The 18 greatest UNC basketball players of the Roy Williams era
By Jordan Falls
No. 12: Coby White
We have reached our first one-and-done player on the list from the Roy Williams era. Williams wasn’t known for recruiting the one-and-done type of player, but the players he did recruit who were one-and-done were really good, bringing us to Coby White.
Coby White was highly touted out of high school as he was a McDonald’s All-American and North Carolina Mr. Basketball during his senior year of high school, and his talent translated to the collegiate level.
White played and started in every game during his only season in Chapel Hill, averaging 28.5 minutes per game. He averaged 16.1 points per game, with a 4.1 assist average. White’s talent level of being able to push the basketball up the floor was exactly the style of play Roy Williams loved, which was to score and score fast. He also caused problems for opposing guards with his defensive ability and size; he was able to average 1.1 steals per game, too.
White earned ACC All-Freshman Team honors and Second-Team All-ACC honors during his time as a Tar Heel. Like Cameron Johnson, early in his NBA career, he has been successful with the Chicago Bulls after being drafted with the seventh pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
White had the talent to land higher on this list, but his short time in Chapel Hill lands him in this spot.