UNC vs. Kentucky - 1995 Elite 8

[All-Mi-T]

We were fortunate and spoiled for those of us who witnessed Dean Smith coaching basketball. He took Carolina to the Final Four every other year in the '90s. Think about that.

I just rewatched the 1995 Elite 8 game against the favored Wildcats and Rick Pitino. Carolina (similar to the 2022 team) had an Iron 5. The starting lineup featured four guards and Rasheed Wallace in the middle. The bench was played sparingly. Still Carolina only lost 4 games during the regular season and lost by 2 points to Wake Forest in the ACC Championship game.

Dean Smith put on a freakin' coaching clinic in the Elite 8. Sheed only played 9 minutes of the first half due to foul trouble. No worries, we had Dean and Kentucky didn't. His multiple defenses during that game (including multiple zone defenses) was the difference. That was an intense game until Carolina broke it open down the stretch. What a great game.

 

[tarheeltailgater]

In 2025 both Wallace and Riddick would have been ejected after that dust up.

Would have liked to have seen the whole football game between Syracuse and Ohio State.

 

[uncrayman1985]

I will never forget that game. I was 9 years old at the time. I actually listened to Woody Durham for most of the game. We finally made it home to watch the final 10 minutes on TV. What I would give to hear Woody call a game one more time.

 

[KVegasHeelFan]

This will always be my favorite UNC game of all time.

I was a freshman in high school at the time (CE Jordan). There used to be a space under the post office on Franklin called Street Scene, and in the night of this game one of my friend’s terrible bands was playing a “show” in that space.

I asked someone to put the game up on the tv and didn’t put two and two together until the final buzzer. I was on Franklin Street! I called my folks and told them not to bother to come pick me up for a while as the students mobbed the street and the authorities closed it off.

That place on that night was a pretty magical place for a fourteen year old.

Some kids dropped a half used 30 pack of cheap beer and during the festivities and my buddies and I were more than happy to finish it off.

My first beer...and a classic Heels win.

 

[CincyHeel]

Great game. I worked a basketball camp in Lexington that summer and the guy running it put Richard Pitino on my team because he knew I'd wear UNC gear every day. Rick never picked his son up but the mom could only shake her head and chuckle at the sight of me in Carolina gear from head to toe.

Ran in to Richard a few weeks ago here in Cincy and we had a laugh about it. Surprised he remembered that after 30 years but he did.

 

[Trolls83]

Here’s a perspective on that game:

https://247sports.com/college/north-carolina/article/what-happened-why-is-uncs-1995-ncaa-tournament-win-over-kentucky-so-fondly-remembered-232789435/

 

[Powidz]

Probably the best offensive team we've ever had when they were on. In each of our losses that year it took incredible shooting games from the opposition to beat us except for Arkansas. They were the only team that could slow us down and unfortunately they did in Final Four.