To celebrate SLAM’s 30th anniversary, we’re spotlighting the 30 most influential men’s college teams from our past 30 years. Stats, records and chips aren’t the main factor here, it’s all about their contribution to the game’s cultural fabric.
For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve also got an exclusive retro collegiate collection, out now, that pays homage to each squad’s threads. Shop here.
Just like the checkered pattern woven into their uniforms, the Tar Heels’ decisive strategy included a stacked squad and five powerhouses putting up double digits: Rasheed Wallace, Jerry Stackhouse, Jeff McInnis, Donald Wiliams and Donte Calabria.
The tandem of Stackhouse and Wallace injected the Dean Smith Center with an infectious energy that permeated the nation. Wallace was known for his defensive skill set, but he would also wreak as much havoc on the offensive end. Long before Zion Williamson was shaking the bedrock of Tobacco Road, Rasheed Wallace was dubbed “the most exciting dunker in college basketball” by none other than Dick Vitale. But the 6-10 center truly shined with his display of basketball acumen. In the post, he was constantly surveying gaps, cutting lanes and the position of his defender. He’d sky for a block with picture-perfect timing and repelled guards from the paint with sheer passion and will.
From across the nation to the ACC and the Dean Smith Center, the ‘95 Tar Heels enacted a slam fest in every arena they found themselves in. Rolling to the rim was an automatic two points. Stackhouse and McInnis—who transitioned their backcourt connection from Oak Hill to Chapel Hill—could find you anywhere, anytime. And in between, they found the bottom of the net.
Meanwhile, Stackhouse and Wallace marked one of the most entertaining duos in college basketball history, while the squad’s starting five sent nightmares throughout the ACC. Seriously, imagine game-planning for this roster. At some point, you come to the realization that they’re going to get whatever they want. You’ve just got to stay with them. And if we’re being real, the latter wasn’t that likely.
Their season-long reign would eventually come to an end as the Tar Heels fell to Arkansas in New Orleans. But the legend of these young Tar Heels would only be the beginning of a storied connection stitched together by lobs, dubs and Carolina blue threads.
Photos via Getty Images.
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