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 – FEBRUARY 20: North Carolina Tar Heels fans storm the court after a win over the Duke Blue Devils during their game at the Dean Smith Center on February 20, 2014 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. North Carolina won 74-66. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NC – FEBRUARY 20: North Carolina Tar Heels fans storm the court after a win over the Duke Blue Devils during their game at the Dean Smith Center on February 20, 2014 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. North Carolina won 74-66. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

2. Phil Ford (1974-78)

Phil Ford is undeniably the greatest point guard in UNC history.

Individually, he is second all-time in scoring (2,290) and third in assists (753) in UNC history. He ranks eleventh and ninth in ACC history in scoring and assists, respectively.

Over four seasons his teams went 99-25 and won three ACC regular season and two ACC Tournament titles. The Heels also made the national championship in 1977 but ended up falling to Butch Lee and Marquette. It is also worth mentioning that Ford played the last three games of the 1977 NCAA Tournament injured, significantly impacting his production and UNC’s subsequent ability to take down Marquette.

The following season (1977-78), Ford won four of the six major National Player of the Year awards, becoming the first North Carolina guard to win NPOY. Ford made All-ACC First Team three times. He was a two-time consensus first-team All-American and one-time consensus second-team All-American. Ford was also the first freshman to ever start his first career game under Dean Smith, further illustrating his consistency and ability across his entire four-year career in Chapel Hill.