Based on their time in Chapel Hill, here are the top 10 big men to ever represent the UNC basketball program during their college careers.
The UNC basketball program has been known to have plenty of big men dominate the paint during their careers at North Carolina.
Chapel Hill has been considered “home” to some of the most talented big men to ever play Division I college basketball. It’s hard to find a Tar Heels squad that didn’t feature at least one outstanding big man, as the program has taken pride in creating problems down low for opposing teams.
Of course, it’s always fun to rank the top players at each position, given that everyone’s list will most likely be different in some sort of way. In this article, we are going to rank the top 10 big men to ever wear the Carolina Blue.
Before we get started, it’s important to answer the question of how we define the term “big man.” For the sake of this list, we narrowed the options down to true centers and power forwards only.
Our rankings also are strictly based on each player’s college career. What they accomplished with the UNC basketball program is all that matters!
Some honorable mentions include Rasheed Wallace, Brendan Haywood, Brice Johnson, and George Lynch.
As for current star big man Armando Bacot, we’re going to wait until his career wraps up to rightfully place him on this list!
Without further adieu, let’s get right into it!
No. 10: Mitch Kupchak
UNC Basketball Career Stats: 13.5 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.1 BPG, 58.6 FG%
Recording what we like to call a “career double-double,” Mitch Kupchak recorded 1,611 points and 1,006 rebounds as a member of the UNC basketball program.
Kupchak was a very strong presence down low for the Tar Heels during his four years on campus. He helped lead North Carolina to an ACC regular season title in 1975-1976, a year in which he averaged 17.6 points and 11.3 rebounds while shooting 57.6 percent from the floor.
A two-time All-ACC selection, Kupchak was also named a Consensus All-American and the ACC Player of the Year during his senior season.
No. 9: Bob McAdoo
UNC Basketball Career Stats: 19.5 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 2.3 APG, 51.6 FG%
Before you all revolt… yes, we know that Bob McAdoo (talent-wise) should be much higher on this list.
However, given that he only spent one season at North Carolina, that is why he is where he is on the list.
What a dominant stretch of 31 games for McAdoo, who was a Consensus All-American, ACC Tournament MVP as well as an All-ACC selection during his lone season on campus. He was the leading scorer and rebounder for Dean Smith’s squad that went 26-5 and finished No. 2 in the Final AP Poll.
No. 8: Tyler Zeller
UNC Basketball Career Stats: 12.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.1 BPG, 54.3 FG%
Zeller was a reserve on an absolutely loaded 2008-2009 UNC basketball national championship team but developed into a star for the Tar Heels over the following three seasons.
His senior season in Chapel Hill was his most notable, as he averaged 16.3 points and 9.6 rebounds en route to earning the ACC Player of the Year Award. He was a two-time All-ACC selection and was also named a Consensus All-American during his final season on campus.
The UNC basketball program, unfortunately, didn’t return to the Final Four during Zeller’s final three seasons in Chapel Hill, but that didn’t stop him from solidifying himself as one of the program’s top big men ever.
No. 7: Eric Montross
UNC Basketball Career Stats: 11.7 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.2 BPG, 58.5 FG%
Eric Montross was a shot-blocking machine!
The seven-footer swatted 169 shots over his 139 games, as he was a valuable rim protector for the Dean Smith-led Tar Heels.
Montross’ junior season was arguably his best, as his stellar season coincided with the UNC basketball program’s national championship run during the 1992-1993 season. His 15.8 points led the Tar Heels during that impressive 34-4 season, a year that ended with another banner being hung in the rafters.
The former Tar Heel big man was a two-time Consensus All-American and All-ACC selection. He also was selected to two NCAA All-Region squads while also making an NCAA All-Tournament team.
No. 6: Brad Daugherty
UNC Basketball Career Stats: 14.2 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.1 BPG, 62.0 FG%
As Brad Daugherty’s role increased with the UNC basketball program, his numbers began to simply skyrocket.
During his freshman season, Daugherty averaged just over 23 minutes per contest, a year in which he averaged 8.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per contest.
Fast forward to his senior season, a year that secured him as the top pick in the NBA Draft.
Daugherty was flat-out dominant, averaging 20.2 points and 9 rebounds a game. He became a force on the defensive side of the ball, as he recorded 146 blocks in 135 games played as a Tar Heel.
