Top 10 UNC Basketball Players Since 1996

Last Friday, the Daily Tar Heel (UNC's student newspaper) compiled a list of the top 10 UNC basketball players in the school's history to celebrate the kickoff of the 100th season of Carolina Basketball. While the list seemed accurate and I have no major issues with inclusion or exclusion of any of the players, I also had only seen three of the players on the list play in the powder blue. Consequently, I took it upon myself to create a list of the top 10 players in UNC history since 1996, which was when I first began watching college basketball. Hopefully this list will be a little more relatable to those who did not see Rosenbluth, Ford, or even Jordan play at Carolina.

I'm sure the selections and order of this top 10 will create controversy regardless so while I'm trying to be objective, stats are not the ultimate determinant of inclusion and position on this list. Likewise, the NBA careers are irrelevant to me so don't complain how Forte does not belong on the list. Finally while some of the one and done 'ers have made an impact, none so far have managed to That out of the way, here we go. Lets count down backwards just for the sake of suspense.

10. Wayne Ellington- Before I delve in to the 10 spot, I want to give quick honorable mentions to Jackie Manuel, Danny Green, Shammond Williams and Rashad McCants all of whom were great college players. I went with Ellington over McCants because of his slightly better shooting, greater consistency, and more team-oriented attitude. Williams was every bit the shooter that Ellington was but the ring and a Final Four MOP win out. Ellington had one of the smoothest strokes in Tar Heel history, and was probably my favorite player on the 2009 title team.

Career College Stats:
14.7 Points Per Game
39.6 3-Point Field Goal Percentage

9. Brendan Haywood- In terms of sheer size and skill Haywood may be higher on this list. He made an impact on both sides of the ball. Heywood finished with the highest field goal percentage in ACC history and also recorded the first triple-double in UNC history. However as far as national recognition Haywood received only second-team all American recognition and was not involved in any title teams.

Career College Stats:
10.0 Points Per Game
6.0 Rebound Per Game
63.9 FG Percentage


8. Sean May- Like Haywood, May was a force in the post during his junior year of college after an inconsistent first couple seasons at Chapel Hill. May had some of the softest hands in college basketball and went strong to the basket both in scoring and rebounding. His junior season which included first team all American recognition, the Final Four MOP, and a national championship earns him the eighth spot on this list.

Career College Stats:
15.8 Points Per Game
10.0 Rebounds Per Game



7. Ty Lawson- In 100 years of basketball littered with talented point guards Lawson may be the fastest of them all. If looking for two plays that sum up his career as a Tar Heel I would point you to his crossover vs. LSU, and his last minute running buzzer beater against FSU. Lawson certainly belongs on this list and was perhaps more important than #50 to UNC's title run last year.

Career College Stats:
13.1 Points Per Game
5.8 Assists Per Game
1.8 Steals Per Game

6. Joseph Forte- Its hard to praise Forte without simultaneously wondering what could have been had he managed to stick around another year. Forte had great talent at the 2 guard position and played the game very well. He was the ACC freshman of the year and gained first team all American recognition his sophomore season. Had he stuck around he may have been national player of the year and the 8-20 season may never have happened. That said Forte was very good during his first two years at UNC and thus deserves recognition.

Career College Stats:
18.7 Points Per Game
5.8 Rebounds Per Game

5. Vince Carter- While Jordan will always be "his airness," Carter may be the most impressive and vicious dunker in UNC history (and he reminded us all of that at the UNC Alumni Game). Carter evolved as a player and in his junior year was one of the best players in the nation. He earned first team all American honors, but Vincantiy will always be most remembered for his ability to throw it down.

Career College Stats:
12.3 Points Per Game
36.8% 3-Point Field Goal Percentage
1.7 Highlight Reel Dunks Per Game (okay so I made that stat up)


4. Raymond Felton- Some may feel this is too high for Felton, who had a similar skill set to Lawson and received similar national recognition (All-American, Cousy Award). However, while Lawson could shoot and drive as well as Felton, Raymond was a better leader (especially as he had to satisfy McCants) and better defender and thus earns a spot above Lawson. Like Lawson, Felton not only excelled as a scorer but also as a passer, averaging 6.9 assists per game during his junior season.

