DURHAM, N.C. — At 9:02 p.m. Wednesday, eight minutes before No. 4 Duke and No. 15 North Carolina tipped off the 239th game of their rivalry, players and coaches from both teams huddled at midcourt of Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski placed his arm around the shoulders of North Carolina Coach Roy Williams. Players followed suit with one another. All the people on the court knelt in a circle and bowed their heads. The public address announcer asked the sold-out crowd to stand.

Then the stadium fell silent.

The moment was a tribute to Dean Smith, the legendary Tar Heels coach who died Feb. 7 at 83. For almost 60 seconds, it was presumably the quietest that Cameron Indoor, known for its noise, had ever been. A picture of Smith’s smiling face, with the words “Thank you, Coach Smith,” was displayed on the video board. Fans held up signs honoring Smith. One featured a photograph of Smith coaching and a Krzyzewski quote about him: “We have lost a man who can never be replaced.”

Williams said of the tribute, “I just think it shows the class that this rivalry really has.”

He added, “There’s a great deal of respect between the two programs.”