Fansided

Ranking the top 30 UNC basketball players in program history

By Cooper Watson

CHAPEL HILL, NC - MARCH 7: Michael Jordan kisses former coach Dean Smith of the North Carolina Tar Heels during a halftime ceremony honoring the 1993 national championship team during a game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at the Dean Smith Center on March 7, 2007 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NC - MARCH 7: Michael Jordan kisses former coach Dean Smith of the North Carolina Tar Heels during a halftime ceremony honoring the 1993 national championship team during a game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at the Dean Smith Center on March 7, 2007 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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MEMPHIS, TN – MARCH 29: Ty Lawson #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels cuts off a piece of the net after defeating the Oklahoma Sooners during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament South Regional Final at the FedExForum on March 29, 2009 in Memphis, Tennessee. The Tar Heels defeated the Sooners 72-60 to advance to the Final Four. (Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images)
MEMPHIS, TN – MARCH 29: Ty Lawson #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels cuts off a piece of the net after defeating the Oklahoma Sooners during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament South Regional Final at the FedExForum on March 29, 2009 in Memphis, Tennessee. The Tar Heels defeated the Sooners 72-60 to advance to the Final Four. (Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images) /

12. Ty Lawson (2006-09)

Ty Lawson is instantly recognizable as one of the fastest players to ever come through Chapel Hill. His career achievements are unmatched by any of the great point guards who played under Roy Williams at North Carolina.

Lawson was the starting point guard a freshman and sophomore, averaging 11.3 PPG and 5.4 APG. Those two teams went 67-10, making the Elite Eight in 2007 and the Final Four in 2008. They won the ACC regular season and tournament title both years.

As a junior, Lawson won ACC Player of the Year, averaging 16.6 PPG and 6.6 APG. That 2008-09 team, led by Lawson and Tyler Hansbrough, was one of the most dominant National Champions of the modern era, winning all six NCAA Tournament games by double-digits.

Despite playing only three seasons, Lawson ranks seventh in UNC history in assists and ninth in steals—one of the best true point guards and perimeter defenders in program history.