Michael Jordan NCAA Basketball: Stats, Career, and Highlights

Michael Jordan is often called the best basketball player ever, and guess what? He was amazing in college too! Before he became a big NBA star, he played for the University of North Carolina for three years.

Michael Jordan’s Early Days

Imagine a young Michael Jordan, not yet the famous NBA player you know today. He started making waves in high school with his incredible basketball skills. Everyone could see that he was something special.

Which university did Michael Jordan go to?

Michael Jordan went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for college. He played basketball there from 1981 to 1984.

He picked UNC instead of other schools like Duke and South Carolina because he really liked their basketball team and their super famous coach, Dean Smith.

Michael Jordan’s NCAA Stats, Career, and Highlights

In his three seasons at the University of North Carolina, Jordan averaged 17.7 points per game, 5.0 rebounds per game, and 1.8 assists per game. He shot 54.0% from the field and 74.2% from the free throw line.

Jordan was such a basketball superstar in college! In his second and third years, he was chosen for the NCAA All-American First Team – that’s like being in the All-Star team of college basketball two times in a row!

In 1984, he won two super important awards: the Naismith College Player of the Year and the John R. Wooden Award. Imagine winning two of the biggest prizes in college basketball – it’s like being crowned the king of basketball in college!

Jordan led the Tar Heels to the NCAA championship in 1982. In the title game against Georgetown, Jordan hit the game-winning shot with 17 seconds remaining. He finished the game with 16 points, nine rebounds, and two steals.

But it’s not just about Michael Jordan’s personal achievements; he was a big part of his college team’s success too. While he played for UNC for three seasons, they won a whopping 88 games and only lost 13. That’s like winning almost every game they played!

They were also champions of their league, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), during the regular season twice. It’s like being the best team in your neighborhood, not just once, but two times! And they even won the ACC tournament championship once, which is like winning a big tournament with all the best teams.

Jordan’s college career was highlighted by a number of memorable performances. In his freshman season, he scored 40 points against Maryland. He also had a 34-point game against Georgia Tech and a 33-point game against Kentucky.

When Michael Jordan was in his second year of college, he had this incredible game where he scored a whopping 53 points against South Carolina. That’s like scoring more points than anyone from UNC had in one game for a really long time, since way back in 1977!

But that’s not all – he had some other amazing games too! One time, he scored 40 points against Wake Forest, and another time, he got really close with 39 points against Duke. It’s like having a superpower on the basketball court!

In his junior season, Jordan scored 38 points against NC State. He also had a 37-point game against Georgia Tech and a 36-point game against Duke.

Jordan’s college career ended after his junior season when he declared for the NBA draft. He was selected third overall by the Chicago Bulls.

Jordan’s college stats may not be as impressive as his NBA stats, but he was still a dominant player at the collegiate level. He was a two-time All-American and the Naismith College Player of the Year. He led his team to an NCAA championship and was a key factor in their success.

Here are some of Jordan’s most notable NCAA highlights

Hit the game-winning shot in the 1982 NCAA championship game against Georgetown.
Named to the NCAA All-American First Team in both his sophomore and junior seasons.
Won the Naismith College Player of the Year and the John R. Wooden Award in 1984.
Led the Tar Heels to the NCAA championship in 1982.
Helped the Tar Heels go 88-13 in his three seasons at UNC.

Michael Jordan’s college career was short but brilliant. He was one of the greatest players to ever play college basketball, and his legacy continues to inspire players today.