North Carolina Basketball: Picking the Top 12 Newcomers in Tar Heels History

The University of North Carolina has been highly successful in college basketball. The Tar Heels have found some of their success because of their history of talented freshmen.

North Carolina has had a slew of great first-year players, and these key contributors have help lead the team.

Age is only a number when it comes to North Carolina basketball. What matters most is what you do on the court.

With that being said, these 12 payers are the best newcomers in Tar Heel history. They all demonstrated their ability to compete early in their careers, and some went on to become basketball legends.

12. Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player in the history of the game, and he had a pretty good first season with the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Jordan first came to UNC and played during the 1981-82 season. He averaged 31.7 minutes per game over 34 games, scoring 13.5 points per game. He also averaged 4.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals a game.

Jordan shot 53.4 percent from the floor that year, and helped the Tar Heels make the Final Four before making the NCAA Championship-winning shot against Georgetown. He also won the ACC Rookie of the Year award.

11. Sam Perkins

Sam Perkins played his first season for UNC in the 1980-81 season. He played 30.1 minutes per game in 37 games.

Perkins averaged almost 15 points per game, shooting about 63 percent from the floor. Perkins also averaged about two blocks and eight boards per game.

Perkins was an excellent big man for the team, providing size inside. This helped the team make it to the National Championship Game in 1981, but they lost to Bob Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers. Perkins also won the ACC Rookie of the Year award that season.

10. Ed Cota

The 1996-97 season was Ed Cota's first with UNC. Cota played 28.3 minutes per game in 34 games that year.

Cota averaged eight points and seven assists a game in his first season, did anything that was asked of him and helped the Tar Heels make it to their 13th Final Four. He won the ACC Rookie of the Year award and finished his four-year career with the third-most assists in NCAA history.

9. Raymond Felton

Raymond Felton played his first season with the Tar Heels during the 2002-03 season. Felton started off by playing 35.4 minutes per game in 35 games.

Felton used his speed and quickness to drive to the basket, drawing defenders so he could dish the ball to his teammates for open shots. Felton averaged 12.9 points per game in his freshman season. He also averaged about seven assists and four rebounds per game too.

Felton had good defensive ability as well. He utilized his quick hands and long arms to strip the ball from defenders, averaging 2.0 steals per game.

Felton did it all for the Tar Heels, yet he did not have the supporting cast to lead the team to the NCAA tournament.

8. Harrison Barnes

The Tar Heels were in a heated recruiting battle with their rivals, the Duke Blue Devils, over top prospect Harrison Barnes. UNC won the battle and signed Barnes.

Barnes made his debut in powder blue last season and he was one of the leaders on the team. Barnes played 37 games and averaged 29.4 minutes per game.

Barnes had an impressive line as a freshman: 15.7 PPG 5.8 RPG 1.4 APG 34.4 3P%.

Barnes was a preseason All-American, won the ACC Rookie of the Year award and made the All-ACC
Second Team and All-ACC Freshman Team. Barnes was excellent, and he deserved all of these accolades.

7. J.R. Reid

J.R. Reid made his Tar Heel debut in the 1986-87 season, averaging 28.6 minutes per game for 36 games.

Reid averaged 14.7 points per game and had a solid line. He led the team and was named the ACC Rookie of the Year.

Reid was not only the best freshman in the ACC that season, he gave one of the best performances by a UNC freshman ever.

6. Brandan Wright

Brandan Wright's first season with the Tar Heels was the 2006-07 season. Wright averaged only 27.4 minutes per game in 37 games, but he played very well.

Wright scored 14.7 points and grabbed 6.2 boards per game. He also averaged one assist, one steal and 1.8 blocks per game.

Wright won the ACC Rookie of the Year award, and he left the team for the NBA after the season.

5. Rashad McCants

Rashad McCants played his first season with the Tar Heels during the 2002-03 campaign. He played 29.9 minutes per game for 35 games.

McCants was a great shooter, shooting well over 40 percent from three. He also could drive through the lane, and he averaged 17 points per game.

McCants could also play good defense. His quick hands allowed him to knock the ball loose, and he averaged 1.4 steals per game. He could also get up to snag rebounds, averaging 4.6 boards per game.

McCants was a great player, and he had a great freshman season.

4. Phil Ford

Phil Ford played his first season with North Carolina in 1974-75, appearing in 31 games in his first season with the Heels.

Ford played in an era when not all stats were kept, but we do know that he scored 16.4 points and averaged 2.7 rebounds per game.

Ford was a very good scorer and legendary distributor, and he probably would have won the ACC Rookie of the Year award if it had been created before 1976.

3. Joseph Forte

The 1999-2000 season was Joseph Forte's first. He played 33.1 minutes per game in 36 games.

Forte averaged 16.7 points per game in those 36 games. He also dished out 2.6 assists per game. He was an all-around player, being able to shoot, drive and pass.

Forte was also a good defensive player, averaging 1.5 steals and 5.5 rebounds per game. He could shut down other players, and he also won the ACC Rookie of the Year award.

2. Tyler Hansbrough

Tyler Hansbrough is a North Carolina legend, and it all started with the 2005-06 season, when he played 30.4 minutes per game for 31 games.

Hansbrough was a good big man for the Tar Heels, averaging 18.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. He scored a career-high 40 points his freshman year against Georgia Tech, a record for ACC freshmen that was later matched by Harrison Barnes against Clemson this past year.

Hansbrough could play with his back to the basket, but he was also athletic enough to drive through the lane. He could get up and over bigger defenders, yet he could handle quick defenders.

Hansbrough did it all his freshman year, and most people knew he would be an NBA player soon. He was the first freshman to be a unanimous All-ACC First Team selection, and finished his career at Carolina with a slew of school, conference and NCAA records, including most points scored in ACC history.

1. Antawn Jamison

Antawn Jamison played his first season with the Tar Heels in 1995-96. He played 32 games, averaging 32.9 minutes per contest.

Jamison averaged 15.1 points per game as a freshman. He could make open jumpers or drive through the lane and score. Jamison did not have his shot working for him from three just yet, but he improved as his career went along.

Jamison was also a good defender. He could shut down opponents by making them alter their shots while in the air. He could dominate on the boards, averaging 9.7 rebounds per game. He was surprisingly quick for a big man, averaging almost a steal per game.

Jamison did everything that was asked of him, and not all of his features can be marked in stats. His leadership and intangibles were very good, and he did not play like a freshman.

Honorable Mention

There is a player who did not make this list but is worth mentioning.

Marvin Williams won the ACC Rookie of the Year award in 2005, coming off the bench as the sixth man and helping the Tar Heels win the NCAA Championship.

He didn't perform quite as well as the previous 12 players, but he had strong points.