North Carolina basketball: Ranking the 27 best Tar Heels of all time

CHAPEL HILL, NC - 1983: Michael Jordan #23 of the North Carolina Tar Heels sits in the huddle against the Clemson Tigers circa 1983 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1983 NBAE (Photo by Anthony Neste/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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(Original Caption) College basketball Player of the Year, Michael Jordan, is all smiles after he, along with coach Dean Smith, announced that Jordan would forego his senior year of eligibility at UNC to enter the NBA draft 6/19. /

The North Carolina Tar Heels have an extremely rich basketball tradition, but who makes the cut as the 27 best players in program history?

Since its inception in 1910, North Carolina Tar Heels basketball has seen an immense amount of success. They have more than earned their reputation as a blue blood program, ranking as one of the most successful programs in the country historically.

Name any metric and the Tar Heels likely rank near the top. Their 2,261 program wins rank third all-time behind Kentucky and Kansas. North Carolina’s six National Championships, with the most recent coming in 2017, is the third-most in college basketball history behind UCLA and Kentucky. More importantly, the Tar Heels have averaged more wins per season than any other program.

While North Carolina has had some of the all-time elite coaches pass through their ranks, college basketball teams don’t win without great players passing through the program. And to be sure, the Tar Heels have numerous all-time greats in the sport that have come through Chapel Hill.

light. Related Story. Ranking college basketball's blue bloods

Six former Tar Heels have been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Meanwhile, 14 players that donned Carolina blue have represented the United States in the Olympics. And, for good measure, former forward Julius Peppers is likely heading to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The point is, there is an immense amount of talent that has come through North Carolina basketball over the 109 years that the program has been in existence. But that begs the question: Who is the greatest Tar Heel in college basketball history?

To answer that question, we’re going to look at the 27 greatest players in the history of the program. This will weigh both the longevity of a player’s time with UNC, their overall production for the Tar Heels, the team’s success during a player’s career and their best season with the team. Most importantly, though, only college careers will be considered in formulating this list.

With the parameters out of the way, let’s dive into the best North Carolina basketball players in program history.