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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CHAPEL HILL, NC – 1938: George Glamack #20 of the North Carolina Tar Heels poses for an action portrait circa 1938 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Collegiate Images/Getty Images) /

14. George Glamack (1938-41)

George Glamack, the other pre-ACC era player that joins Jack Cobb in these rankings, is one of the most fascinating stories in the history of North Carolina basketball. Yes, he was obviously a great player, largely due to his size at 6-foot-7, a height that allowed him to dwarf many of his contemporaries in that era. However, Glamack achieved his basketball success while having notably poor eyesight.

Throughout his playing career, Glamack earned the nickname the Blind Bomber because of his poor vision. Rather than seeing the ball, rim and so on clearly, the big man actually had to allegedly rely on looking at the lines on the court to get his bearings and judge the distance of his patented hook shot. You can’t make this kind of stuff up.

In terms of his accomplishments, though, Glamack did more than just makes shots while not being able to see well. The Johnstown, PA native was named the Helms Foundation Player of the Year (the top individual honor at the time) two years in a row in 1940 and 1941. Furthermore, he led UNC to a Southern Conference title and NCAA tourney appearance in his final season with the Heels.

Most importantly, Glamack’s No. 20 is one of only eight numbers to have been retired by North Carolina in the history of the program. While the era he played in docks him a little bit in these rankings, Glamack clearly earned his place among the best Tar Heels to ever play.