Every offseason, we have fun at Tar Heel Illustrated diving into the past history of North Carolina’s football and basketball programs. Ranking players and teams in a variety of groupings giving our readers topics to discuss.

We change it up each year, and this offseason is no different as we unveil the top three UNC basketball players from basically each decade. This is a 9-part series that begins with the top three players before the 1940s and then we do each remaining decade.

The current decade is not included as it’s only half over.

So, here is the ninth installment of our 9-part series ranking the top three UNC basketball players from each decade:

Name: Tyler Hansbrough

Position: Forward/Center

Years: 2005-09

Honors: Consensus National Player of the Year 2008; ACC Player of the Year 2008; Four-time, first-team All-America 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009; Four-time, first-team All-ACC 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009; NCAA East Region MVP 2008; ACC Tournament MVP 2008; ACC Male Athlete of the Year 2008; NCAA All-Region team 2007, 2008 & 2009; Three-time first-team All-ACC Tournament 2007, 2008 & 2009; Wooden Award finalist 2007 & 2009; ACC Rookie of the year 2006; First-team Freshman All-America; USBWA National Freshman of the Year 2006; Finalist for the Sullivan Award in 2009; Patterson Medal 2009; Jersey No. 50 is retired.

Notable Stats: ACC’s and UNC’s all-time leading scorer with 2,872 points; UNC’s second all-time leading rebounder with 1,219; Averaged 20.2 points and 8.6 rebounds in 142 games for UNC, sixth highest average at Carolina; career 53.6 FG percent, including 12-33 on 3-pointers (31.6 percent); career 79.1 percent FT shooter; NCAA career record for most FTs made with 982; most field goals made career at UNC with 939; Fourth all-time at UNC with 47 career double-doubles; 11th at UNC with 180 career steals.

Hansbrough is the only four-time, first-team All-America ever in college basketball. He averaged 18.9 points and 7.8 rebounds as a freshman. As a junior, he averaged 22.6 points and 10.2 rebounds in 2008 when he was unanimous National Player of the Year. He led the Tar Heels to two Final Fours, including the 2009 NCAA championship. UNC was 14-3 in NCAA Tournament play with Hansbrough. Carolina went 4-0 in games at Duke's Cameron Indoor stadium during Hansbrough’s four seasons and overall UNC was 6-2 versus the Blue Devils during Hansbrough’s career. In those games, he averaged 20.2 points and 10.8 rebounds per contest.

He was the first player in ACC history to lead his team in scoring and rebounding in each of his four seasons. His 40 points vs. Georgia Tech in 2006 remains a freshman record at UNC, tied with Harrison Barnes’ 40 in 2011. He scored in double figures in 133 of his 142 games at UNC, posted 20 or more points 74 times, and grabbed 10-plus rebounds in 47 games.

His 55-game streak of scoring in double figures is second all-time at Carolina. Hansbrough had a nine-game stretch in 2008 in which he averaged 27.9 points and 10.7 rebounds in ACC play with four of the games coming on the road. UNC went 8-1 in that stretch.

Roy Williams has often described Hansbrough as the hardest working player he has coached and one of the most competitive. His will to excel had few peers, if any. Hansbrough’s work wasn’t always symphonic and there have been many other more gifted Tar Heels, but none were more accomplished personally and otherwise than Tyler Hansbrough.

Name: Sean May

Position: Forward

Years: 2002-05

Honors: National Player of the Year (Sports Illustrated) 2005; First-team All-America 2005, Honorable mention All-America 2004; Final Four MOP 2005; MVP of 2005 national champions; NCAA Tournament East Region MOP 2005; First-team All-ACC in 2005; Second-team All-ACC in 2004; USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year 2004; ACC Male Athlete of the Year 2005; UNC jersey is honored in the Smith Center.

Notable Stats: One of eight Tar Heels to average a double-double over his career, as May finished averaging 15.8 points and 10.0 rebounds per game; Averaged 17.5 points and 10.7 rebounds as a junior; Fourth most rebounds in a season in UNC history with 397 in 2005; 26th all-time at UNC with 771 career rebounds; 63rd all-time at UNC in scoring with 1,213 career points (in just 77 games); Handed out 113 assists for his career while picking up 100 steals and blocking 94 shots. Shot 51.3 percent from the field for his career.

May was sensational leading the Tar Heels to the 2005 national championship. He averaged 22.3 points and 17.3 rebounds in that NCAA Tournament, capping off the run with a 26-point, 10-rebound performance in the national championship game victory over Illinois. Is one of the top individual runs by a player in Carolina history. It was him taking his game to another level that pushed the Tar Heels over the top to win the NCAA championship, which was the first of three for Roy Williams.

Recorded eight straight double-doubles as a junior, which was his final season. Scored 26 points and grabbed 24 rebounds in a memorable win over Duke in 2005 in the regular season finale. Set UNC single-season record with 397 rebounds in 2005, a mark that was eclipsed by Tyler Hansbrough in 2008 with 399 and Brice Johnson in 2016 with 416.

Fundamentally sound, a smart player, excellent passer from the post, and he was a terrific teammate. Because of an injury his freshman year, May played in just 77 games as a Tar Heel. Has been on the UNC coaching staff for the last six seasons.

Name: Ty Lawson

Position: Guard

Years: 2006-09

Honors: First-team All-America 2009; ACC Player of the Year 2009; Team MVP of 2009 national champions; All-ACC 2008 & 2009; South Region MOP 2009; Bob Cousy Award 2009; ACC All-Freshman team 2007; UNC jersey is honored at the Smith Center.

Notable Stats: Averaged 13.1 points, 5.8 assists (sixth highest career average at UNC), and 1.8 steals per game over his career; 43rd all-time at UNC with 1,375 career points; Third highest three-point percentage for a season at UNC at 47.2 percent in 2009; eighth highest 3-point percent for a UNC career at 40.3%; seventh all-time at UNC with 608 career assists; seventh highest single-season steals total (75) in 2009; ninth all-time leader in steals at UNC with 184; Shot 51.6 percent from the field for his career; Shot 40.2 percent from three-point range for his career; Career 2.78 assist-turnover ratio is third highest in ACC history; 230 assists and just 66 turnovers in 2009, greatest assist-turnover ratio (3.49) in ACC history.

In 2009, Lawson became the first point guard named ACC Player of the Year in 31 years. That season he was the first point guard to ever lead UNC in field goal percentage. He set an NCAA championship game record with eight steals in the 2009 title game, seven came in the first half. Lawson’s game grew as he matured into the team’s best player as a junior. One of the fastest guards ever at UNC, Lawson developed a knack for making big plays at key moments.

His 2009 NCAA Tournament run (20.8 points, 34 assists, 16 steals), despite missing the first game and being hobbled in the second because of an injury, is one of the greatest stretches ever by a Tar Heel. The difference between Lawson the day he arrived at UNC and the night of the 2009 national title game was significant on all fronts, and at that point he was one of the greatest point guards in UNC history