Felton and McCants complemented each other as well as any backcourt in North Carolina history. Felton was the pass-first, ball-on-a-string, true point guard. He was Mr. Reliable, leading the ACC in assists with 6.9 per game. Felton also scored 12.9 points per game — an impressive feat for the main assist man.
McCants was the score-first, get-me-a-bucket guy, averaging 16 points per game and hitting at a scorching 42.3% clip from deep. Despite the off-court McCants drama, the on-court partnership with Felton worked to near perfection, propelling the team to the 2005 national championship.
The low-post dominance of All-American big man Sean May was obviously a major reason for the championship, along with the clutch play of Jawad Williams and Marvin Williams. However, this squad doesn’t cut down the nets in St. Louis without Felton or McCants. Sure, May was the go-to guy down the stretch, but many would argue Felton was the most important player on this team — the heart and soul of Carolina. The 2004-2005 group will go down as an all-time great UNC team, featuring one of the best UNC backcourts ever.