Chapel Hill, N.C. -- When the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) established the Dean Smith Award and thought about its inaugural recipient, it was fairly obvious the recipient would be legendary Georgetown Hall of Fame Basketball Coach John Thompson Jr.
The Dean Smith Award will be presented annually by the USBWA to an individual in college basketball who embodies the spirit and values represented by the former University of North Carolina coach.
Thompson was a longtime friend of Smith, who passed away at the age of 83 in February. The pair coached together during the Olympics in 1976 and are forever remembered after their embrace following North Carolina's win over Georgetown during the 1982 NCAA Championship game.