The UNC Basketball program’s Top 10 players of the 1990s
Of all the talented players that represented the UNC basketball program during the 1990s, which ten former Tar Heels stood out the most?
The 1990s was a very successful decade for the UNC basketball program.
Although the Tar Heels only secured one national title during this span, the program was no stranger to making deep NCAA Tournament runs.
To put it all into perspective, here’s how North Carolina fared in March Madness over this 10-year period:
1 National Championship (1993)
5 Final Four Appearances (1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998)
5 Elite Eight Appearances (1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998)
7 Sweet 16 Appearances (1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998)
Even with the unexpected retirement of legendary head coach Dean Smith, the program still made a Final Four run before the decade came to a close, as Bill Guthridge led the 1998 Tar Heels to the Final Four in his first year at the helm.
As we reflect on the 1990s, which UNC basketball players were the best of this decade? Given the program’s overall success, there are plenty of quality choices that could have earned a spot on this list.
Before we get started, it’s important to note that a player is only eligible for our list if the majority of their UNC basketball career was played in the 1990s. As an example, someone like Hubert Davis (who played at North Carolina from 1988-1992) was not considered, given half his career was played in the 1980s.