UNC Tar Heels: Keeping It Heel's 2016 UNC Sportsmen of the Year Awards

The Keeping It Heel staff voted on their favorite North Carolina Tar Heels’ sportsmen of 2016.

Upon completion of the 2016 calendar year, the Keeping It Heel staff voted on a handful of topics to be awarded to players in a variety of sports.

The categories included UNC Male Sportsman of the Year, UNC Female Sportsman of the Year, UNC Sports Team of the Year, UNC Comeback Player of the Year, Best UNC Play of the Year, Best UNC Game of the Year, UNC Coach of the Year, Best UNC Professional Sportsman of the Year and UNC Breakthrough Player of the Year.

Apr 4, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Brice Johnson (11) dunks over Villanova Wildcats defense during the second half in the championship game of the 2016 NCAA Men

UNC Male Sportsman Of The Year – Brice Johnson

Honorable Mentions: Joel Berry II, Ryan Switzer

Brice Johnson was outstanding in 2016. He averaged 17 points and 10.4 rebounds as a senior during the 2015-16 season.  He was first-team all-ACC, consensus first-team all-American and he led the North Carolina Tar Heels to their first national championship game appearance since 2009.

Although UNC lost to Villanova 77-74, Johnson’s four-year career ended on the night of the title game. You cannot ask for anything better, besides winning the championship, of course.

In the 2016 NBA Draft, Johnson was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers as the 25th overall pick. Johnson finished his career at UNC by holding the record for most double-doubles in a season (23), and passed Tyler Hansbrough for most rebounds in a season (416).

Johnson represents one of four Tar Heels to shoot 60% from the floor and 75% from the free throw line in a season. He is one of three ACC players to accomplish that feat in the last 20 years.

UNC Female Sportsman Of The Year – Aly Messinger (UNC women’s Lacrosse)

Honorable Mentions: Stephanie Watts, Hayley Carter

Aly Messinger is one of the top attackers in the nation. She led the Lady Tar Heels lacrosse team to a national championship in 2016.

In four tournament games, Messinger led North Carolina with 10 goals and 13 points. On May 29, 2016, the Tar Heels defeated the Maryland Terrapins 13-7 to win the national title. For Maryland, the loss was its only of the season.

UNC won their second national championship in the past four years. Their first championship came in 2013. The Lady Tar Heels lost the national title game in 2015. Messinger was the Most Outstanding Player of the national championship game with two goals and four assists.

Likewise, Messinger was a third-team all-American as voted by the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA). She was also a member of the all-ACC Academic Team.

May 17, 2015; Annapolis, MD, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Joe Breschi (C) directs his team from the sidelines during the second half against the Maryland Terrapins at Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The Terrapins defeated won 14-7. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

UNC Sports Team Of The Year – Men’s & Women’s Lacrosse Teams

Honorable Mentions: Men’s Basketball

Both Tar Heels lacrosse teams were 2016 champions. In the lacrosse world, UNC stood for “University of National Champions” in 2016.

The UNC women’s lacrosse team won their second national championship in the past four years. The women’s lacrosse team defeated the Maryland Terrapins 13-7. Their first championship came in 2013. The Lady Tar Heels lost the national title game in 2015. In three of the last four seasons, UNC’s women’s lacrosse team was in the Final Four. View highlights from the UNC women’s LAX title game here.

UNC’s men’s lacrosse won their first national championship since 1991. 2016 marked their fifth title (1981, 1982, 1986, 1991, 2016). The unseeded UNC men’s lacrosse team defeated the top-ranked Maryland Terrapins 14-13 in overtime.  View highlights from the UNC men’s LAX championship here.

UNC Comeback Player Of The Year – Nazair Jones 

Honorable Mentions: Walker Hume, J.B. Bukaus

Nazair Jones represents a walking testimony. According to ESPN, Jones was nearly paralyzed five years ago. Jones suffers from complex regional pain syndrome. This condition affects the nervous system.

Jones’ story is very interesting. At age 15, he was temporarily paralyzed from the waist down. He battled his way back onto the football field and managed to catch the attention of North Carolina’s head coach Larry Fedora.

Although Fedora was concerned about Jones’ health, he gambled on Jones and offered him a scholarship despite his diagnosis. Throughout Jones’ college career, he takes weekly shots of Enbrel. Enbrel treats inflammatory conditions. Jones meets with a rheumatologist weekly to manage his condition.

Jones comes back week after week to fight for his opportunity to play football. Again, Jones represents a walking testimony and is a perfect example of how someone can be blessed.

Best UNC Play Of The Year – Marcus Paige’s shot

Honorable Mentions: Mitch Trubisky’s last-second touchdown pass to Bug Howard against Pittsburgh

Despite losing the national championship game to the Villanova Wildcats, Marcus Paige’s game-tying, double pump, circus acrobatic three-point field goal was the best UNC Play of 2016.

Marcus Paige embodies ”The Carolina Way”. Some players would have transferred when the returning star player was kicked off the team. Paige did not. Amidst potential NCAA sanctions, some players might have gone pro. Paige did not.

The North Carolina Tar Heels were losing to the Villanova Wildcats by nine points with around three minutes left in the national championship. Team captain and leader, Marcus Paige did not give up.

