North Carolina And Duke will play the first of its two games Saturday at the Dean Smith Center. The rivalry between North Carolina and Duke featured some of the greatest basketball players the sport has ever seen.
Both programs have produced numerous All-Americans and several members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. From Michael Jordan at North Carolina to Grant Hill at Duke, the list of legends is long.
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For fun, I put together a combined starting five of both programs. With so many great players to choose from, it was almost impossible to narrow it down to five – which only highlights how dominant these blue bloods have been.
Leader: Phil Ford, North Carolina
Phil Ford, arguably the greatest point guard in North Carolina history, was the face of Tar Heel basketball in the 1970s.
He made an immediate impact as a freshman, leading North Carolina to the 1975 ACC Tournament title and earning Most Outstanding Player honors. During four years in Chapel Hill, Ford guided the Tar Heels to a 99-24 record, three ACC regular season championships, two ACC tournament titles and a national runner-up finish in 1977. He led the ACC in assists in three of his four seasons and finished second as a freshman.
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Individually, Ford achieved one of the most decorated careers in program history. He was a three-time first-team All-ACC selection, a two-time first-team All-American selection and was named the 1978 ACC Player of the Year and winner of the Wooden Award. He graduated with 2,290 points and 753 assists, both school records at the time.
Duke has had its own elite point guards in Jay Williams and Bobby Hurley, but Ford has the edge. His sustained excellence over four years and overall production gives him the nod for this position.
Honorable mention: Jay Williams (Duke), Bobby Hurley (Duke), Ty Lawson (North Carolina), Raymond Felton (North Carolina)
Shooting guard: Michael Jordan, North Carolina
March 22, 1984; Atlanta, Georgia, United States; FILE PHOTO; The North Carolina Tar Heels guard Michael Jordan (23) in action against the Indiana Hoosiers during the 1984 NCAA Regional Semifinals at the Omni. The Hoosiers beat the Tar Heels 72-68. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Choosing a shooting guard might be the hardest choice of this entire exercise. North Carolina has deployed one elite No. 2 after another, and Duke counters with JJ Redick, one of the most explosive perimeter scorers the college game has ever seen, who twice won ACC Player of the Year and earned two All-America nominations. Despite this, the spot belongs to the greatest ever worn of Caroline blue.
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Michael Jordan announced himself on the biggest stage. As a freshman in 1982, he buried the nod against Georgetown in the national championship game, lifting Dean Smith to his first NCAA title and etching his name in Tar Heel history.
This moment was only the beginning. Jordan followed by becoming a two-time first-team All-ACC pick, two-time All-American and the dominant force in the college game. He won nearly every major national honor, including ACC Player of the Year, the Naismith Award and the Wooden Award, laying the foundation for a career that would redefine basketball at every level.
Honorable mention: JJ Redick (Duke), Johnny Dawkins (Duke), Charles Scott (North Carolina), Walter Davis (North Carolina)
Small Forward: Grant Hill, Duke
Another tough task, as both programs have had outstanding small forwards. For me, the best small forward from both schools is Carolina’s James Worthy and Duke’s Grant Hill. While Worthy is considered one of the top five Tar Heels of all time, Hill gets the nod here.
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Hill was instrumental on Duke’s 1991 and 1992 national championship teams and, most notably, threw the inbounds pass to Christian Laettner in Duke’s famous victory over Kentucky in the 1992 Elite Eight, which is considered the greatest shot in college basketball history. Even after Hurley and Laettner left, Hill led the Blue Devils back to the national championship game during his senior season in 1994, losing to Arkansas.
Hill averaged 15 points, six rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. He was named an All-American in 1993 and 1994 and was a three-time All-ACC selection. In his junior season, 1992-93, he averaged 18 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists. He also had 2.5 steals and 1.4 blocks per game, which was a big part of why he won NABC Defensive Player of the Year.
His best statistical year was his senior season, averaging 17.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.2 blocks. For his efforts, he was named the 1994 ACC Player of the Year.
Hill is also the only Duke player to be in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
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Honorable mention: Jayson Tatum (Duke), Lennie Rosenbluth (North Carolina), James Worthy (North Carolina)
Power forward: Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
DURHAM, NC – MARCH 8: Tyler Hansbrough #50 of the North Carolina Tar Heels goes down the field during the second half against the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 8, 2008 in Durham, North Carolina. North Carolina defeated Duke 76-68. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Leaving North Carolina’s most decorated player out of this lineup was never really an option.
Tyler Hansbrough ” was the heartbeat of the Tar Heels during one of the program’s most dominant periods. He led North Carolina to three straight Elite Eight appearances from 2007-09, back-to-back trips to the Final Four in 2008 and 2009, and capped his career with a national championship in 2009.
Hansbrough’s resume is nearly unmatched in ACC history. He was a three-time first-team All-American and the ACC National Player of the Year in 2008. He is also the only player ever named to the All-ACC first team in each of his four seasons.
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The production supported these accolades. Hansbrough shot 53.8% from the field in his career while averaging 20.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. His peak came in 2007-08, when he scored 22.6 points and 10.2 rebounds per game and won every major national player of the year award, including the Naismith and Wooden awards.
Honorable mention: Zion Williamson (Duke), Shanne Battier (Duke), Antawn Jamison (North Carolina)
Center: Christian Laettner, Duke
DECEMBER 7: Christian Laettner #32 of the Duke University Blue Devils prepares to shoot a free throw during an NCAA game against Canisius College on December 7, 1991. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)
Laettner is one of the first players that comes to mind when people think of Duke basketball other than Coach K. It also helps when you hit one of the most famous game-winning shots in college basketball history and it’s shown in almost every commercial every time March Madness starts.
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Laettner helped the Blue Devils to three straight Final Four appearances and back-to-back national championships in 1991 and 1992. He was also a two-time All-American, a two-time ACC Athlete of the Year and a three-time All-ACC selection.
His best season came in his last in 1991-92. He averaged 21.5 points on 57.5% shooting from the field while totaling 7.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 2.0 assists. For his efforts, he was named ACC Player of the Year and consensus National Player of the Year.
Honorable mention: Sam Perkins (North Carolina), Brad Daughtery (North Carolina), Danny Ferry (Duke), Elton Brand (Duke)
This article was originally published on Tar Heels Wire: UNC–Duke have combined all-time starting five
