 As a freshman in coach Dean Smith 's team @-@ oriented system , he was named ACC Freshman of the Year after he averaged 13 @.@ 4 points per game ( ppg ) on 53 @.@ 4 % shooting ( field goal percentage ) . He made the game @-@ winning jump shot in the 1982 NCAA Championship game against Georgetown , which was led by future NBA rival Patrick Ewing . Jordan later described this shot as the major turning point in his basketball career . During his three seasons at North Carolina , he averaged 17 @.@ 7 ppg on 54 @.@ 0 % shooting , and added 5 @.@ 0 rebounds per game ( rpg ) . He was selected by consensus to the NCAA All @-@ American First Team in both his sophomore ( 1983 ) and junior ( 1984 ) seasons . After winning the Naismith and the Wooden College Player of the Year awards in 1984 , Jordan left North Carolina one year before his scheduled graduation to enter the 1984 NBA draft . The Chicago Bulls selected Jordan with the third overall pick , after Hakeem Olajuwon ( Houston Rockets ) and Sam Bowie ( Portland Trail Blazers ) . One of the primary reasons why Jordan was not drafted sooner was because the first two teams were in need of a center . However , the Trail Blazers general manager Stu Inman contended that it was not a matter of drafting a center , but more a matter of taking Sam Bowie over Jordan , in part because Portland already had a guard with similar skills to Jordan , Clyde Drexler . ESPN , citing Bowie 's injury @-@ laden college career , named the Blazers ' choice of Bowie as the worst draft pick in North American professional sports history . Jordan returned to North Carolina to complete his degree in 1986 . 
 As a freshman in coach Dean Smith <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'s</mark></a>team @-@ oriented system , he was named ACC Freshman of the Year after he averaged 13 @.@ 4 points per game ( ppg ) on 53 @.@ 4 % shooting ( field goal percentage ) . He made the game @-@ winning jump shot in the 1982 NCAA Championship game against Georgetown , which was led by future NBA rival Patrick Ewing . Jordan later described this shot as the major turning point in his basketball career . During his three seasons at North Carolina , he averaged 17 @.@ 7 ppg on 54 @.@ 0 % shooting , and added 5 @.@ 0 rebounds per game ( rpg ) . He was selected by consensus to the NCAA All @-@ American First Team in both his sophomore ( 1983 ) and junior ( 1984 ) seasons . After winning the Naismith and the Wooden College Player of the Year awards in 1984 , Jordan left North Carolina one year before his scheduled graduation to enter the 1984 NBA draft . The Chicago Bulls selected Jordan with the third overall pick , after Hakeem Olajuwon ( Houston Rockets ) and Sam Bowie ( Portland Trail Blazers ) . One of the primary reasons why Jordan was not drafted sooner was because the first two teams <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>were</mark></a> in need of a center . However , the Trail Blazers general manager Stu Inman contended that it <a href='negative_concord' title='3'><mark>was</mark></a> <a href='negative_concord' title='4'><mark>not</mark></a><a href='None' title='5'><mark>a</mark></a><a href='negative_concord' title='6'><mark>matter</mark></a> of drafting a center , but more a matter of taking Sam Bowie over Jordan , in part because Portland already<a href='been_done' title='7'><mark></mark></a> had a guard with similar skills to Jordan , Clyde Drexler . ESPN , citing Bowie <a href='null_genetive' title='8'><mark>'s</mark></a>injury @-@ laden college career , named the Blazers <a href='null_genetive' title='9'><mark>'</mark></a>choice of Bowie as the worst draft pick in North American professional sports history . Jordan returned to North Carolina to complete his degree in 1986 . 
As a freshman in coach Dean Smith  team @-@ oriented system , he was named ACC Freshman of da Year after he averaged 13 @.@ 4 points per game ( ppg ) on 53 @.@ 4 % shooting ( field goal percentage ) . He made tdagame @-@ winning jump shot in thda982 NCAA Championship game against Georgetown , which was led by future NBA rival Patrick Ewing . Jordan later described this shot as thedajor turning point in his basketball career . During his three seasons at North Carolina , he averaged 17 @.@ 7 ppg on 54 @.@ 0 % shootin , and added 5 @.@ 0 rebounds per game ( rpg ) . He was selected by consensus to the daA alll @-@ American First Team in both his sophomore ( 1983 ) and junior ( 1984 ) seasons . After winning the Naismith and the Wooden College Player of the Yda awards in 1984 , Jordan left North Carolina one year before his scheduled graduation to enter the 19daNBA draft . The Chicago Bulls selected Jordan with the thidaoverall pick , after Hakeem Olajuwon ( Houston Rockets ) and Sam Bowie ( Portland Trail Blazers ) . One of the primda reasons y Jordan was not drafted sooner was cause the first two teams was in need of a center . However , the Trail Blazers general manager Stu Inman contended dat it ain't no matter of drafting a center , but more a matter of taking Sam Bowie over Jordan , in part because Portland already been had a guard w similar skills to Jordan , Clyde Drexler . ESPN , citing Bowie  injury @-@ laden college career , named the Blazers  choice of Bowie as the worstdaaft pick in North American professional sports history . Jordan returned to North Carolina to complete his degree in 1986 .