Better 40 Point Game: Barnes or Hansbrough?

Today we are taking a look at the only two 40-point games by a Tar Heel this century.

North Carolina has seen two players score 40 points in a game this century. One was in 2006, and the other in 2011. Interestingly enough, both were freshmen. Those two performances were by Tyler Hansbrough and Harrison Barnes. Today, we dive into what happened to cause these legendary games.

Tyler Hansbrough

On February 15th, 2006, freshman Tyler Hansbrough had a dominant game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. From start to finish, he could not be stopped. In this game, the Tar Heels needed every bit of this performance. Down by 20 at one point, Hansbrough helped North Carolina storm back and win the game 82-75. Not only did he score 40 points, but he grabbed 10 rebounds as well. This would be his career high for the Tar Heels.

Final Statline: 40 points/10 rebounds/13-17 FGs/14-19 FTs

Harrison Barnes

Similar to Hansbrough’s game, North Carolina needed every bit of Harrison Barnes performance. The freshman lit up the net in the ACC Tournament Semifinals against Clemson. Barnes showed why he was the number-one recruit in the nation on this night. On a night where the guards on the team struggled, Barnes more than made up for them. He was unstoppable and got to his spots the entire game. He would finish with 40 points and eight rebounds, leading UNC to a 92-87 win in overtime.

Final Statline:

40 points/8 rebounds/12-17 FGs/10-11 FTs

Both freshmen had unreal performances that have not been matched since. A few have come close but have not quite gotten to 40. Who do you think had the better game?

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