North Carolina recently called itself NCAA Basketball’s preeminent program for producing point guards. Are the Tar Heels accurate in their self-assessment?
There are over 350 Division 1 men’s NCAA Basketball programs. There are only five traditional positions on the basketball court. So it takes a lot of confidence for one program to declare itself the best in the nation for producing players at one of those positions.
Confidence, however, is not something that is lacking in the culture at North Carolina.
This is the school that was home to Michael Jordan, James Worthy and Vince Carter, among other all-time greats. With six NCAA Tournament championships, 20 Final Four appearances and 97 former players with NBA experience, UNC wouldn’t necessarily be out of bounds to call itself the No. 1 program in college basketball, period, producing the best players at every position.
Jordan’s name alone gives UNC a solid argument for producing the best shooting guards, but last week the Tar Heels’ official Twitter and Instagram accounts each posted a highlight reel titled “Point Guard U.”
Point Guard U#CarolinaFamily #PGU pic.twitter.com/i1m5XywjqF
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) May 26, 2020
Just under a minute long, the video makes a compelling case that UNC really is the place to be if you’re a point guard.
Coby White, the No. 7 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, makes an appearance. Cole Anthony, possibly a top-3 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, also has a cameo. Old-school legends like Phil Ford and more recent stars like Kendall Marshall are also featured in the clip.
Does Carolina really have the strongest claim to be Point Guard U?
Considering the success of their past players while they were in college and later in the pros, how many D-1 programs can make a legitimate case for that crown? Here are the top 10 in my view: