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North Carolina basketball: 5 best seasons in UNC Tar Heels history, ranked

By Cody Williams

9 FEB 1993: AN ANIMATED NORTH CAROLINA HEAD COACH DEAN SMITH COMPLAINS FROM THE SIDELINE DURING THE TARHEELS ACC GAME AGAINST THE MARYLAND TERRAPINS AT COLLEG PARK, MARYLAND. Mandatory Credit: Doug Pensinger/ALLSPORT
9 FEB 1993: AN ANIMATED NORTH CAROLINA HEAD COACH DEAN SMITH COMPLAINS FROM THE SIDELINE DURING THE TARHEELS ACC GAME AGAINST THE MARYLAND TERRAPINS AT COLLEG PARK, MARYLAND. Mandatory Credit: Doug Pensinger/ALLSPORT /
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Best North Carolina basketball seasons
North Carolina Tar Heels (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

2. 2008-09 North Carolina basketball season

Final Record: 34-4 | Result: National Champions (def. Michigan State, 89-72)

In the simplest terms possible, the 2008-09 North Carolina basketball squad was a team of destiny. They came into the season as the No. 1 ranked team in the country as Tyler Hansbrough, arguably the greatest Tar Heel in program history was rejoined by Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green for one last go at a title after losing to Kansas in the Final Four the year prior.

The non-conference schedule was not an issue for the Heels this season as they won the Maui Invitational and largely steamrolled the rest of their competition. However, they seemingly tried to sleepwalk through ACC play early on, dropping games to inferior Boston College and Wake Forest teams. Those were two of only three losses in the regular season, though, the other coming against Maryland in overtime.

With Lawson injured — or resting for the NCAA Tournament — UNC was ousted in the ACC Tournament by Florida State. That didn’t stop them from being a No. 1 seed in the tourney. And that’s when this team truly started to look legendary as they weren’t ever all that challenged.

North Carolina beat Radford by 43 points, LSU by 14 points, Gonzaga by 21 points, Oklahoma by 12 points and Villanova by 14 points. That set up a date with Michigan State for the National Championship, a Spartans team that the Heels dismantled in the regular season. While it wasn’t as hearty of a beatdown this time around, UNC remained dominant with an 89-72 season to complete a storybook run for Hansbrough and one of the greatest Tar Heels teams ever.