The Power Five: North Carolina’s 5 Greatest Basketball Teams

Oct 4, 2014; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels cheerleaders perform during the first half against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

4. 2004-’05

Record: 33-4; Defeated Illinois 75-70 to win national championship

Whereas the ’92-’93 team relied heavily on chemistry rather than stars, the ’04-’05 squad featured plenty of both to deliver Roy Williams his first national championship after taking the reins of the North Carolina program the season before.

The Tar Heels’ bounty of talent included four of the ’05 NBA Draft’s to 14 picks in Marvin Williams (second), Raymond Felton (fifth), Sean May (13th) and Rashad McCants (14th). Jawad Williams and defensive specialist Jackie Manuel joined Felton, May and McCants to complete the starting five, and UNC was plenty deep with Melvin Scott, David Noel and Reyshawn Terry joining Marvin Williams as key bench contributors.

North Carolina’s 88 points-per-game average was the nation’s best, and May’s 26-point, 24-rebound performance in the Tar Heels’ regular-season finale against Duke propelled a rally from a nine-point deficit with fewer than three minutes remaining to lift UNC to a 75-73 win and its first outright ACC regular-season title since 1993.

The Tar Heels fell to Georgia Tech in the ACC Tourney semifinals but were handed the Syracuse Region’s top seed. They squeaked out a 67-66 Sweet 16 win over Villanova and after an 88-82 victory over Wisconsin dispatched Michigan State 87-71 to set up a national championship matchup with Illinois.

May would pour in 26 points on 10-of-11 shooting and haul in 10 rebounds to lead the Tar Heels to the 75-70 win, and was an easy selection for the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player Award. The junior center also was named a consensus second-team All-American, while Felton was pegged a third-team AP All-American and McCants was a third-team member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches squad.

Marvin Williams was selected as the Sporting News and United States Basketball Writers Association Freshman of the Year, and Felton was the recipient of the Bob Cousy Award given annually to the country’s top point guard.