The 18 greatest UNC basketball players of the Roy Williams era
By Jordan Falls
No. 9: Joel Berry
Joel Berry was one of the many “toughest little nuts” who played for Roy Williams. Berry was injured during his freshman season and was Marcus Paige’s backup, so didn’t see much playing time, only averaging 13.2 minutes per game. However, he averaged 33 minutes per game in the 2016 NCAA Tournament, playing a role in the run to the National Championship, including scoring 20 points against Villanova and connecting on all four of his three-point attempts.
During his last three seasons, he averaged over 30 minutes per game in his last three seasons and scored in double figures every season, averaging 14.8 points per game. After the heartbreak ending to his freshman season, Berry was one of the key leaders in getting back the following season.
In the NCAA Tournament 2017, Berry played through ankle injuries, living up to the “tough little nut” nickname, and scored 22 points in the National Championship game against Gonzaga, propelling the Tar Heels to earn redemption from the previous season. His performance in Phoenix earned him NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player, placing his No. 2 jersey in the rafters as an honored one.
He also was ACC Tournament MVP in 2016, Second-Team All-ACC in 2017, and First-Team All-ACC and Third-team All-American in 2018.