UNC Basketball: Top 5 UNC small forwards of all time
The North Carolina Tar Heels have been blessed with many great players. There are so many small forwards to play at UNC but who are the best of the best?
In all honesty, this list could do a disservice to the great players whose names were omitted. The purpose of this article is to pay homage to the top five greatest small forwards ever to play at UNC.
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#5 – Jerry Stackhouse, UNC (1993-1995)
Jerry Stackhouse was a star before he stepped into the Dean Dome.
As a high school player in Kinston, North Carolina he made a name for himself because of his basketball prowess. Stackhouse signed autographs to children as a high school scholar athlete.
Fast forward to college.
Stackhouse was a freshman on the 1993-94 Tar Heels squad that was supposed to defend their national championship from the previous year. Although they fell short, Stackhouse made sure that his presence was felt.
Stackhouse was the MVP of the 1994 ACC Tournament. In the following season, Stackhouse led UNC to the 1995 Final Four. He was first-team All-American during this season.
Here is an interesting fact about No. 42. As a sophomore at UNC, Stackhouse played out of position as a power forward. Dean Smith utilized a “small ball” lineup during the 1994-95 season.
This team was one of Smith’s best teams ever.
In two seasons, he averaged 15.7 points per game, one of the highest UNC career scoring averages ever. He finished his career with 1,080 career points as a Tar Heel. His highlight reel dunks and solid all-around play will never be forgotten.
#4 – Walter Davis, UNC (1973-77)
Walter Davis is best known for the shot that tied the infamous comeback game against Duke in 1974 during his freshman year at UNC (video shown above).
He is better known as “Sweet D,” because of his smooth style of play and defensive prowess. Davis is one the greatest basketball players to come out of UNC. He had a successful NBA career after leaving Tobacco Road.
As a Tar Heel, Davis ranks eighth in most field goals attempted throughout his career (1,420), ninth in most field goals made in his career (754) and he averaged 15.7 points per game, which is one of the highest UNC career scoring averages ever.
Davis helped lead Carolina to the 1977 National Championship, where they were upset by Marquette. In 1976, he won a gold medal for Team USA with UNC’s Dean Smith as his head coach.
Davis ranks 10th all-time in scoring at UNC (1,863 points). He is the uncle to current UNC assistant basketball coach, Hubert Davis.
#3 – Al Wood, UNC (1977-81)
Al Wood played on several good Dean Smith teams in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Wood has a long list of accomplishment at UNC including being tied for most points scored in NCAA Tournament game (39 against Virginia in 1981), ranks 20th in career scoring average (16 points per game), ranks sixth most field goals attempted (1,474), ranks third all-time most field goals made (825), ranks 16th in most points scored in a single season (669 in 1980-81), ranks fourth in most consecutive games with double-doubles (43), ranks fourth in most consecutive games with double-doubles for career (104) and ranks fifth all-time in total points (2,015 points).
After leading North Carolina to the 1981 national championship, Wood was selected as a first-team All-American.
He was a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Basketball team.
Wood’s name gets omitted from many conversations when it comes to the best basketball players UNC. He was one of the best scorers ever in the history North Carolina’s basketball program. His name deserves to be on EVERY list in regards to the best UNC basketball players.
#2 – Charles Scott , UNC (1967-70)
Before we start his list of achievements, Charles Scott prefers to be called “Charles,” not “Charlie.”
His presence in North Carolina’s basketball program corresponds to what Jackie Robinson achieved for the integration of baseball.
Charles Scott was the first Black scholarship athlete at the University of North Carolina. On a larger scale, Scott was the first Black scholarship athlete at any major university in the South. He was the first UNC basketball player on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
Scott ranks:
#1 – Lennie Rosenbluth, UNC (1954-57)
Lennie Rosenbluth accomplished the following feats while at North Carolina:
Rosenbluth led North Carolina to a perfect 32-0 record during the 1956-57 season. They defeated the Kansas Jayhawks (led by Wilt Chamberlain) in the 1957 NCAA National Championship. He was named the 1957 Helms Foundation Collegiate Player of the Year and three-time All-ACC selection for his UNC career. He was a three-time first-team All-ACC selection.
Likewise, Rosenbluth was a consensus selection to the first-team All-American squad.
Until Duke’s Christian Laettner, Rosenbluth was the only college basketball player to be named the National Player of the Year, ACC Player of the Year, ACC Tournament MVP and NCAA Regional MVP in the same season.
In 2002, Rosenbluth was named to the ACC’s 50th Anniversary Team consisting of the 50 best basketball players ever in the ACC conference.
He is a member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. Many people consider Rosenbluth to be one of the 100 greatest college basketball players of all-time.
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