The 18 greatest UNC basketball players of the Roy Williams era

ST. LOUIS - APRIL 04: Sean May #42 of the North Carolina Tar Heels celebrates after defeating the Illinois Fighting Illini 75-70 to win the NCAA Men's National Championship game at the Edward Jones Dome on April 4, 2005 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

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Who were the best players to wear the Carolina blue during Roy Williams’ tenure as the UNC basketball program’s head coach?

The Roy Williams era officially began in 2003 when he accepted the head coaching job and replaced Matt Doherty. After finishing 19-11 with a team he inherited, Williams began turning things around in a big way.

He captured his first NCAA Championship with the Tar Heels in 2005 and proceeded to win two more after that. Under Williams, the Tar Heels reached the Final Four five times and the national championship game four times, with his only loss coming on a buzzer-beater to Villanova back in 2016.

During his time at North Carolina, Williams brought in a lot of talented players, with some going down as UNC basketball legends. But who tops the list of best players under Williams?
Well, as we take a trip down memory lane, here are the Top 18 players who played under the legendary Roy Williams at the University of North Carolina during his tenure as the program’s head coach.

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