go into the air force, so I could learn a skill and have a good job when I got out.