Ranking the Most Talented North Carolina Basketball Teams of All Time

College basketball history is full of great teams. Legendary squads that make you wonder how it all worked to such perfection on the hardwood.

This is not about those teams.

This is about the ones that make you squint at the roster years later and wonder how it all fit in one locker room—squads where the talent level bordered on absurd and future pros were sometimes stacked two-deep.

You can win a title without that kind of depth. You can even dominate a season without it. But when it's there, it leaves a different kind of imprint.

So we set out to find those instances.

Bleacher Report writers and editors started with a massive pool of candidates and cut it to 68 via a staff vote, enforcing a simple rule along the way: No overlapping cores. That meant no two teams from the same school could share more than one rotation player.

From there, we focused on what these rosters became, counting only players who actually reached the NBA or WNBA, and weighing how many made it, how long they lasted and how much they accomplished as pros. Individual NCAA accomplishments were also considered, but amateur team success was not.

A first-place vote garnered 68 points, on down to 1 point for a last-place vote.

The result isn't a ranking of the best college teams ever. It's a catalog of talent at its most concentrated—rosters that, in hindsight, feel almost unreasonable.

Below is a collection of North Carolina's most stacked teams that appeared in our overall ranking.

Team summaries by Andy Bailey

9. 2011-12 North Carolina Men (32-6)

Overall: 65

Pro Seasons (52): Harrison Barnes (14), Reggie Bullock (11), John Henson (9), Tyler Zeller (8), Kendall Marshall (4), James Michael McAdoo (4), P.J. Hairston (2)

Pro All-Stars: 0 | Top-10 Picks: 1

NCAA Tournament: Lost Elite Eight

As you can see, this team didn't produce many stars. In fact, if that's strictly defined as a player who made an All-Star team, there wasn't a single one among these North Carolina Tar Heels.

But the sheer volume of NBA talent on this roster was still impressive, as is the fact that at least four of them were contributors for over half a decade. Even one of the players who didn't make it that long, Kendall Marshall, had a season in which he averaged 8.8 assists.

The headliner, of course, is Harrison Barnes, who's still contributing to winning basketball to this day. And though he's never made an All-Star team, he does have a championship and career totals for points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and threes that are only matched by 17 other players.

High Vote: 28

Low Vote: UR

8. 2006-07 North Carolina Women (34-4)

Overall: 64

Pro Seasons (50): Camille Smith (13), Ivory Latta (11), Jessica Breland (9), Erlana Larkins (7), LaToya Sanders (7), Rashanda McCants (3)

Pro All-Stars: 2 | Top-10 Picks: 0

NCAA Tournament: Lost Final Four

These Tar Heels also produced plenty of pros. And generally speaking, they had a little more staying power in their professional league.

Camille Smith and Ivory Latta both made it past the decade mark. And Latta and Jessica Breland both made All-Star teams.

All told, three of these players (Smith, Erlana Larkins and LaToya Sanders) won WNBA titles and all six combined for the 11th-most professional win shares of all the women's teams considered for this exercise.

High Vote: 35

Low Vote: UR

7. 1994-95 North Carolina Men (28-6)

Overall: 37

Pro Seasons (52): Jerry Stackhouse (18), Rasheed Wallace (16), Jeff McInnis (11), Shammond Williams (7)

Pro All-Stars: 2 | Top-10 Picks: 2

NCAA Tournament: Lost Final Four

North Carolina has sent a lot of players (97, to be exact) to the NBA over the years. But few Tar Heels teams had the star power that this one did.

Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace were special college players, and both went on to have long, successful careers in the NBA.

Stackhouse averaged 21.3 points and 4.1 assists over the course of his first eight seasons. In 2000-01 alone, he put up 29.8.

Wallace was one of the game's best interior defenders and one of its early stretch big men. Despite being out of the league for nearly two decades, he's still sixth all time in total seasons averaging at least 10 points, one block and one three per game (with seven). He of course won a title with the 2003-04 Detroit Pistons.

And though Jeff McInnis and Shammond Williams weren't quite as accomplished in the league as their teammates, both lasted several years.

High Vote: 16

Low Vote: 55

6. 1990-91 North Carolina Men (29-6)

Overall: 35

Pro Seasons (62): Rick Fox (13), Hubert Davis (12), George Lynch (12), Pete Chilcutt (9), Eric Montross (8), Clifford Rozier (4), Kevin Salvadori (2), Derrick Phelps (1), Matt Wenstrom (1)

Pro All-Stars: 0 | Top-10 Picks: 1

NCAA Tournament: Lost Final Four

A little earlier than the squad with Stackhouse and Wallace, the 1990-91 North Carolina Tar Heels featured three players who made it at least 12 years in the NBA and two more who made it at least eight.

And though none of the above were stars, this group produced several players who made their mark in the NBA.

Rick Fox was a key contributor to three Los Angeles Lakers title teams. Hubert Davis was a career 44.1 percent three-point shooter. Pete Chilcutt won a title too, as a three-point specialist for the Houston Rockets.

All in all, even without a single All-Star appearance between them, this North Carolina team sending nine to the league makes its spot in the top 35 easy to understand.

High Vote: 14

Low Vote: 55

5. 2008-09 North Carolina Men (34-4)

Overall: 34

Pro Seasons (65): Danny Green (15), Wayne Ellington (13), Ed Davis (12), Ty Lawson (8), Tyler Zeller (8), Tyler Hansbrough (7), Larry Drew (2)

Pro All-Stars: 0 | Top-10 Picks: 0

NCAA Tournament: Won National Title

We're on a little run of Tar Heels now, with the 2008-09 championship-winning team up next.

