Ayrton Oneill
Sean May, a former basketball player for the University of North Carolina, has strong ties to the institution. May, who played centre for the Tar Heels from 2003 to 2005, was named Most Outstanding Player of the 2005 NCAA tournament after leading his team to its fourth national championship. May returned to his alma mater in 2015 as director of player development, later becoming director of basketball operations and then an assistant coach. May's father, Scott, was a forward on IU's undefeated 1975–76 NCAA championship team, and his brother, Scott Jr., played for the Indiana basketball team that made the NCAA title game in 2002. May's career at North Carolina was marked by numerous achievements, including leading the ACC in rebounding as a sophomore, earning second-team All-ACC and All-America honours, and winning a gold medal with Team USA's 20-and-Under squad.
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What You'll Learn
Sean May's career at North Carolina
Sean May played for the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team from 2003 to 2005. In his first two seasons, he averaged 14.1 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, playing in 40 games and making 39 starts. May missed 24 games during his freshman year due to a left foot fracture but played in all but one game as a sophomore. During his sophomore year, May became the first sophomore in 10 years to lead the ACC in rebounding. He also scored in double figures in 30 games, with at least 20 points in seven of them. May's career scoring high of 28 points came against Georgia Tech on January 11, 2004. He grabbed 10 or more rebounds 18 times, with a high of 21 rebounds on two occasions.
May continued to excel in his junior year, leading North Carolina to its fourth national championship in 2005. The Tar Heels defeated the University of Illinois by a score of 75-70, with May scoring 26 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. For his outstanding performance, May was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2005 NCAA tournament. Following this successful junior season, May entered the NBA Draft, forgoing his senior year at North Carolina. He was selected 13th overall by the Charlotte Bobcats, becoming one of four Tar Heels selected in the lottery picks that year.
May's NBA career spanned four seasons, during which he played for the Charlotte Bobcats, Sacramento Kings, and New Jersey Nets. However, injuries limited him to 119 games. His most successful season was with the Bobcats in 2006-07, when he averaged a career-high 11.9 points and 6.7 rebounds. May also played professionally overseas for several teams in Turkey, Croatia, Italy, France, and Rouen Basket in 2014.
In addition to his playing career, May returned to his alma mater, the University of North Carolina, in 2015, as the director of player development. He later transitioned to the role of Director of Basketball Operations in 2017 and then to one of the assistant coach positions in 2021. May's strong family connections to basketball include his father, Scott, who won the 1976 Naismith Award, and his brother Scott Jr., who played for the Indiana basketball team that reached the NCAA title game in 2002.
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Sean May's post-playing career at North Carolina
Sean May's career at the University of North Carolina began in 2003, and he quickly established himself as a talented basketball player. May played as the starting center for the Tar Heels basketball team until 2005, when he declared that he would forgo his senior year to enter the NBA draft. He was selected 13th overall by the Charlotte Bobcats, becoming one of four Tar Heels selected as lottery picks in the 2005 NBA draft.
During his time at UNC, May achieved numerous accolades, including being named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2005 NCAA tournament, National Player of the Year by Sports Illustrated, and first-team All-America. He also led the Tar Heels to their fourth national championship, defeating the University of Illinois with a score of 75-70. May's performance in the championship game was exceptional, scoring 26 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
After a successful professional basketball career, May returned to his alma mater, the University of North Carolina, in 2015. He was hired as the director of player development, serving in this position for two years before transitioning to the role of Director of Basketball Operations in 2017. In 2021, May was promoted to one of the three on-the-bench assistant coach positions under head coach Hubert Davis.
May's post-playing career at North Carolina has been focused on coaching and mentoring the next generation of basketball players at his alma mater. He has expressed his interest in college coaching and his desire to learn from the UNC coaching staff. May's former coach, Roy Williams, praised him as "one of the smartest players I have ever coached," highlighting his intelligence and understanding of the game.
May's impact on the court as a player for the Tar Heels, as well as his ongoing contributions as a coach and mentor, have solidified his legacy at the University of North Carolina.
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Luke Maye's game-winning jump shot
Luke Maye, a former walk-on, propelled the North Carolina Tar Heels to the Final Four with a game-winning jump shot against the Kentucky Wildcats in the 2017 Elite Eight. With only 0.3 seconds left on the clock and the score tied at 73-73, Maye received the ball from Theo Pinson and nailed a shot just inside the three-point line, securing a Tar Heels victory. This shot became a part of UNC basketball lore, joining the ranks of iconic game-winners by Michael Jordan in 1982 and Marcus Paige in 2016.
Maye's game-winning moment was especially significant given his background as a seldom-used freshman and a walk-on who had only started one game during his sophomore season. His confidence and dedication to conditioning had been noted by his coach, Roy Williams, who expressed his belief in Maye's abilities. Maye's performance in the South Regional earned him a spot on the all-tournament team and the Most Outstanding Player award.