Career College Stats:
12.5 Points Per Game
6.9 Assists Per Game

3. Ed Cota- One thing I felt the DTH definaltey got right was honoring Cota among their top 10. While he averaged a respectable 9.1 points per game, he was the embodiment of a pass first guard. He was honored as the ACC freshman of the year and through his career he became the first player to score 1,000 points, and have 1,000 assists and 500 rebounds in a career. While Jamison, Carter, and Haywood mad the highlight dunks and shots, it was often Cota who was the one setting these plays up.

Career College Stats:
7.5 Assists Per Game

2. Antawn Jamison- One on one I would take Jamison every day over the #1 player on this list. Jamison has a knack for scoring and was widely acknowledged as the best player on a team that included Carter, Haywood, and Cota. He was named national player of the year and was also a class act who represented UNC well on and off the court.

Career College Stats:
19.0 Points Per Game
9.9 Rebounds Per Game






1. Tyler Hansbrough- If this were a list for most athletic or most exciting players, Hansbrough would have trouble cracking the top 10. However it is pretty much impossible to put anyone above Psycho T on this list. He has the edge in statistics, awards, and national championships over everyone on this list. He Holds the ACC record for points scored and holds the NCAA record for free throws made. Hansbrough gets the top spot on this list and deserves consideration as the best UNC player of all time.

Career College Stats:
20.2 Points Per Game
8.6 Rebounds Per Game
79.1 Free Throw Percentage
0.7 Contacts Lost Per Game

Same Old Tar Heel Football

During my walk back to my apartment from Kenan Stadium, after watching the Tar Heels look completely incompetent on offense for the second week in a row, I heard the fans around me assigning blame and offering their personal suggestions on how to help a team that now looks to be in danger of another losing record after a promising 3-0 start. From "We need to fire Butch, a team is only as good as its coach" to "Yates is chickenshit outside of the pocket," every Carolina fan seemed to have an opinion.

What's my opinion on this team? On defense I think we deserve the credit we have been given. Throughout the first 3 quarters the defense limited the Cavaliers to three field goals, all of which were longer than 35 yards. For the second week in a row the defense allowed a back breaking touchdown drive in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach. While this shows we are not a premiere defense in college football, the blame falls partly on the offense for these drives. In the past two weeks there have been WAY too many 3 and outs which gives the defense little rest. By the time the 4th quarter rolls around, even the most talented of defenses would be tired from having to be on the field in the heat for so long. All in all the defense is not something that should overly concern most Tar Heel fans. Holding a team to 16 points should be good enough for a team to win the game.

The offense is a different matter. I said a week ago in my NFL picks post that the Cleveland Browns would have trouble scoring in a brothel. Well right now I think the Tar Heels would have trouble scoring in a postapocalyptic world in which only strippers had survived. For my money there are three main people (or groups of people) that need to be held responsible for the fact that our offense has been absolutely putrid. The first is the offensive line. The line cannot run block or protect the passer effectively at this point. Shaun Draughn is a quick back like Willie Parker who will excell when the offensive line creates holes but does not run North-South and break tackles effectively (more on the RB situation in a moment). Their line's pass protection is no better and Yates rarely got time to let plays develop and was often flushed out of the pocket (where as my fellow fan so eloquently put it "he is chickenshit"). While this lack of protection certainly limited his effectivesness, Yates also deserves some of the blame for the offense. Yates hardly threw anything more than 5 yards down the field all game and always checked down. While I occasionally get annoyed with Ben Roethlisberger's unecessary sacks at least he is willing to chuck the ball down field and find open receivers. Yates is a mediocre pocket passer who can play fairly well with protection, but most of the promise he showed early last year seems to be more a consequence of a better offensive line and the best wideout in UNC history. UNC does have talented freshman wideouts in Highsmith and Boyd (Greg Little is a good slot reciever but has not lived up to his high recruiting ranking) but they are obviously not at Nicks' level just yet.

More than anyone though, John Shoop deserves the bulk of the blame for the offensive ineptitude. Shoop is at least partially responsible for the overabundance of swing passes that netted hardly any yards. He decided to keep Shaun Draughn in when Draughn obviously could not consistently run the ball instead of putting in the tougher Ryan Houston. He continued to attempt a wildcat offense that has so far only netted one big play all year (the pass to Boyd from AJ Blue against ECU). He never took advantage of the fact that the running game was picking up late in the game by trying for play action. He (or perhaps Butch Davis) refused to go for it on 4th and a foot from the UNC 40 in the 4th quarter when the Tar Heels were down by six and had Ryan Houston who had just converted an earlier 4th and 1. Ultimately Shoop is like a timid 12 year old kid playing Madden who is just trying to get some yards and never actually getting agressive in his play calling. While Yates and the offensive line still have time to improve, Shoop needs to be shown the door.