Its best player, Tyler Hansbrough, was never quite able to translate his bruising post game to the NBA, but five of his teammates managed to play at least eight seasons in the league.

The longest career of the bunch belonged to Danny Green, the one who went halfway through the second round of his draft. His three-point shooting and versatile perimeter defense made him an easy fit and consistently positive contributor on several teams.

Wayne Ellington's shooting helped him stick around for years too. Ed Davis and Tyler Zeller had long careers, thanks in large part to their size. And finally, Ty Lawson, despite being undersized, averaged 15.3 points and 7.2 assists over a five-year stretch for the Denver Nuggets.

High Vote: 7

Low Vote: 67

4. 1971-72 North Carolina Men (26-5)

Overall: 43

Pro Seasons (39): Bob McAdoo (14), Bobby Jones (12), George Karl (5), Dennis Wuycik (3), Darrell Elston (2), Bill Chamberlain (2), Steve Previs (1)

Hall of Famers: 3 | Pro All-Stars: 2 | Top-10 Picks: 2

NCAA Tournament: Lost Final Four

Don't worry. It's not all UNC from here on out, but we do have to spend a little time with another Tar Heels squad.

This one, incredibly, sent three different players to the Hall of Fame (though one is there for coaching).

For the first eight years of his career, Bob McAdoo was an absolute double-double machine. He put up 26.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.2 steals in that stretch.

Bobby Jones, meanwhile, was a defensive ace who also averaged 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists, won a Sixth Man of the Year award and was on the 1982-83 championship-winning Philadelphia 76ers team.

Add those two to George Karl (the Hall of Fame coach), and four other pros, and it's not hard to understand this rank.

High Vote: 13

Low Vote: UR

3. 1976-77 North Carolina Men (28-5)

Overall: 31

Pro Seasons (49): Walter Davis (15), Dudley Bradley (9), Mike O'Koren (8), Phil Ford (7), Tom LaGarde (6), John Kuester (3), Rich Yonakor (1)

Hall of Famers: 1 | Pro All-Stars: 1 | Top-10 Picks: 4

NCAA Tournament: Lost National Final

The 1976-77 Tar Heels lost the national championship game to Marquette, but the roster eventually produced seven NBA players, including one Hall of Famer.

That, of course, was Walter Davis, who spent 15 seasons in the NBA and averaged 20.7 points and 4.4 assists over the first 10.

Teammates Phil Ford (who finished with a career scoring average of 11.6 points), Dudley Bradley and Mike O'Koren all lasted several years as role players.

High Vote: 18

Low Vote: 44

2. 1997-98 North Carolina Men (34-4)

Overall: 26

Pro Seasons (59): Vince Carter (22), Antawn Jamison (16), Brendan Haywood (13), Shammond Williams (7), Makhtar N'Diaye (1)

Hall of Famers: 1 | Pro All-Stars: 2 | Top-10 Picks: 2

NCAA Tournament: Lost Final Four

As you can see, these Tar Heels featured three players who lasted at least 13 years in the NBA, two future All-Stars and the "Half-Man/Half-Amazing" who ranks fourth all time in career games played.

Brendan Haywood was a longtime finisher and rim protector who started in more games than he didn't. And Antawn Jamison was quietly one of the league's more consistent scorers for a 13-year stretch in which he averaged 20.0 points and made two All-Star teams.

But the first name on this marquee was obviously Vince Carter, who spent well over a decade as one of the NBA's most exciting and explosive scorers and finishers. Over his first 11 seasons, Carter averaged 23.5 points, 4.3 assists and 1.5 threes while shooting 37.6 percent from deep. He also, eventually, became perhaps the best example of how a legitimate superstar can successfully shift into a lesser role.

Together, those three made up one of the most talented trios in the history of college basketball.

High Vote: 4

Low Vote: 43

1. 1983-84 North Carolina Men (28-3)

Overall: 2

Pro Seasons (64): Sam Perkins (17), Michael Jordan (15), Joe Wolf (11), Kenny Smith (10), Brad Daugherty (8), Dave Popson (3)

Hall of Famers: 1 | Pro All-Stars: 2 | Top-10 Picks: 4

NCAA Tournament: Lost Sweet 16

Michael Jordan, of course, won a national championship with North Carolina alongside James Worthy in 1982, but the team from his junior season better fits the criteria for this ranking.

In 1983-84, Jordan was joined by Sam Perkins, Joe Wolf, Kenny Smith and Brad Daugherty as Tar Heels. Altogether, when combined with Jordan's total, that group had, by a massive margin, the most combined win shares of any team in this exercise.

And while we could spend a little time talking about Perkins' ahead-of-his-time floor spacing, Smith's title runs with the Houston Rockets or Daugherty's status as a first overall pick, it's abundantly clear that this rank comes courtesy of the GOAT.

Jordan made the All-Star team in 14 of his 15 seasons. He won 10 scoring titles in 12 years. He won five MVPs, six titles and six Finals MVPs. And to this day, his career average of 30.1 points is the all-time high.

Having even one other NBA-caliber teammate in college likely would've made any Jordan team worthy of placement on this list. This one had five.

High Vote: 1

Low Vote: 12