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UNC Basketball: Top 4 players in Tar Heel history

CHAPEL HILL, NC - NOVEMBER 29: The mascot of the North Carolina Tar Heels in action against the Michigan Wolverines during their game at Dean Smith Center on November 29, 2017 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NC - NOVEMBER 29: The mascot of the North Carolina Tar Heels in action against the Michigan Wolverines during their game at Dean Smith Center on November 29, 2017 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
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DETROIT – APRIL 06: Tyler Hansbrough #50 of the North Carolina Tar Heels celebrates with fans as he run off the court after the Tar Heels 89-72 win against the Michigan State Spartans during the 2009 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship game at Ford Field on April 6, 2009 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
DETROIT – APRIL 06: Tyler Hansbrough #50 of the North Carolina Tar Heels celebrates with fans as he run off the court after the Tar Heels 89-72 win against the Michigan State Spartans during the 2009 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship game at Ford Field on April 6, 2009 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Few programs have brought in as much talent over the years as UNC Basketball. But which former Tar Heels rise to the top as “best ever”?

As college basketball fans prepare to sit in front of their TV’s or watch their teams live from an arena, one thing remains constant. The one factor that brings all sports fans together, is the topic of debate. The debate stems around several topics within the sports landscape especially the topic of who the best players to ever play for a university were. “Debate” is why sports are so great and will almost always elicit an all-inclusive conversation.

The North Carolina Tar Heels are one of the most storied programs in all of college basketball. The program has seen Hall of Fame coaches, hall of fame players, and numerous National Championships. The passionate fan base has a foothold in many states throughout the nation. The number of talented players that have donned the Carolina Blue and White is multi-faceted. Many of these players have played in the NBA, some have gone into coaching, and some have left the game after their college career was over.

Picking the best four players to play for the Tar Heels was a tough task. For this exercise, the one rule that was considered was that each player needed to be on campus for longer than a year. No “one and done” players were considered for this exercise. The overall contribution to the university and the game of basketball was also considered. There was consideration of trying to accommodate a different era with each player but was not a deciding factor.

Since only four players were chosen, the following players were considered but were not part of the final four:

Rasheed Wallace

Jerry Stackhouse

Antwan Jamison

Bob McAdoo

Hubert Davis

Rick Fox

Sam Perkins

Tyler Hansbrough

Shammond Williams

The players below are the four best players to ever play for the University of North Carolina: