University of North Carolina Athletics
Cedars History Report: The Role-Player At UNC
August 9, 2002 | General
April 1, 2002
Welcome to the CEDARS of CHAPEL HILL History Report!
Now that UNC fans have witnessed a not-so-great basketball team with their own eyes, a natural thing is to ask: what are the elements that make a great basketball team?
Experience has taught us that great basketball teams usually have good coaching and good players. Most great teams play solid defense and work to get high-quality shots on offense. Another common element in great basketball teams is something often described as "chemistry" or "intangibles."
Good team chemistry is always helped along by the presence of "role players" -- guys who perform tasks on the court that don't always show up in the scoring and rebounding columns. Role players set good screens, hit the floor for loose balls, go to the correct spot to receive an outlet pass and get the ball to the guys who are more likely to fly through the lane for a screaming dunk.
They are sometimes referred to as the "glue" that holds the team together. Part of the secret to UNC's long term success is that Carolina has always has always gotten stellar play from these complementary or "role" players, many of whom were high school all-stars before they came to Chapel Hill.
The guy who is probably the most significant role player ever at UNC is also Carolina's head basketball coach. Matt Doherty was an All-American in high school. But when he joined players like Michael Jordan, Al Wood, James Worthy, Kenny Smith and Sam Perkins, Doherty immediately became the team's fourth offensive option. Most of the time, his job as a player at Carolina was to blend with the stars, and to recognize where help was needed. Few have done it better.
Here is the career UNC statistical line for Matt Doherty:
Years played: 1980-1984
Position: Small forward
Played alongside: James Worthy, Michael Jordan, Al Wood, Sam Perkins, Brad Daugherty
Record as a Tar Heel: 117-21
Stat Line as a Tar Heel: 9.0 points, 3.5. rebounds., 3.5 assists, .9 steals.
What follows is a subjective fan's list of some of the other great role-players at Carolina during the past 30-plus seasons:
Steve Bucknall
Years played: 1985-1989
Position: Small Forward
Played alongside: Brad Daugherty, Kenny Smith, Jeff Lebo, JR Reid
Record as a Tar Heel: 116-25
Stat line as a Tar Heel: 7.5 pt, 3 rb. 3 ast. 1 stl per game.
ucknall was an intense player who was not afraid to mix it up inside or take the big shot. "Buck" made the most of his all-around talents and was a true team leader as a senior.
Ademola Okulaja
Years played: 1995-99
Position: Small & power forward
Played alongside: Ed Cota, Shammond Williams, Vince Carter, Antawn Jamison
Record as a Tar Heel: 107-32
Stat line as a Tar Heel: 9 pt,, 6.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steal per game.
A forward who did a lot of the the dirty work for UNC teams that reached the Final Four in 1997 and 1998, Ademola rebounded, passed, defended, and hustled all over the court. He shot infrequently during his first three seasons, but as a senior, after Jamison and Carter left for the NBA, he showed the ability to score also and to lead. He made the first-team All-ACC team that year.
Henrik Rodl
Years played: 1989-1993
Position: Big Guard
Played alongside: George Lynch, Hubert Davis, Scott Williams, Eric Montross, Donald Williams
Record as a Tar Heel: 107-33
Stat line as a Tar Heel: 3.4 pt, 1.3 rb. 2.3 ast., .7 stl per game.
Henrik attended Chapel Hill High School as an exchange student from Germany. While there he helped the Tigers win a state championship. He returned to Chapel Hill to enroll at UNC a year later. As a senior, he helped Carolina win a national championship in 1993. Rodl could play guard, forward or even center in a pinch. Very unselfish and an excellent passer, Rodl had range on his shot and wasn't afraid to mix it up with the big guys.
Dante Calabria
Years played: 1992-1996
Position: Shooting Guard
Played alongside: George Lynch, Jerry Stackhouse, Jeff McInnis, Rasheed Wallace, Antawn Jamison, Vince Carter
Record as a Tar Heel: 111-28
Stat line as a Tar Heel: 8.1 pt, 3.2 rb. 2.5 ast. .8 stl per game.