So where does this put the Tar Heels for the rest of the season. Well unless the team is really awful they should get a win against Georgia Southern next weekend. That would put the Heels at 4-2 (but 0-2 in the ACC). The issue is after Georgia Southern, the only game left in which the Tar Heels can be expected to win is Duke, and the Blue Devils may actually be playing better football right now. Unless things change we could certainly be looking at a 5-7 or even 4-8 season in a year where many expected UNC to get 8 or 9 wins. However don't abandon all hope just yet. With better play calling the offense does have enough talent to improve and the defense should keep us in games. Ultimately though we have to get away from what we have been doing the past two weeks, which is playing the same old Tar Heel football.

VFSS's OFFICIAL NFL SEASON PREVIEW

Ever since starting this blog last February I have looked forward to the arrival of the 2009 football season. While I enjoyed being able to share my thoughts on the college basketball season and UNC's run to the title, the NFL is not only the sport I know the most about, but also the one which I most thoroughly enjoy. Now after the doldrums that is the NFL offseason and the horrible impostor that is the NFL preseason, the real thing finally arrives this week as the Titans and Steelers kick things off at Heinz Feild in the Steel City Thursday night. I will post picks for each week of the season on Fridays on this blog (or Thursdays depending on the schedule). Anyways to kick off here's my predictions for the 2009 season. I'll post the standings for each division followed by a brief paragraph on my thoughts on that division.

DISCLAIMER: I did actually go through the 2009 schedule and pick every game, so the records reflect those picks and are not arbitrarily assigned. *'s represent wild card teams.

AFC
AFC North
Pittsburgh 13-3
*Baltimore 12-4
Cincinnati 7-9
Cleveland 3-13

The AFC North produced the two participants in last year's AFC title game in Baltimore and Pittsburgh and all indications point to those two teams being among the class of the AFC once again this year. The Steelers return almost the same roster that won the Lombardi Trophy last year and actually may have upgraded that team by replacing the aging Larry Foote with uber-athletic Lawrence Timmons. Also keep an eye out for CFL prospect Stefan Logan who made the Steelers roster by being absolutely electrifying on returns during the preseason. Many thought the Ravens may take a step back after losing Bart Scott and Rex Ryan, but the defense has looked intimidating as ever in the preseason and Joe Flacco appears poised to have a stellar sophomore campaign in 2009. The Bengals should be a solid team with a good defense composed of two young stars at corner (Leon Hall and Jonathan Josepth) and two more at linebacker (Rey Maualuga and Keith Rivers). Unfortunately Cincinnati runs into Baltimore and Pittsburgh twice a year so their shot at the playoffs is slim. Cleveland looks to once again be going nowhere fast and should end up at the bottom of the division.

AFC East
New England 13-3
Miami 6-10
New York Jets 3-13
Buffalo Bills 3-13

With Tom Brady back and some upgrades on both sides of the ball (Fred Taylor, Shawn Springs) the Patriots look to have a chance to regain their 2007 form, a scary thought for the rest of the league. The offense should once again be explosive, however the defense is young and lacks veteran leadership after the departures of Vrabel, Bruschi, and Seymour this offseason. The Dolphins will take a step back based on the tougher conference schedule and the return of Brady for the Pats. The Jets will most likely struggle due to the same factors coupled with a rookie quarterback at the helm. The Bills have shown no semblance of an offense this offeseason and look to pick in the top 5 of next year's draft.

AFC South
Jacksonville 11-5
*Indianapolis 11-5
Houston 10-6
Tennessee 8-8

The AFC south looks to be an absolute powerhouse this year with no teams projected to finish below .500 in my preview. The Jaguars are my sleeper team of 2009, as they were decimated by injuries last season and now return a more healthy team that finally has a legitimate receiver in Torry Holt. While many feel Holt is on the downside of his career, he is a talented route runner with good hands who can fulfill a similar role as Derrick Mason does in Baltimore. Peyton Manning no longer has the options he used to at wideout, but the addition of Donald Brown along with Manning's ability should earn the Colts the second wild card this season. The Texans are a chic pick to make the playoffs and just miss out to the Colts and the Jags. I expect Tennessee to regress as Kerry Collins rarely puts together back to back solid seasons and the loss of Albert Haynesworth will slightly downgrade the defense from last season.

