Fans, players and coaches enjoyed a star-studded North Carolina Professional Alumni Game at the Smith Center in Chapel Hill Friday night to kick ... more

Former North Carolina coach Dean Smith didn’t make the trip to Detroit, but he liked what he saw the Tar Heels do from afar Monday night.

“That was sensational, a good start and a good ending,’’ said an excited Smith, who watched the national championship game on television from his home in Chapel Hill.

“It was the national championship. Tyler [Hansbrough], he was jumping up and down. That’s why they [several key players] came back.”

Staff photo by Robert Willett

DETROIT — Since he didn't do it when North Carolina won the 2005 national championship in St. Louis, Michael Jordan doesn't plan to speak to the Tar Heels before they play Michigan State for the NCAA title tonight at Ford Field.

But if he was to talk to them, he said he'd repeat what legendary coach Dean Smith told him before the 1982 national championship game: "Just go out there and have fun. These are the games that are a lot of fun, because the expectations are a lot higher, the craziness is a lot higher, the stakes are a lot higher — but that's what you live for. That's the fun part, so just go out there and be who you are and have fun."

CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina’s 104-74 victory over Georgia Tech on Saturday marked the eighth time this season the Tar Heels have reached the triple-digit mark, securing the traditional
two-sausage-biscuits-for-a-buck deal at a popular chain of chicken joints.

Forward Tyler Hansbrough said it's good to break the 100-point barrier, because “ I don’t really go to Bojangles, but I know everybody around here loves Bojangles, so it’s big for the fans to go in and get their little discount. But it also shows we’re scoring as a team and playing pretty well.”

Has Hansbrough — who set the NCAA mark for career free throws made during the game — ever taken advantage of the deal?

HBO takes a stab at corralling the Duke-North Carolina men's basketball rivalry in a documentary called, "Battle for Tobacco Road: Duke vs. North Carolina." The hour-long show on the greatest rivalry in college sports premieres tonight at 9 p.m.

First, a key statistic from the program: Duke 57, UNC 53.

• Five for the Wolfpack

When you've beaten N.C. State as many times (26) as UNC has since 1994, the victories tend to run together but here are five to remember for the Tar Heels, who are 11-1 against the Wolfpack under coach Roy Williams:

1) Feb. 22, 2006 @ N.C. State

"Herb's Waterloo"

Staff photo by Robert Willett

James Worthy, and his former coach Dean Smith bow to honor each other during half-time recognition of Tar Heels who are members of the Basketball Hall of Fame. Billy Cunningham, and Robert McAdoo look on Saturday in the Smith Center.

LAHAINA, Hawaii — The game ball for Monday's North Carolina-Chaminade game was presented by Tom Butler, who played on Dean Smith's first freshman team in 1958 — 50 years ago.

Butler, who went to school at Broughton High and now lives in Wilmington, planned the trip to Maui with his wife, son and grandsons to coincide with his 48th wedding anniversary. It just happened to fall at the same time UNC was playing in the Maui Invitational, so his son contacted the organizers to find a way to buy tickets, and the organizers, in turn, asked Butler to be a part of the game ball presentation.

NEW YORK —Only Madison Square Garden could be big enough for Mike Krzyzewski, Dean Smith and Bobby Knight.

The trio of coaching legends are in the house on Thursday for Duke's Coaches vs. Cancer Classic game with Southern Illinois.

That's 2,545 career wins, and and eight national titles, in one room.