6/19/2016 basketball Edit

No. 11: Al Wood

Al Wood's name may not resonate like some others in UNC's lore, but he's certainly worthy of historic accolades.

Andrew Jones • TarHeelIllustrated

Publisher

Andrew Jones has covered sports for 26 years, including all major college & professional sports for daily newspapers & national sites. He's done radio and TV & is entering his seventh year at THI.

Name: Al Wood

Position: Forward

Jersey #: 30

Years: 1977-81

Honors: 1981 1st-team All-America; 1981 NCAA West Region MVP; 3-time All-ACC; 2-time, 1st-team All-ACC; Jersey No. 30 is honored at the Smith Center.

Notable Stats: 5th all-time leading scorer in UNC history with 2,015 points; Averaged 16 points per game in his career; Averaged at least 17.8 points per game in each of his last three seasons as a Tar Heel; 4th all-time at UNC with double-figure scoring games with 104; 4th all-time at UNC having scored in double figures in 43 consecutive games; Grabbed 624 rebounds for his career with an average of 5.0 per game; Shot 56 percent from the floor at UNC; 3rd all-time at UNC with 825 field goals made.

In Closing: It’s a shame there was no 3-point shot in Al Wood’s day, or he would rank even higher as one of Carolina’s greatest all-time scorers. Wood did quite well for himself regardless, and might be one of the most underrated players in UNC history. He still holds the NCAA record for most points in a national semifinal game from when he totaled 39 points in a Final Four win over Virginia in 1981. He scored 17 straight UNC points during one crucial stretch in that win over Ralph Sampson and the Cavaliers in leading the Tar Heels to the national title game, where they lost to Indiana. Wood had a terrific jumper, a smooth style, and was one win away from Tar Heel immortality.

Prior Ranked Heels

30 - Brice Johnson

29 - Ed Cota

28 - Pete Brennan

27 - Mike O'Koren

26 - John "Hook" Dillon

25 - J.R. Reid

24 - Bobby Jones

23 - Brad Daugherty

22 - Raymond Felton

21 - Jerry Stackhouse

20 - Sean May