In the hallowed hallways of North Carolina basketball, a program steeped in championships, history and glory, the blue and white record books are filled with legendary players. Recently, RJ Davis added his name in the storied UNC legacy with a 42-point outburst and that got us thinking about which North Carolina players have soared to score the most points in a single game.
| # | Player | PTS | Opponent | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bob Lewis | 49 | Florida State | Dec. 16 1965 |
| 2 | Billy Cunningham | 48 | Tulane | Dec. 10 1964 |
| 3 | Lennie Rosenbluth | 47 | Furman | Dec. 3 1956 |
| 4 | Lennie Rosenbluth | 45 | Clemson | March 7 1957 |
| 4 | Lennie Rosenbluth | 45 | William & Mary | Feb. 7 1956 |
| 4 | Lennie Rosenbluth | 45 | Clemson | Jan. 14 1956 |
| 4 | George Glamack | 45 | Clemson | Feb. 10 1941 |
| 8 | Charlie Scott | 43 | Wake Forest | Jan. 17 1970 |
| 8 | Bob Lewis | 43 | Richmond | Dec. 8 1965 |
| 10 | Shammond Williams | 42 | Clemson | Feb. 8 1998 |
| 10 | RJ Davis | 42 | Miami | Feb. 26 2024 |
| 12 | Kenny Smith | 41 | Clemson | Jan. 28 1987 |
| 12 | Charlie Scott | 41 | Virginia | March 5 1970 |
| 14 | Harrison Barnes | 40 | Clemson | March 12 2011 |
| 14 | Tyler Hansbrough | 40 | Georgia Tech | Feb. 15 2006 |
| 14 | Charlie Scott | 40 | Duke | March 8 1969 |
| 14 | Billy Cunningham | 40 | Maryland | Jan. 13 1964 |
| 14 | Lennie Rosenbluth | 40 | Duke | March 1 1957 |
| 19 | Michael Jordan | 39 | Georgia Tech | Jan. 29 1983 |
His 42 points places Davis among the pantheon of Tarheel greats. The record for the most points in a game for North Carolina is held by the legendary Bob Lewis, who scored 49 points against Florida State in 1965. This feat stood as a beacon of individual brilliance for decades. Then, there’s the unforgettable 47-point performance by Lennie Rosenbluth in 1957 against Furman, a display of scoring prowess that helped define an era.
Rosenbluth is all over this list and is a legendary figure in the history of North Carolina Tar Heels basketball. As a college basketball fan, I was surprised to never have heard of Lennie Rosenbluth. The 6-5 forward played for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the 1950s and led the Tar Heels to their first NCAA championship in 1956-57 season; achieving a perfect 32-0 record. No doubt Lennie would have factored into sports betting in North Carolina had that been legal back then.
Sure we see Charlie Scott, Cunningham, Harrison Barnes and Tyler Hansbrough, but it’s more about the players we don’t see on the list: Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Vince Carter, Antawn Jamison, Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace. Just because you’re wondering, Jordan’s highest scoring output in a powder blue and white was 39 points; just missing out on our main list.
Davis’ 42 points sets a Dean Smith Center record.
