If you watched CBS’ morning protection of the NCAA Tournament then you definitely might need seen a unique particular person sitting in Kenny Smith’s seat.
Former NBA and NCAA champion Renee Montgomery joined Adam Zucker and Charles Barkley on the desk, with Zucker noting that Smith is “under the weather” for Day Two of the NCAA Tournament’s first spherical. Last evening Smith went dwelling early, leaving the studio simply earlier than the tip of the Howard-Michigan sport. Whatever it was should have been dangerous to maintain him at dwelling in a single day.
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But Barkley, Smith’s longtime broadcaster accomplice, had some enjoyable with the entire state of affairs and joked that Smith was in all probability simply taking the day without work to have some enjoyable on a seashore somwhere.
“Keep your shirt on at the beach, Kenny,” Barkley mentioned, after everybody else on the desk had wished him effectively.
Crying over UNC?
While Smith most probably does want some bedrest when coping with an sickness (he is 61 in spite of everything), some followers recommended that he might need gotten sore over his alma mater North Carolina’s dreadful day and is simply struggling to manage.
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In the span of some hours, Tar Heels followers went from mocking arch-rival Duke for trailing towards 16-seeded Siena to watching the Blue Devils advance to the Round of 32 just for their very own staff to fall to 11-seeded VCU and crash out of the match. It was their second straight one-and-done within the Round of 64 below head coach Hubert Davis.
Naturally, followers had jokes:
“Is he under the weather or crying about the UNC loss?” one person joked.
“That’s funny. Kenny seemed fine when Siena was winning. What a pro!” one other remarked.
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“Rough. Kenny needs to get well from that UNC loss immediately.”
Mar 18, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis throughout a observe session forward of the primary spherical of the boys’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images© Bob Donnan-Imagn Images&interval;
(© Bob Donnan-Imagn Images&interval;)
North Carolina ended the season on a three-game dropping streak and finish with a 24-9 file. Their NCAA Tournament runner-up run in 2022 looks like one million years in the past.
That in all probability is not serving to Smith by his well being points – no matter they’re.
This story was initially revealed by The Spun on Mar 20, 2026, the place it first appeared within the College Basketball part. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
