2003 Top 50 List: Yes
Dan Collins List: Yes
People need to understand, Larry was the winner who made Coach Smith a winner. Like Bill Russell started the Boston Celtics tradition, Larry Miller is the tradition that Carolina talks about. Everything starts with him. – Charlie Scott
And to be specific, it started in 1967. That’s when it all came together for the Tar Heels, in Dean Smith’s sixth year. Senior Bob Lewis, junior Miller, and sophomores Rusty Clark, Dick Grubar, and Bill Bunting led the Tar Heels to the ACC regular season championship, Smith’s first ACC Tournament championship, and the Final Four. It was the first of three straight seasons in which the Tar Heels claimed all three of those honors, an incredible achievement that may never be matched.
Miller’s 1967 ACC Tournament was one of the best ever. He famously scored 29 points in the second half in the semifinal against Wake Forest to lead the Tar Heels to a comeback win, then followed it up with 32 points on 13-for-14 shooting and 11 rebounds in the final to knock off Vic Bubas’ Blue Devils. He was named a second team All-American and, on the back of his ACC Tournament performance, edged out Duke’s Bob Verga 52-48 to win ACC Player of the Year.
Miller was even better in 1968, leading the Tar Heels (who lost Lewis but added Charlie Scott) to a 28-4 record and an appearance in the national final where they fell to Lew Alcindor and UCLA. Miller won ACC Player of the Year again, more convincingly this time, 76-34 over Duke’s Mike Lewis. And he was named first team All-America by the Associated Press. Look at who else was on the team:
- Lew Alcindor
- Elvin Hayes
- Pete Maravich
- Wes Unseld
- Larry Miller
Larry Miller and four NBA Hall of Famers. Not bad. Miller wasn’t a Hall of Famer, but did you know that he holds the ABA record for most points in a game (67), playing for the Carolina Cougars?
So when you think of the all-time greats at Carolina, think of Ford, and Jordan, and Hansbrough, yes, but also think of Larry Miller. He’s the one who started it all.