NEWSLETTER
This article is part of a series of top North Carolina athletes and teams. As North Carolina sports betting gets set to launch in March, take a look at the top athletes across North Carolina college and professional sports.
North Carolina and Duke have historic basketball programs that have combined to win 11 National Championships. North Carolina has 6 titles with its most recent in 2017 while Duke has 5 and won its most recent title in 2015. Now, the question is, which all-time team would win? Let’s take a look at UNC vs Duke and which all-time team wins in college basketball.
Who Earns a Spot on Each All-Time Team?
Before we can even begin to debate which team will win between North Carolina and Duke, we have to see who makes the all-time teams on both sides. Let’s see who would be in the starting five along with a few bench players on the all-time team for both programs.
Keep in mind, that we are building these teams based on how great of careers the players had while playing at their respective universities. NBA success is irrelevant. These all-time teams will be made up of players who dominated in college at Duke and North Carolina.
For this matchup, we will have a starting lineup based on position as well as three bench players. The bench players can be any position.
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Duke Blue Devils All-Time Team
Who makes Duke’s All-Time Team? Let’s take a look at who would be the starters.
PG: Jay Williams
Years at Duke: 1999-2002
Williams was a 2 time All-American while winning hardware like the Wooden Award, Naismith Award, and Ruppy Trophy. He was a 3-time All-ACC, the 2001-02 AP Player of the Year, and was a National Champion.
SG: JJ Redick
Years at Duke: 2002-06
Redick could light it up from deep and was an elite scorer in his 4-year career at Duke. As a senior, he averaged 26.8 points while shooting 42.1% from three. Redick was the 2005-06 AP Player of the Year and won the Wooden Award along with the Naismith Award. He also won the Rupp Trophy twice. He was a 2 time All-American and 4-time All-ACC.
SF: Grant Hill
Years at Duke: 1990-94
Hill was part of back-to-back National Championship teams along with earning All-American twice. He was the 1993-94 ACC Player of the Year, a 2-time NCAA All-Tournament Team member, and a 3-time All-ACC selection. He’s part of one of the most iconic moments in NCAA history as he made the full-court inbound pass to Christian Laettner who hit the game-winner in the 1992 Elite 8 vs Kentucky.
PF: Christian Laettner
Years at Duke: 1988-92
Laettner is known for hitting one of the most famous game-winners in college basketball history but he had a long list of accolades while at Duke. He was a 2 time National Champion, 2 time All-American, and 3-time All-ACC. He also earned a Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA Tournament Award along with a Wooden Award, Naismith Award, and Rupp Trophy. Laettner was the 1991-92 AP Player of the Year and won the ACC Player of the Year that same season.
Read More: Who is the best Duke player ever?
C: Elton Brand
Years at Duke: 1997-99
Brand was the 1998-99 AP Player of the Year and took home the Wooden and Naismith Awards along with the Rupp Trophy. He was an ACC Player of the Year and a 1 time All-American. Brand also won the ACC Tournament MVP and earned a spot on an NCAA All-Tournament Team in just two seasons at Duke.
Final Duke Lineup
The starting lineup is set. Take a look at the starters and bench for the Duke All-Time Team. Shane Battier, Johnny Dawkins, and Bobby Hurley earn spots on the bench. We break down why below.
Starting Lineup
Three Bench Players
Battier (1997-2001) was the Most Outstanding Player on Duke’s 2001 National Championship team, a 2-time All-American, and the 2000-01 AP Player of the Year. He was also a 3-time All-ACC selection, 2-time All-ACC Defense, and winner of the Naismith Award, Wooden Award, and Rupp Trophy.
Dawkins (1982-86) could score with the best of them as he averaged 19.2 points and 4.2 assists in his time at Duke. He was a 2 time All-American, made the All-ACC team 4 times, and won the Naismith Award.
Hurley (1989-93) was a 2 time National Champion and teammates with Duke greats Grant Hill and Christian Laettner. He dished out 7.7 assists a game in college while shooting 40.5% from three. He was an NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, an All-American, and made the All-ACC Team 3 times.
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North Carolina Tar Heels All-Time Team
Now, for North Carolina. Who are the best players to wear the Tar Heel uniform? Let’s take a look at the starters.