Always a long-range threat (he led the nation in 3-point accuracy for much of his junior season), Dante was a hard-nosed competitor who learned the UNC system well. He is remembered as a heady, inventive player who got his shots within the offense.
John Virgil
Years played: 1976-1980
Position: Big guard/ Small Forward
Played alongside: Phil Ford, Walter Davis, Mike O'Koren, Al Wood
Record as a Tar Heel: 95-27
Stat line as a Tar Heel: 4.8 pt, 1.2 rb. ..5 ast. .5 stl per game
John Virgil was a threat to light up the opposition any time he stepped onto the court. Branded the "next Phil Ford" as a high schooler in Elm City, N.C., Virgil didn't possess Ford's ball-handling skills or his all-court saavy, and Dean Smith used him mainly as a scorer. He was good at that.
Steve Hale
Years played: 1982-1986
Position: Big guard
Played alongside: Brad Daugherty, Kenny Smith, Mike Jordan, Sam Perkins, Joe Wolf
Record as a Tar Heel: 111-26
Stat line as a Tar Heel: 7.5 pt, 3 rb. 3 ast. 1 stl per game
Steve Hale was a great shooter and ball-handler who gave 110 percent every time he stepped onto the court. Hale was relentless on defense and dove for every loose ball, and he converted over 81 percent of his free throws during his career.
Mike Pepper
Years played: 1977-81
Position: Big Guard
Played alongside: Al Wood, Phil Ford, Sam Perkins, James Worthy
Record as a Tar Heel: 96-30
Stat line as a Tar Heel: 3.9 pt, 1 rb. 1 ast. Per game.
Mike Pepper is remembered as a good shooter, athletic for a guard, and a hard worker. Pepper was hopelessly buried on the bench during his first two seasons, but hard work gave him a shot at playing time. He made the most of that opportunity, starting as a senior and making some key plays during Carolina's run toward the 1981 Final Four.
John Kuester
Years played: 1973-1977
Position: Point guard / big guard
Played alongside: Walter Davis, Tom LaGarde, Mitch Kupchak, Phil Ford, Mike O'Koren
Record as a Tar Heel: 98-23
Stat line as a Tar Heel: 7.5 pt, 3 rb. 3 ast., 1 stl per game.
est remembered as Phil Ford's running mate at guard, John Kuester was an important part of the great Carolina recruiting class that arrived in 1974. Kuester was a good shooter, played solid defense, passed well and hustled all over the court. He just wasn't Phil Ford, who joined him in the UNC backcourt for three of his years at UNC.
However, in 1977 Kuester showed he could lead the team, when he was named MVP of the ACC and Eastern Regional Tournaments after Ford fouled out of the ACC final and injured his elbow prior to the regional final. Keuster scored 19 points against Kentucky in the regional final.
Dudley Bradley
Years played: 1975-1979
Position: Small Forward
Played alongside: Phil Ford, Walter Davis, Mike O'Koren, Al Wood
Record as a Tar Heel: 99-23
Stat line as a Tar Heel: 4.4 pt, 2.4 rb. 1 ast. 1.8 stl per game
Dudley Bradley was nicknamed the "Secretary of Defense." At 6-foot-6, with long arms and quick feet and hands, Dudley excelled at shutting down the opposition's main scoring threat. Although he was supposedly a great offensive player in practice, "Duds" never managed to get much going on that end of the court during real games. He did come up big in the 1979 ACC tournament final against Duke, scoring 16 points with four assists and seven steals.
Jeff Wolf
Years played: 1976-1980
Position: Center
Played alongside: Phil Ford, James Worthy, Al Wood, Mike O'Koren
Record as a Tar Heel: 95-27
Stat line as a Tar Heel: 3.3 pt, 3.6 rb. 1 ast.per game.