To this day, Daugherty still sits among the top 10 scorers in UNC basketball history. He serves as the perfect example of a player who made the most of his opportunities, especially as his playing time increased during his time in Chapel Hill.
No. 5: Sam Perkins
UNC Basketball Career Stats: 15.9 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 1.8 BPG, 57.6 FG%
When he put together a freshman season that earned him the ACC Rookie of the Year Award, those around the UNC basketball program knew that they had something very special in Sam Perkins.
A three-time consensus All-American and All-ACC selection, Perkins tends to get overshadowed a bit by some of the players that played alongside him during his tenure in Chapel Hill (most notably Michael Jordan). However, Perkins was one of the best players in the country throughout his college career, which is evident by his career numbers.
Perkins played a major role on the 1981-1982 national title team, but his best two seasons at North Carolina came after the championship season. He averaged just short of a double-double in both seasons, as he finished his Tar Heel career with 2,145 points and 1,167 rebounds over 135 games played.
No. 4: Sean May
UNC Basketball Career Stats: 15.8 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 1.2 BPG, 51.9 FG%
Limited to just 11 games as a freshman, Sean May returned to health to put together two dominant seasons as Roy Williams’ main man in the middle.
May was one of the top stars on the 2004-2005 championship squad, a group that featured four players who would be drafted in the first round of the 2005 NBA Draft.
Averaging a double-double throughout his junior season (17.5 points, 10.7 rebounds), May was once again a double-double machine in the postseason. In six NCAA Tournament contests, May had double-digit points and rebounds in four of those games, including a 26-point, 10-rebound performance in the national title game against Illinois.
May was a consensus All-American and a two-time All-ACC selection. He earned various NCAA Tournament honors, including being named the Most Outstanding Player during his team’s championship run.
No. 3: Antawn Jamison
UNC Basketball Career Stats: 19.0 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 57.7 FG%
Not many players can say that they had a stronger three-year stretch of college basketball than Antawn Jamison.
Just short of averaging a double-double for his career, Jamison was a star under the direction of both Dean Smith and Bill Guthridge. His list of accolades includes:
3x All-ACC selection
2x Consensus All-American
2x NCAA All-Region selection
ACC Player of the Year
Naismith Award Winner
Wooden Award Winner
Rupp Trophy Winner
ACC Tournament MVP
Even though the Tar Heels didn’t secure a national championship during his time in Chapel Hill, Jamison still played a focal role on two UNC basketball teams that made trips to the Final Four in consecutive seasons.
No. 2: James Worthy
UNC Basketball Career Stats: 14.5 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.1 BPG, 1.4 STL, 54.1 FG%
Worthy put together a strong three-year career as a Tar Heel, as he helped led the 1981-1982 team to a national championship season.
The former Tar Heel was at his best during that season, averaging a career-high 15.6 points per game. Over 84 games played at North Carolina, Worthy scored 1,219 points and recorded 620 rebounds.
Worthy went on to be a two-time All-ACC selection as well as a consensus All-American. He did his best work in postseason play, as made two All-ACC Tournament Teams and was the 1982 ACC Tournament MVP. In NCAA Tournament play, Worthy was named the Most Outstanding Player in 1982 and was a two-time All-Region and one-time All-Tournament selection.
For most programs, Worthy would easily secure the top spot. However, the UNC basketball program has a player who has simply put himself above the rest.
No. 1: Tyler Hansbrough
UNC Basketball Career Stats: 20.2 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 1.1 AST, 1.3 STL, 53.6 FG%
Throughout his collegiate career, not only did Tyler Hansbrough solidify himself as the best big man to ever wear the Carolina Blue, but also put himself in the mix for the “Mount Rushmore” of UNC basketball legends.
A four-year starter in Chapel Hill, Hansbrough’s list of accolades is quite a long one. From being a four-time consensus All-American to earning the Wooden, Naismith, and Rupp Trophy awards as well as a National Player of the Year Award, “Psycho T” was the most dominant player in college basketball during his four years at North Carolina.
Hansbrough’s 2,872 points as a Tar Heel is a mark that won’t be challenged for some time, as his name is consistently found in the UNC basketball record books. His career ended in grand style, as he led North Carolina to a National Championship during his senior season in 2008-2009.
In a program that has become notorious for developing star big men, Tyler Hansbrough stands above the rest among this very impressive list of UNC basketball standouts.