The play leading up to the game-winning shot was also notable. With the game tied, Pinson raced up the court, and instead of driving to the basket or passing to the open ACC Player of the Year, Justin Jackson, he slid the ball to Maye. Maye's subsequent jump shot was a well-practiced move, but one he had never attempted with so much on the line. The shot sent the Tar Heels to the Final Four, where they ultimately won the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball National Championship.
Maye's game-winning jump shot against Kentucky has gone down in UNC basketball history as a defining moment of the 2017 season. It showcased his talent and contributed to his breakout season as a junior, where he averaged impressive numbers in points and rebounds per game. Maye's performance in this game and throughout the tournament solidified his value to the Tar Heels' championship-winning team.
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Sean May's career in the NBA
Sean Gregory May, born on April 4, 1984, is a former American professional basketball player and current assistant basketball coach at the University of North Carolina. May entered the NBA after being selected 13th overall by the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2005 NBA draft. He played the power forward and center positions.
May's NBA career spanned four seasons, during which he played in 119 games and averaged 6.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game. His rookie season was cut short due to an injury in December. On October 5, 2007, May underwent microfracture surgery on his right knee, causing him to miss the entire 2007-2008 NBA season. The surgery's effects lingered, and he faced challenges with conditioning, fatigue, and tendinitis during the 2008-2009 season.
May's most successful NBA season was in 2006-2007 when he averaged a career-high 11.9 points and 6.7 rebounds for the Charlotte Bobcats. He scored a career-high 32 points against Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic. However, injuries plagued his career, limiting his appearances.
In addition to his NBA career, May played professionally overseas. In July 2012, he signed with Paris-Levallois Basket of France, reuniting with his former college teammate Jawad Williams. May's playing career ended around 2014, after which he returned to his alma mater, the University of North Carolina, taking on roles in player development and basketball operations.
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Sean May's family connections to basketball
Sean May, born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Bloomington, Indiana, has strong family connections to basketball. May's father, Scott May, was a forward on Indiana University's undefeated 1975-76 NCAA championship team, for which he won the Naismith Award. Scott was also named the 1976 National Player of the Year. May's brother, Scott Jr., played for the Indiana basketball team that reached the NCAA title game in 2002.
Sean May played basketball for Bloomington North High School in Bloomington, Indiana. He was a three-time all-state selection and was named Indiana's Mr. Basketball, Gatorade, and Indiana Basketball News Player of the Year as a senior. May was also named to the 2002 McDonald's High School All-American team, alongside future NBA players Raymond Felton and Rashad McCants. May's high school teammate was Jared Jeffries, who was a first-round NBA draft pick in 2002.
May chose to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, despite expectations that he would stay in Indiana and play for the Indiana University Hoosiers due to his family's connections to the state. At North Carolina, May was the starting center for the Tar Heels basketball team from 2003 to 2005. As a junior, he led the Tar Heels to their fourth national championship, defeating the University of Illinois by a score of 75-70. May scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the championship game, solidifying his and his father's status as one of four father-son duos to each win an NCAA basketball championship.
After graduating from the University of North Carolina with a B.A. in African-American studies in August 2009, May entered the NBA Draft. He was selected 13th overall by the Charlotte Bobcats and played for several other NBA and international teams throughout his career. May returned to his alma mater in 2015, taking on various coaching and operations roles for the University of North Carolina's basketball program.
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Frequently asked questions
Sean May played for the University of North Carolina's Tar Heels basketball team from 2003 to 2005. He was named Most Outstanding Player of the 2005 NCAA tournament after leading North Carolina to its fourth national championship. He later became the director of player development at his alma mater in 2015 and was promoted to Director of Basketball Operations in 2017.
Sean May was the first sophomore to lead the ACC in rebounding since Tim Duncan in 1995. He earned second-team All-ACC and second-team All-America honours (ESPN.com) and shared USA Basketball’s co-Male Athlete of the Year award in 2004 with Chris Paul. He scored a career-high 32 points against Dwight Howard and averaged a career-high 11.9 points and 6.7 rebounds for Charlotte in 2006-07.
Sean May's father, Scott, was a forward on Indiana's undefeated 1975–76 NCAA championship team and won the Naismith Award the same year. Scott was also the 1976 National Player of the Year. Sean's brother, Scott Jr., played for the Indiana basketball team that made the NCAA title game in 2002. Sean and his father are one of four father-son duos to each win an NCAA basketball championship.
Luke Maye is one of Sean May's three younger brothers. Luke recorded his first 10-point game for the University of North Carolina against Davidson in his sophomore season. He was named to the South Regional all-tournament team and won the regional's Most Outstanding Player award. North Carolina went on to win the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball National Championship.