AFC West
San Diego 11-5
Kansas City 6-10
Oakland 5-11
Denver 4-12

Many experts say the Chargers have the most talented roster in the NFL this season and have picked the Bolts to win it all this year. However as they have been saying that for the past 5 years I hesitate to crown them until they actually make it to the Super Bowl. San Diego should have three legitimate candidates for comeback player of the year in Merriman (if he stops choking reality television stars), Cromartie, and LaDainian Tomlinson. The defense will be improved and the offense has talent at all the skill positions. The rest of the AFC west makes me sad for football as three proud franchises are all floundering. Kansas City shows the most promise for the future but I don't expect any more than 6 wins this year. Oakland continues to horrendously overpay for players doomed to disappear in the Black Hole (see Javon Walker, DeAngelo Hall, Randy Moss, and most likely Richard Seymour). Denver has fallen the furthest going from having one of the most promising young QB-WR duos in Cutler and Marshall a year ago to now having the less than impressive duo of Kyle Orton and Eddie Royal (who to be fair is a good player).

NFC
NFC North
Green Bay 11-5
*Chicago 11-5
Minnesota 8-8
Detroit 2-14

Green Bay was a much better team than their record indicated and the Packers look to take a Lambeau Leap into the playoffs this year in Aaron Rogers second season as the starting quarterback and the defensive shift to a 3-4 (which we here at VFSS are very supportive of). Chicago almost made the playoffs last year and the addition of Cutler finally brings the Windy City a legitimate quarterback, even if he is a bit of a baby. The Vikings have become a sexy pick with Peterson and Favre but I am banking on Favre breaking down by late October and turning into an interception machine. The Lions manage to get some wins this season but still end up picking first next April.

NFC East
Philadelphia 11-5
*New York Giants 11-5
Dallas 10-6
Washington 3-13

The NFC East again perhaps the most talented division. While Washington looks to take a step backwards the Eagles, Giants, and Cowboys all are legitimate contenders in the NFC. The Eagles have one of the quickest and athletic offenses in the league with weapons such as Westbrook, McCoy, DeSean Jackson, Maclin, and of course Michael Vick. The Giants have issues at wide receiver but I expect Nicks or Manningham to step up as the top option by midseason, and ultimately their defense is so good (Osi comes back healthy to join Tuck) they don't have to light up the scoreboard. Dallas falls just short of the playoffs, hopefully due to a punt hitting the Texas-sized scoreboard.

NFC South
Atlanta 11-5
New Orleans 10-6
Carolina 8-8
Tampa Bay 6-10

Atlanta manages to win the division as Matt Ryan continues to emerge as the leader of a potent offense with Turner, White, and Gonzalez all as Pro Bowl caliber weapons. The Saints do make a jump this year with a slightly improved defense, but still fall short of the playoffs. The Panthers who only a couple years back had one of the best defensive lines in the league look to be susceptible to the rushing game, and Jake Delhomme also makes the Panthers susceptible to any team with a secondary who can catch a football. The Buccaneers look to be in a transition phase under a new coach and the firing of an offensive coordinator right before the season never seems to bode well.

NFC West
Arizona 9-7
Seattle 8-8
St. Louis 6-10
San Francisco 4-12

Arizona once again sneaks into the playoffs with a sub-par record by winning the weakest division in the NFC. All the teams in the division look to be improved, but a daunting schedule and a recurring lack of talent prevents any team from supplanting the Cardinals. Arizona remains a team that will be inconsistent but dangerous if they make it to the playoffs. Seattle looks to be improved and has the best chance to overtake the Cardinals for the division title. The Rams should improve with a better defense and a healthy Stephen Jackson but still are not ready to be a playoff team. San Francisco is in a building stage under Mike Singletary and could make a leap in a couple years but not this season.
Playoff Predictions
AFC
1) NE
2) PIT
3) SD
4) JAC
5) BAL
6) IND

NFC
1) PHI
2) GB
3) ATL
4) ARZ
5) NYG
6) CHI

Bracket: