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No. 19: Joe Forte

Joe Forte was sensational during his two seasons at UNC and is one of the more well-rounded Tar Heels ever.
Joe Forte was sensational during his two seasons at UNC and is one of the more well-rounded Tar Heels ever. (AP)

*Publisher's note: THI is ranking the top 25 basketball players in UNC history, gauging each player solely on their careers as Tar Heels. NBA accomplishments do not factor into these rankings.



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No. 19

Name: Joe Forte

Position: Guard

Jersey #: 40

Years: 1999-2001

Honors: Co-ACC Player of the Year 2001; Consensus First-team All-America 2001; First-team All-ACC 2001; Second-team All-ACC 2000; ACC Rookie of the Year 2000; NCAA South Region MOP 2000; First-team Freshman All-America 2000; National Freshman of the Year 2000; UNC jersey is honored in the Smith Center.

Notable Stats: Forte has the 10th highest career scoring average at UNC at 18.6 points per game, which is the highest scoring average for a two-year player in Carolina history; 48th all-time leading career scorer at UNC with 1,290 points in just two seasons; Scored a school freshman-record 600 points in 2000; Third highest scoring average for a freshman ever at UNC with 16.7 points; 399 career rebounds for an average of 5.8 per game; 210 career assists for an average of 3.0 per game; 121 career steals for an average of 1.8 per game; Averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.0 steals per game in 2001.

In Closing: Likely the most debated selection because of how his career at UNC ended, and that’s why he’s this low. One can also easily argue he should be swapped for Sean May. Objectively, Forte was a great player during his two years at UNC. As a freshman, he led a Heels team that struggled during the regular season to the Final Four, scoring 28 points in an Elite Eight win over Tulsa. He could do just about anything: Handle the ball, pass, shoot from the perimeter, drive, had a mid-range game, could rebound, and was at times a very good defender.

As a sophomore, he led Carolina to a No. 1 national ranking and share of the ACC regular season title. He was Co-ACC Player of the Year with Duke’s Shane Battier that season. Battier was the national Player of the Year. Forte is one of the most well-rounded Tar Heels ever. There was nothing he did not do well on the court, and the collapse of the 2001 team was more because of its deteriorating leadership than anything else. Forte's freshman season compares favorably with ones posted by Antawn Jamison and Tyler Hansbrough.


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