NCAA Basketball: Ranking of 20 best college teams from last 20 years
By Joey Loose
4. 2005 North Carolina
North Carolina opened the season with an 11-point loss to Santa Clara, but this pain was long forgotten by the season’s end. A talented and experienced roster put the pieces together, becoming the best team in college basketball, winning the ACC regular-season title and eventually a first national championship for coach Roy Williams.
The talent started with Sean May (17.5 ppg, 10.7 rpg), who had a phenomenal junior season and was the Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament, but he was far from alone. The top five on the roster were all double-digit scorers who were stars in high school. Forwards Jawad Williams (13.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg) and Marvin Williams (11.3 ppg, 6.6 rpg) were joined in the backcourt by junior guards Rashad McCants (16.0 ppg) and Raymond Felton (12.9 ppg, 6.9 apg). All five players would see time in the NBA, though some more than others.
North Carolina returned a ton of talent from the prior season and put that talent in excellent position. That journey to cutting down the nets saw them taking out Villanova, Wisconsin, and Michigan State before winning the title against a very good Illinois squad, one that we’ve already reflected upon. The Tar Heels were the best offensive team in the country, winning more than half of their games in blowout fashion, and had a lineup full of firepower.