PG: Phil Ford
Years at UNC: 1974-78
Ford was dominant at UNC as a 3 time All-American and winner of the 1977-78 ACC Player of the Year Award. He was a Wooden Award winner, made 4 All-ACC Tournament Teams, and was the tournament MVP in 1975.
SG: Michael Jordan
Years at UNC: 1981-84
Jordan hit the game-winner vs Georgetown to win a National Championship as a freshman but was the most dominant later in his career at Carolina. When it was all said and done, he was a 2 time All-American, 2-time All-ACC, and the 1983-84 AP Player of the Year. Jordan also won the Wooden and Naismith Awards along with the Rupp Trophy.
SF: James Worthy
Years at UNC: 1979-82
Worthy was a National Champion and the Most Outstanding Player during that title run. He was selected to an All-American Team, had 2 All-ACC selections, and was an ACC Tournament MVP. As a junior, he was the leading scorer (15.6 points) for a National Championship team that had UNC greats Michael Jordan and Sam Perkins.
PF: Antawn Jamison
Years at UNC: 1995-98
Jamison won a Wooden Award, Naismith Award, and Rupp Trophy during his 3 years with the Tar Heels. He was the 1997-98 AP Player of the Year, a 2-time All-American, an AAC Player of the Year, and had 3 All-ACC selections. He averaged 22.2 points and 10.5 rebounds per game as a junior to lead North Carolina to the Final Four and a 34-4 overall record.
C: Tyler Hansbrough
Years at UNC: 2005-09
Hansbrough is arguably the greatest North Carolina Tar Heel ever as he was a 4-time All-American, National Champion, and the 2007-08 AP Player of the Year. He won the Wooden and Naismith Awards along with the Rupp Trophy during his incredible run. Also, he was the ACC Rookie of the Year, ACC Player of the Year, and grabbed 4 All-ACC selections in his career at UNC.
Final North Carolina Lineup
Alright, we have finished the North Carolina starters along with three bench players. Check out the North Carolina All-Time Team.
Starting Lineup
Three Bench Players
Scott (1967-1970) was a 2-time All-American and earned 3 All-ACC nods as well as an ACC Tournament MVP while at North Carolina. He was an elite scorer as he dropped 27.1 points per game in 1969-70.
Perkins (1980-84) played alongside Michael Jordan and James Worthy on his way to a National Title in 1982. The big man was a 3-time All-American as well as a 3-time All-ACC selection. Perkins won an ACC Tournament MVP as well. He put up 15.9 points and 8.6 rebounds per game in his career at UNC.
Miller (1965-68) could score with the best of them as he averaged over 20 points per game in all three of his seasons with the Tar Heels. He was a 2-time All-American, a 3-time All-ACC selection, and a 2-time ACC Player of the Year. Also, he won the ACC Tournament MVP twice.
Read More: Who is the best North Carolina player ever?
UNC vs Duke: Which All-Time Team Wins?
At first glance, you see Michael Jordan and instantly think North Carolina wins. We’ll have to admit, it’s hard to separate professional success from college. Michael Jordan was a great college player and an even greater NBA player. Arguably the greatest to ever play.
Looking at the matchup, Duke stacks up better than many people probably would initially think. North Carolina has star NBA players who didn’t even make the team like Vince Carter, Rasheed Wallace, and Jerry Stackhouse. The Carolina starting lineup has superstars in it but Duke’s lineup is full of winners. Guys with multiple national championships.
Final Verdict: At the end of the day, we think North Carolina has a slight edge. The combination of Ford, Jordan, and Hansbrough is an extremely tough matchup for anyone. At their peak, Carolina has elite scorers in Ford, Jordan, Jamison, and Hansbrough.
Regardless, it would be a great matchup. The Duke team is no joke with great scorers like JJ Redick and Jay Williams alongside a wing in Grant Hill who could play multiple positions.
Elton Brand was a beast on the boards and averaged 2.2 blocks per game in his second season at Duke before heading to the NBA. Brand matching up with Hansbrough in the paint would be fun to see. A best of 7 series between these two teams would likely go the distance and be highly entertaining.
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