North Carolina basketball: 5 Tar Heels who didn’t live up to the NBA hype

UNC Basketball NBA Busts: Joseph Forte

While Joseph Forte may have only played two years in Chapel Hill, that was long enough for the sharp-shooting guard to establish himself as a college basketball star. He made an immediate impact on the Tar Heels — including helping to make a Final Four run as a freshman — and didn’t let up for the entire time that he donned the jersey.

Forte came onto the scene in the 1999-2000 season and showed he was the goods right away. The talented Maryland native put up 16.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game in that first season while shooting 50.4 percent from the field and 35.9 percent from deep. That was good enough to earn him All-ACC and ACC Rookie of the Year honors.

Though the Tar Heels didn’t end up having as much success as a team in Forte’s sophomore season, he was still a stud in his own right. Averaging 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and two steals per night, Forte was able to earn another All-ACC selection but was also named ACC Player of the Year for his efforts.

Following his abrupt departure from North Carolina, Forte was selected No. 21 overall pick in the 2001 draft by the Boston Celtics. However, he lasted only two NBA seasons as he couldn’t handle point guard or combo guard responsibilities. He bounced around several international leagues but never became the player he looked like he could be while he suited up for the Tar Heels.