Busting Brackets
Fansided

UNC Basketball: Top 4 players in Tar Heel history

By Bryan Mauro

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) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next
GREENSBORO, NC – FEBRUARY 05: Theo Pinson #1 of the North Carolina Tar Heels warms up before the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the Greensboro Coliseum on February 5, 2017 in Greensboro, North Carolina. The game, originally scheduled to be played on February 4 at the Dean Smith Center, was moved after a water emergency was declared in Chapel Hill. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
GREENSBORO, NC – FEBRUARY 05: Theo Pinson #1 of the North Carolina Tar Heels warms up before the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the Greensboro Coliseum on February 5, 2017 in Greensboro, North Carolina. The game, originally scheduled to be played on February 4 at the Dean Smith Center, was moved after a water emergency was declared in Chapel Hill. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

4. Phil Ford

Ford was the best player to play for the legendary Dean Smith. The point guard from Rocky Mount, North Carolina had a decorated 4-year career as a Tar Heel. Ford was the first freshman under Dean Smith to start a game, and also not play on the junior varsity team. His freshman season he helped lead the Tarheels to an ACC tournament championship. Ford was the first freshman in the history of the ACC to win the ACC Tournament Most Valuable Player. Ford followed up his stellar freshman season with an even better sophomore season. That season ended with a gold medal playing for Team USA in the 1976 Olympics.

The point guard already had a decorated career by the time he was a senior. His senior year Ford was awarded the Wooden Award for the best player in all of College basketball. When he left Chapel Hill he was the all-time leader in points scored with 2,290. He also was the leader in career assists with 750. These records no longer stand at the university, but Ford set the precedent for greatness. Any fan who looks in the rafters will notice Fords number 12 hanging from the rafters. The point guard did enough to have his number retired.

After leaving North Carolina, Ford was the second overall pick by the Kansas City Kings in the 1978 NBA Draft. The point guard would have a successful seven-year career playing for the Kings, Nets, and Rockets. Over the span of his NBA career, Ford accomplished a lot. He was named the rookie of the year after the 1979 season. For his career, he averaged just over 11 points per game and just over 6 assists per game.

Home/North Carolina Tar Heels