Building the ultimate UNC–Duke combined starting five

North Carolina and Duke will play its first of two meetings on Saturday at the Dean Smiith Center. The rivalry between North Carolina and Duke has featured some of the greatest basketball players the sport has ever seen.

Both programs have produced numerous All-Americans and multiple Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers. From Michael Jordan at North Carolina to Grant Hill at Duke, the list of legends is long.

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For fun, I put together a combined starting five from the two programs. With so many great players to choose from, narrowing it down to five was nearly impossible — which only underscores how dominant these bluebloods have been.

Point Guard: Phil Ford, North Carolina

Phil Ford, arguably the greatest point guard in North Carolina history, was the face of Tar Heel basketball in the 1970s.

He made an immediate impact as a freshman, leading North Carolina to the 1975 ACC Tournament title and earning most outstanding player honors. Over four years in Chapel Hill, Ford guided the Tar Heels to a 99-24 record, three ACC regular-season championships, two ACC Tournament titles and a national runner-up finish in 1977. He led the ACC in assists in three of his four seasons and finished second as a freshman.

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Individually, Ford put together one of the most decorated careers in program history. He was a three-time first-team All-ACC selection, a two-time first-team All-American and the 1978 ACC Player of the Year and Wooden Award winner. He graduated with 2,290 points and 753 assists, both school records at the time.

Duke has had elite point guards of its own in Jay Williams and Bobby Hurley, but Ford gets the edge. His sustained four-year excellence and overall production give him the nod at the position.

Honorable Mention: Jay Williams (Duke), Bobby Hurley (Duke), Ty Lawson (North Carolina), Raymond Felton (North Carolina)

Shooting Guard: Michael Jordan, North Carolina

Mar 22, 1984; Atlanta, GA, USA; FILE PHOTO; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Michael Jordan…

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Publish date : 2026-02-05 14:01:00

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