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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CHAPEL HILL, NC – NOVEMBER 17: Ramses, mascot of the North Carolina Tar Heels cheers fans during a game against the Belmont Bruins on November 17, 2013 at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Belmont won 83-80. (Photo by Peyton Williams/UNC/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NC – NOVEMBER 17: Ramses, mascot of the North Carolina Tar Heels cheers fans during a game against the Belmont Bruins on November 17, 2013 at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Belmont won 83-80. (Photo by Peyton Williams/UNC/Getty Images) /

6. James Worthy (1979-82)

James Worthy was the best player on North Carolina’s 1981-82 National Championship team that also featured Sam Perkins and some guy named Michael Jordan.

Worthy averaged 14.5 PPG and 7.4 RPG on 54.1% shooting over his three-year career, which culminated with being named the Most Outstanding Player of the 1982 Final Four and proceeding to be the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft by the Lakers. Worthy was UNC’s first-ever No. 1 overall draft pick.

Although not his most statistically impressive, Worthy’s most important collegiate performance came in the 1982 national title game, dropping 28 points on Patrick Ewing and Georgetown—and the legend of “Big Game James” was born.  Worthy was also instrumental in the team’s run to the 1981 National Championship game, which they ended up losing to Indiana.