ACC Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)

23. Luke Maye

A 6’8 forward from Huntersville, Maye stayed in his home state of North Carolina and spent his collegiate career with the Tar Heels. Playing under Roy Williams from 2015 to 2019, Maye was an afterthought on the bench early in his career but developed into a major force, both in the ACC and at the national level for this program.

Maye scored just 40 points as a freshman and had limited run as a sophomore, but the Tar Heels would play in the national championship game in both seasons, with Maye contributing a few double-digit scoring efforts (and a game-winning shot) in North Carolina’s 2017 title run. With his insertion into the starting lineup as a junior, Maye became a major presence, averaging 16.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. He’d average a double-double again as a senior and lead North Carolina to the Sweet Sixteen.

A national champion, Maye was twice given All-ACC honors and was the conference’s top rebounder as both a junior and senior. He developed from an underused prospect into one of the nation’s best frontcourt weapons by the end of his career and certainly carved a spot in program history, especially with his shot against Kentucky to send the Tar Heels to the Final Four in 2017.