Paige scored eight of the Tar Heels’ final 10 points to end the game. This miraculous three-point field goal tied up the game with 4.7 seconds left. Of course, everyone from planet Earth to Mars knows about Kris Jenkins’ game-winning three after Paige’s shot.

Despite the loss, Marcus Paige will be remembered for how he played the game and how he always gave 100% on the basketball court.

Oct 1, 2016; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Jimbo Fisher before the game with North Carolina Tarheels head coach Larry Fedora at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports

Best UNC Game Of the Year – 2016 UNC vs. Florida State (football)

Honorable Mentions: UNC/Virginia 2016 ACC Championship, 2016 UNC/Duke Game 2 (Tar Heels clinched ACC regular season title), 2016 UNC/Notre Dame (Tar Heels advanced to Final Four), 2016 UNC/Kentucky (college basketball game in Las Vegas where Tar Heels lost 103-100)

Florida State was the 12th-ranked team in the nation when this game took place. North Carolina was unranked. The Tar Heels jumped out to a quick start and held a 21-7 halftime lead.

In the second half, the Seminoles scored 28 points and took a 35-34 lead late in the fourth quarter behind a two-yard run from Deondre Francois.

North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky led North Carolina down the field with a little over two minutes left in the game. UNC placekicker Nick Weiler made a 54-yard field goal with no time remaining to win the game.

Trubisky finished the game with 31 completions for 405 yards and three touchdowns. T.J. Logan rushed 10 times for 77 yards and one touchdown, and caught a 22-yard touchdown pass. Ryan Switzer caught 14 passes for 158 yards. Mack Hollins had five receptions for 69 yards and one touchdown.

View highlights from the game below:

May 30, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Joe Breschi (C) dabs with his team after winning the national championship against the Maryland Terrapins at Lincoln Financial Field. The Tar Heels won 14-13 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

UNC Coach Of The Year – Jenny Levy (Women’s Lacrosse) and Joe Breschi (Men’s Lacrosse)

Honorable Mentions: Roy Williams

Both Levy and Breschi coached their teams to national championships in 2016. In addition, both coaches were Laxies’ coaches of the year; Levy for women’s coaches and Breschi for men’s coaches. The Laxies are awards for Inside Lacrosse.

UNC’s women’s lacrosse won their second national championship in the past four years. Their first championship came in 2013. The Lady Tar Heels lost the national title game in 2015. In three of the last four seasons, UNC’s women’s lacrosse team was in the Final Four.

UNC’s men’s lacrosse won their first national championship since 1991. 2016 marked their fifth title (1981, 1982, 1986, 1991, 2016).

Nov 2, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Andrew Miller throws a pitch against the Chicago Cubs in the fifth inning in game seven of the 2016 World Series at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Best UNC Professional Sportsman Of The Year – Andrew Miller

Honorable Mentions: Harrison Barnes, Zach Brown

Andrew Miller accomplished a great deal in 2016. The former Tar Heel was an American League All-Star for the New York Yankees. After the Yankees traded Miller to the Cleveland Indians, he led the Indians to the American League Championship Series.

Miller was arguably the best relief pitcher in Major League Baseball in 2016. In Game Five of the 2016 ALCS, Miller pitched two and two-third innings, leaving the Toronto Blue Jays scoreless. In a total of seven and two-thirds innings, Miller struck out 14 of the 26 batters he faced. Cleveland defeated Toronto 3-1 in the 2016 ALCS. As a result, Miller was the 2016 ALCS MVP.

Miller did not close for the Indians. They brought him in during critical moments of games to shut down their opponents.

UNC Breakthrough Player of the Year – Mitch Trubisky

Honorable Mentions: Justin Jackson, Brice Johnson

Mitch Trubisky is Keeping It Heel’s 2016 Breakthrough Player of the Year. Recently, he announced his decision to forego his senior season and turn pro. Trubisky could potentially be a first round draft pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Some draft boards project him as one of the top-ranked quarterbacks in the year’s crop of players. Some people believe he may be taken as the No. 1 overall pick by the Cleveland Browns.

One thing is for sure. Trubisky’s lone season as a starting quarterback for the Tar Heels represents one of the best seasons we’ve seen by a UNC quarterback. Ever.

Trubisky’s 2016 season was phenomenal. He was a third-team all-ACC quarterback. He finished the season with a 68.2% completion rate, which included 304 pass completions out of a total of 446 passes. Trubisky had a total of 3,748 yards along with 30 touchdowns and six interceptions.

In 2016, Trubisky set several records including the UNC single-game record with 30 consecutive pass completions against James Madison, the UNC record 243 completions consecutive pass attempts without an interception, the UNC single-season touchdown passing record (29) and the UNC single-season record for passing yards (3,748 yards). In addition, Trubisky holds the record for second-highest single-game passing yards total in UNC history (453 yards against the Pittsburgh Panthers on September 24, 2016).

Because of Mitch Trubisky, North Carolina finished the 2016 season ranked No. 1 in the ACC in passing efficiency (156.9 rating) and ranked third in the ACC in passing yards average (293.2 per game).

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