A guy who battled inside against the likes of Mike Gminski and Ralph Sampson for four years.
Derrick Phelps
Years played: 1990-94
Position: Point guard
Played alongside: Rick Fox, George Lynch, Hubert Davis, Eric Montross
Record as a Tar Heel: 114-27
Stat line as a Tar Heel: 7.3 pt, 3.3 rb. 5 ast. 1.8 stl per game.
Phelps was a quick, tough player and a great defender. Proficient at running the Carolina offense he was also an accomplished foul shooter. He captured UNC hearts everywhere with his gutsy performance in the 1993 NCAA tournament, playing through an assortment of painful injuries.
Pete Chilcutt
Years played: 1987-1991
Position: Power forward/ Center
Played alongside: JR Reid, Rick Fox, Hubert Davis
Record as a Tar Heel: 106-34
Stat line as a Tar Heel: 8.2 pt, 5.5 rb. 1.3 ast.
A solid inside player with a nice touch on his jump shot, Chilcutt complimented the more famous guys around him like Scott Willams, JR Reid and Rick Fox.
Tom Zaliagaris
Years played: 1974-1978
Position: Big Guard
Played alongside: Phil Ford, Walter Davis, Mike O'Koren
Record as a Tar Heel: 99-25
Stat line as a Tar Heel: 4.3 pt, 1.2 rb. 1 ast.
"Zal" stepped up his all-around game when he stepped into the starting line up as a senior in 1978. He was a hard-nosed player and a good spot up shooter.
Darrell Elston
Years played: 1971-74
Position: Big Guard
Played alongside: Bobby Jones, Bob McAdoo, George Karl, Mitch Kupckak
Record as a Tar Heel: 73-19
Stat line as a Tar Heel: 10.2 pt, 2.6 rb. 3.5 ast.
Elston filled the lead guard spot after George Karl had graduated. He became a good scorer and was named second-team All-ACC as a senior. For his career, Elston made 83.3 percent of his foul shots.
John O'Donnell
Years played: 1971-74
Position: Small Forward
Played alongside: George Karl, Mitch Kupckak, Bob McAdoo, Bobby Jones
Record as a Tar Heel: 73-19
Stat line as a Tar Heel: 5 pt, 1.6 rb., 1.5 ast.
O'Donnell was a good jump shooter and a solid presence inside as a small forward.
Curtis Hunter
Years played: 1982-1987
Position: Big Guard / Small Forward
Played alongside: Mike Jordan, Sam Perkins, Brad Daugherty, Kenny Smith
Record as a Tar Heel: 115-27
Stat line as a Tar Heel: 4.2 pts; 1.5 rb. 1.3 ast.
Hunter, from Durham, arrived being hailed as the next Michael Jordan. During five years at Carolina he developed into a solid all-around player. He was a 56.3 percent career field goal shooter.
Kim Huband
Years played: 1969-1972
Position: Big guard
Played alongside: Charlie Scott, George Karl, Dennis Wuycik, Robert McAdoo
Record as a Tar Heel: 70-20
Stat line as a Tar Heel: 5.2 pt, 1.9 rb. 1.1 ast.
A great foul shooter (84.8 percent), Huband was a career substitute who made the best of his chances when he got in the game backing up Karl and Steve Previs.
Rich Yonaker
Years played: 1976-80
Position: Power Forward / Center
Played alongside: Tommy LaGarde, Walter Davis, Phil Ford, Mike O'Koren, Al Wood
Record as a Tar Heel: 95-27
Stat line as a Tar Heel: 5.4 pt, 3.7 rb. 1.5 ast.
"Chicky" Yonaker was an intense player on both ends of the court, and mobile for a big man. He was a good rebounder, a good jump shooter, and a nifty passer.
This list could go on. George Lynch was a rebounding specialist until he willed the UNC team to a new level in the 1992-93 season. Serge Zwikker nearly revolutionized the center position with his baseline jump-shot.
