Keeping It Heel
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North Carolina Basketball: 10 players the rivals loved to hate the most

By Joey Loose

Jan 21, 2023; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Former North Carolina Tar Heels great Tyler Hansbrough presents forward Armando Bacot (5) with the game ball after the game. Bacot became the all-time Tar Heels rebounding leader during the game breaking Hansbrough’s record. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 21, 2023; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Former North Carolina Tar Heels great Tyler Hansbrough presents forward Armando Bacot (5) with the game ball after the game. Bacot became the all-time Tar Heels rebounding leader during the game breaking Hansbrough’s record. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 5, 1993; New Orleans, LA, USA: FILE PHOTO; Michigan Wolverines guard Jalen rose (5) passes the ball defended by North Carolina Tar Heels center Eric Montross (00) during the 1993 NCAA Men’s Final Four championship game at the Superdome. North Carolina defeated Michigan 77-71. Mandatory Credit: MPS-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 5, 1993; New Orleans, LA, USA: FILE PHOTO; Michigan Wolverines guard Jalen rose (5) passes the ball defended by North Carolina Tar Heels center Eric Montross (00) during the 1993 NCAA Men’s Final Four championship game at the Superdome. North Carolina defeated Michigan 77-71. Mandatory Credit: MPS-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Eric Montross

Eric Montross is the 7’0 center from Indianapolis who was a fantastic weapon for North Carolina in the early 90’s. He contributed to a national championship team in 1993, was a two-time All-American, and caused all kinds of havoc on the court for the Tar Heels. It’s one particular moment that makes Montross stand out in Carolina lore.

In a game some have called the “Bloody Montross” game, he helped the Tar Heels snap Duke’s 23-game winning streak with a great performance against Christian Laettner. Montross was whacked in the face during the game, but his defensive intensity got the job done for the Tar Heels.

He was a talented, scrappy hard worker who left Chapel Hill with a national championship and a lot of Duke fans for enemies. Additionally, that title win came over Michigan, where his father had gone to school years prior.

Montross was drafted 9th overall by the Boston Celtics in 1994 but his NBA career certainly wasn’t as memorable as his time with the Tar Heels. His bloodied performance remains one of the most notable games in the lore of this rivalry, and he’s certainly not revered in Ann Arbor or a few other college towns as well.

He later worked as a color commentator for Tar Heels broadcasts and was recently diagnosed with cancer.

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