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.
The North Carolina Tar Heels have had tremendous success in the program’s history and have produced some of the best college basketball players in the country throughout the years. Where do greats like Michael Jordan and Phil Ford rank? Let’s rank the top 10 UNC basketball players of all time.
10. Larry Miller – SF
Years at UNC: 1965-68
Larry Miller averaged 21.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game in 91 games at UNC and played in the 1968 national championship game. He was a two-time All-American, a two-time ACC Player of the Year, and a two-time ACC Tournament MVP.
Miller also made three All-ACC Tournament Teams in a career that landed him in the top 10 in UNC history in points per game, field goals made, free throws made, and rebounds per game.
9. Billy Cunningham – SF/PF
Years at UNC: 1962-1965
Billy Cunningham was one of the best scorers and rebounders in the country during his Tar Heel days as he scored 24.8 points and grabbed 15.4 rebounds per game in his career. He was the 1964-65 ACC Player of the Year and made the All-ACC Team three times in his career.
Cunningham holds the UNC record for career rebounds per game and is in the top five all-time for total rebounds and points per game.
See Cunningham’s career stats.
8. Lennie Rosenbluth – SF
Years at UNC: 1954-57
Lennie Rosenbluth put up insane career numbers of 26.9 points and 10.4 rebounds while leading UNC to a national title as a junior in 1957. Rosenbluth still holds the career scoring record at North Carolina and ripped off 28 points per game during his national championship run as a junior.
Rosenbluth was the 1956-57 ACC Player of the Year, an All-American, and was a three-time All-ACC selection. Also, he won an ACC Tournament MVP. Rosenbluth scored 20 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in UNC’s title win over Wilt Chamberlain and Kansas in triple overtime.
See Rosenbluth’s career stats.
7. James Worthy – SF
Years at UNC: 1979-82
James Worthy led UNC to the 1982 national title and was the NCAA Tournament’s Most Oustanding Player before being the first overall pick in the 1982 NBA Draft by the Lakers. Worthy averaged 14.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in his career with the Tar Heels.
He was an All-American, made two All-ACC Teams, and collected an ACC Tournament MVP in his career. Worthy reached the national championship game as a sophomore and junior while scoring 28 points in the victory over Georgetown in 1982.
6. Sam Perkins – PF
Years at UNC: 1980-84
Sam Perkins had a tremendous career at North Carolina that spanned 135 games including a national championship victory over Georgetown with Michael Jordan and James Worthy. Perkins averaged 15.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks in his UNC career.
Perkins was a three-time All-American, three-time All-ACC, and the ACC Rookie of the Year in 1980-81. He also made the All-ACC Tourney Team three times and won an ACC Tournament MVP Award.
5. Charlie Scott – SG
Years at UNC: 1967-70
Charlie Scott could score with the best of them as he averaged 22.1 points per game in his career including 27.1 as a senior. Scott also grabbed 7.1 rebounds per game in his career as he was named a two-time All-American and earned All-ACC honors three times.
Scott was an ACC Tournament MVP and played in a national championship game along with a national semifinal in his time with the Tar Heels. He ranks in the top 10 in UNC history in career points, career points per game, and field goals made.
4. Antawn Jamison – PF
Years at UNC: 1995-98
Antawn Jamison was the star player on back-to-back Final Four teams for UNC in 1997 and 1998 while averaging 19 points and 9.9 rebounds in his three-year career with the Tar Heels. Jamison was a two-time All-American and the 1997-98 AP Player of the Year.
He also collected the ACC Player of the Year, made the All-ACC Team three times, and was an ACC Tournament MVP. Jamison collected the Wooden and Naismith Awards along with the Rupp Trophy in his great career.
3. Michael Jordan – SG
Years at UNC: 1981-84
You might think we are crazy for having the greatest basketball player of all time at number three, but the accolades of the top two players on this list are no joke as you’ll see in a moment.
As for Michael Jordan, he was great at North Carolina winning the AP Player of the Year in 1983-84 along with the Naismith and Wooden Awards that same season. Jordan hit the game-winning shot in the 1982 national title game in which UNC beat Georgetown 63-62 to cap off his freshman season.
Jordan averaged 17.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.7 steals during his time at UNC while earning two All-American nods as well as two selections to the All-ACC Team and the ACC Player of the Year.
2. Phil Ford – PG
Years at UNC: 1974-78
Phil Ford had a tremendous four-year career at UNC in which he averaged 18.6 points, 6.1 assists, and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 52.7% from the field. Ford was an All-ACC selection three times, made the ACC All-Tournament squad four times, and was the 1977-78 ACC Player of the Year.
The accolades don’t stop there as Ford was a three-time All-American and won the Wooden Award along with an ACC Tournament MVP. As a junior, he led North Carolina to the NCAA championship game where the Tar Heels fell to Marquette.
Ford was the first player in ACC history to score over 2,000 points and have at least 600 assists.
See Ford’s career stats.
1. Tyler Hansbrough – C
Years at UNC: 2005-09
There really is no doubt who ranks number one on this list. Tyler Hansbrough is the greatest UNC basketball player of all time. As a four-year player, Hansbrough won a National Championship and collected an insane amount of accolades along the way.
Hansbrough was the AP Player of the Year, a four-time All-American, and had four All-ACC selections. He won the Wooden Award, Naismith Award, and Rupp Trophy as well as the ACC Player of the Year. As a senior, he led North Carolina to a 34-4 record capped off with an 89-72 win over Michigan State in the national title game.
Hansbrough averaged 20.2 points per game for his career along with 8.6 rebounds. He played in the Elite Eight as a sophomore, the Final Four as a junior, and won the title as a senior.
See Hansbrough’s career stats.
