UNC Basketball: Ranking the Best Point Guards in Tar Heels History

North Carolina has featured some of the best basketball players in history at just about every position, but point guard is an especially impressive class.

Obviously, the Tar Heels can boast an alumni base that features Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Bob McAdoo, Antawn Jamison, Billy Cunningham and Tyler Hansbrough among others. These players were all excellent in their own right, whether at the college or NBA level, but none of them had the extra challenge of playing point guard.

UNC has featured a handful of elite players who were capable of running the offense while playing a major role in helping the team win.

This list factors in statistics as well as team success, but the most important characteristic is the impact each player had in his college career. It wasn't easy to narrow down over 100 years of basketball into just a few top performers, but here is a look at the best the school has to offer.

Note: Statistics courtesy of GoHeels.com and Sports Reference

Honorable Mentions

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Kendall Marshall (2010-12)

He could have easily been higher on this list if he spent more than two years in college. Kendall Marshall was one of the best true point guards in college basketball over the last decade, averaging an incredible 9.8 assists per game during his sophomore season.

Not only are his 7.96 assists per game the most all-time at UNC, his 3.01 assist-to-turnover ratio is an ACC record.

If Marshall hadn't suffered a wrist injury in the NCAA tournament, the Tar Heels might have one more national championship banner in the rafters.

Derrick Phelps (1990-94)

He only averaged 7.3 points per game in his career, but Derrick Phelps was a quality true point guard who was one of the leaders for the 1992-93 national championship squad.

Phelps also excelled as a defender with the Tar Heels, setting a school record with 247 career steals. His ability to fill up the box score was often more valuable than just tallying points, which other members of the team were able to do.

Larry Brown (1960-63)

Known more for his coaching career, Larry Brown was also a solid player in his own right. The undersized player joined the team under Frank McGuire but was part of the transition to Dean Smith, leading the team in scoring during the legendary coach's first season at North Carolina.

He was an All-ACC player during his senior year alongside Billy Cunningham.

After graduating, Brown went on to become the first Tar Heels player in the Olympics, winning a gold medal in 1964.

Marcus Paige (2012-16)

After an outstanding sophomore season, Marcus Paige regressed a bit over his last two years, but he is still one of the best point guards in school history.

The recently departed player is known as a prolific outside shooter who set a UNC record with 299 made three-pointers. He was also more of a score-first player but still managed to average 4.3 assists per game throughout his four-year career.

Injuries and declining scoring might have hurt his legacy, but Paige should still be remembered fondly for his time in Chapel Hill.

5. Raymond Felton (2002-05)

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The 2001-02 season was one of the worst in North Carolina history with the squad finishing just 8-20 under Matt Doherty. Things turned around quickly with the addition of Raymond Felton the next season, and two years later, the Tar Heels were national champions.

While the 2005 squad had dominant college players like Sean May and Rashad McCants, Felton was the engine that helped the team go with averages of 12.9 points, 6.9 assists and 2.0 steals per game.

Felton never had elite size or athleticism, but he had great awareness on both sides of the ball and simply knew how to run an offense. His steady play is the reason he is still contributing in the NBA after 11 years in the league.

Although his numbers don't necessarily stack up with others on this list, his three-year career was a great one.

4. Ed Cota (1996-2000)

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One of the best true point guards, not only at North Carolina but in all of college basketball.

Ed Cota is the only person in school history to reach 1,000 assists in his career. His final tally of 1,030 is over 200 more than anyone else ever to come through Chapel Hill.

Cota also saw a great deal of team success, helping the Tar Heels reach three Final Fours in his four years. Though Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison played a big role in the first two appearances while Joseph Forte was the star during the magical run in 2000, the point guard still was an important contributor on all three squads.

There were always better scorers, but Cota's vision and passing ability were almost unmatched at this level.

3. Ty Lawson (2006-09)

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Although he played with Tyler Hansbrough, who ended his career as the leading scorer in ACC history, Ty Lawson wasn't exactly overshadowed.

Lawson averaged 16.6 points, 6.6 assists and 2.1 steals per game during his final season, earning the ACC Player of the Year award over his more accomplished teammate. His magnificent junior year ended with a national championship, as the guard finished with 21 points, six assists and eight steals in the finals against Michigan State.

Despite standing just 5'11", Lawson was one of the quickest players in the country, especially with the ball in his hands. He could penetrate into the lane without much resistance, but if opponents backed off, he could knock down a three-pointer. In fact, his 47.2 shooting percentage from beyond the arc during his junior year was the third-best in UNC history.

With Lawson, Hansbrough, Danny Green and Wayne Ellington among others, the 2009 group was truly one of the best Tar Heels squads ever.

2. Kenny Smith (1983-87)

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Kenny "The Jet" Smith didn't have as much postseason success as some others on the list as his teams never advanced past the regional finals. The 1986-87 team arguably should have gone further, but the No. 1 seed was upset by Syracuse in the Elite Eight.

However, Smith's impact on the team was clear. The consensus All-American led the Tar Heels his senior year in scoring (16.9 points per game), assists (6.1 per game) and steals (1.5 per game) and was always the person the team looked to when a big play was needed.

Despite being a dynamic scorer, Smith remained a quality true point guard, as his 768 career assists rank second all-time at North Carolina behind only Cota.

When you can make this much of an impact on both ends of the court, you are clearly one of the best ever to play the position at UNC.

1. Phil Ford (1974-78)

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North Carolina has had some of the best players in basketball history come through its school, but no one was as dominant as both a scorer and a passer in his career than Phil Ford.

Ford ended his career with 2,290 points, which was the Tar Heels record until Hansbrough broke it in 2009. He had no problem transitioning to the college level, averaging 16.4 points per game as a freshman, and then improved every year until he averaged 20.8 per game as a senior. Just imagine how good he could have been if there were a three-point line.

Meanwhile, Ford was far from a selfish player, tallying 753 assists in his career with an average of 6.1 per game. He had 15 double-doubles in his career with points and assists, something that is hard to do even once.

These numbers are the reason he was a three-time All-American and a Wooden Award winner in 1978.

Although he was unable to win a national title, losing to Marquette in the 1977 finals, Ford remains the best point guard the Tar Heels have ever produced.

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