Tuesday, December 16, 2008

UNC Hoops legends

So Psycho T is approaching Phil Ford's all-time record for most points scored in UNC history. I don't believe UNC has ever had a player more focused than Tyler Hansbrough. So I ask everyone, where does Tyler rank among all-time UNC basketball players?

Going back into time, Carolina has many great players. Among them, I include John "Hook" Dillon, Bones McKinney, Lennie Rosenbluth, BillyCunningham, Larry Miller, Charlie Scott, Bob McAdoo, Bobby Jones, Mitch Kupchek, Walter Davis, Phil Ford, James Worthy, Michael Jordan, Sam Perkins, Brad Daughtery, Kenny Smith, George Lynch, Eric Montross, Derek Phelps, Jerry Stackhouse, Rasheed Wallace, Antawn Jamison, Vince Carter, Ed Cota, Sean May, Rashawn McCants, Raymond Felton, Tyler Hansbrough, Marvin Williams, Wayne Ellington, and Tywon Lawson. There are also many near greats, such as Al Wood, Mike O'Koren, Joseph Forte, Rick Fox, King Rice, Jeff McInnis, JR Reid, and Brendan Haywood.

So I've been trying my best to rank the top 10 players of all time. Here is my list.

  1. Phil Ford--he dominated the game during his time. He could run, he could shoot, and he could pass the ball. His determination was as strong as any player in any period of time.
  2. James Worthy--although he only played 3 years, and his freshman year he missed half the season, he was the main reason why UNC won the National Championship in 1982. Great player, as fast of a power forward in the college scene.
  3. Michael Jordan. He was a better pro player, but he was an awesome college player, too. He was the 1984 Naismith player of the year.
  4. Tyler Hansbrough. I've never seen a freshman lead a team like Psycho T led the 2005-06 basketball team. UNC lost a ton of talent after the 2004-05 National Championship team (May, Felton, M. Williams, McCants, J. Williams, Manuel, and Scott). In 2007, with some additional reinforcements, he led the Tar Heels to the 2007 ACC Championship. In 2008, he again led the Heels to the ACC Championship and to the Final Four.
  5. Charlie Scott. Simply an awesome player. He was the first Black recruit of the program, and his leadership helped UNC reach the Final Four in 1968 and 1969. A great player whose game was inspirational. He helped break the ACC through the color barrier.
  6. Antawn Jamison--No one could put the basketball into the basket faster than Jamison. Great personality, great defender, and a great leader.
  7. Sam Perkins--the forgotten man on the 1982 UNC Championship team. Sam may have been the most coachable player Dean Smith ever had. He played great D, had a great shot, great range, and was the silent leader of the UNC basketball teams in the early 80's.
  8. Larry Miller. Many people do not realize that Larry may have been the key to Dean Smith's ultimate success. Recruited in 1964, by the time he played his 3 years on the varsity, UNC reached the final four 2 times. Before Larry played at UNC, Dean Smith had four mediocre teams. He helped transform UNC into a powerhouse.
  9. Raymond Felton. He was my favorite from the 2004-05 National Championship team. I don't believe there was a better leader on the court that year than Raymond. Without him, UNC would have been lucky to reach the Sweet Sixteen that year. Point of reason--remember the first game that year against Santa Clara? He didn't play, and we lost the game.
  10. George Lynch. Great talent, incredible leader, and an incredible defender. His play and leadership guided UNC to the championship in 1993.

Feel free to comment.

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