6/25/2016 basketball Edit

No. 6: Larry Miller

Larry Miller was so good and so confident he didn't think twice about taking it to Lew Alcindor in the 1968 NCAA title game.

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: Larry Miller

Position: Forward

Jersey #: 44

Years: 1965-68

Honors: 2-time, 1st-team All-America; 2-time, 1st-team All-ACC; 2-time ACC Player of the Year in 1967 and 1968; 2-time ACC Tournament MVP in 1967 and 1968; 1968 ACC Male Athlete of the Year; Jersey No. 44 is honored in the Smith Center.

Notable Stats: 7th all-time in scoring at UNC with 1,982 career points; 5th highest career scoring average with 21.8 points per game; Owns UNC mark for scoring in double figures in 64 consecutive games; Averaged a double-double (20.9 points, 10.3 rebounds) as a sophomore; 16th all-time with 834 career rebounds.

In Closing: Miller should go down historically as one of the most important players ever at UNC, not just because he was a great player, but the importance of him choosing Carolina at the time he did and the eventual impact he had on the program's and what Dean Smith built. Smith had recruited a couple of really good players in his early years, but landing Miller, who was sought after by everyone, is what really got the ball rolling leading to UNC basketball developing into one of the six fabled programs in the nation. Miller’s achievements, of course, are worthy enough of this ranking on their own. Prolific? Absolutely. How about 27 points and 16 rebounds in a 1968 Sweet 16 win over then-undefeated St. Bonaventure (starring Bob Lanier) or his 32-point (13-for-14 shooting) outing to bet Duke in the 1967 ACC championship game? Two straight ACC championships and Final Fours – MVP of each – and a foundation for the future are Miller’s legacies.

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