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The North Carolina Tar Heels have won the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship seven times. Their first national championship was in 1957, and their most recent was in 2017. The Tar Heels are one of only four Division I men's basketball programs to have achieved 2,000 victories. They have appeared in the NCAA Tournament championship game twelve times and have been in a record 21 NCAA Tournament Final Fours.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of national championships | 7 |
| First national championship | 1957 |
| Latest national championship | 2017 |
| Number of appearances in the Final Four | 21 |
| Number of appearances in the NCAA Tournament championship game | 12 |
| Number of appearances in the NIT Tournament | 6 |
| Number of NIT Tournament wins | 1 |
| Year of first ACC regular-season title | 1956 |
| Number of NCAA titles | 3 |
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What You'll Learn
North Carolina Tar Heels' first national championship
The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team has won six NCAA National Championships and one retroactive championship, making them one of the top college basketball programs in the country. The Tar Heels won their first-ever national championship in 1957, beating Kansas and Wilt Chamberlain thanks to North Carolina center Joe Quigg's free throws with six seconds left in triple overtime. The 1956-57 team went undefeated on their way to the school's first NCAA tournament championship.
The Tar Heels' other national championship wins came in 1982, 1993, and 1995, with additional championships in 2016 and 2017. The team has also won eighteen Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) tournament titles and thirty-three ACC regular-season titles. The Tar Heels have produced many notable players who went on to play in the NBA, including Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Vince Carter, and Bob McAdoo.
In addition to their success on the court, the Tar Heels have also established a reputation for their distinctive nickname, "Tar Heels," which is a reference to the state of North Carolina, also known as the "Tar Heel State." The team's mascot, Rameses, is a Dorset Ram, represented by either a live sheep with Carolina Blue horns or a costumed student volunteer.
The Tar Heels have a rich history and a passionate fan base, and their success has continued into recent years, with the team eyeing their seventh national championship in 2022 under the leadership of first-year head coach Hubert Davis.
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North Carolina's 1982 national championship
North Carolina has won multiple national championships in men's basketball, including the 1982 NCAA Division I tournament. The 1982 tournament featured 48 schools playing in single-elimination rounds to determine the national champion. The championship game was played on March 29, 1982, in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, between North Carolina and Georgetown.
North Carolina, coached by Dean Smith, won the national title with a final score of 63-62. James Worthy of North Carolina was named the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player. The game was tightly contested, with numerous lead changes and neither team leading by more than a few points. In the final minute, Fred Brown of Georgetown scored, putting his team on top 62-61. During the timeout that followed, Smith predicted that Georgetown would heavily guard Worthy and Perkins, and instructed Jordan not to be afraid to shoot if he was open. With 17 seconds left, Jordan hit a jumper that put North Carolina back on top, 63-62. In the remaining seconds, a Georgetown player made a mistake, passing the ball to Worthy, who was then fouled, securing the win for North Carolina.
The 1982 championship game is remembered as the stage on which several basketball legends, including Michael Jordan and Georgetown's Ewing, were introduced to a national audience. Jordan, a freshman at the time, scored 16 points, including the game-winning shot. This game marked the first national championship for Coach Dean Smith and the second for the Tar Heels.
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North Carolina's 1957 national championship
North Carolina has won multiple national championship basketball games. Their first-ever national championship was in 1957, when they beat Kansas and Wilt Chamberlain thanks to North Carolina center Joe Quigg's free throws. The Tar Heels won the game 54-53, with Quigg making two free throws in the closing seconds. The game went into triple overtime.
The 1957 North Carolina team was led by coach Frank McGuire and Helms Foundation College Basketball Player of the Year Lennie Rosenbluth. They were ranked first overall in the AP Poll. The game took place on March 23, 1957, at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri, in front of a sell-out crowd of 10,500 fans, most of whom supported Kansas.
The Tar Heels had an unblemished record of 31-0 going into the game, having survived numerous close games during the regular season, the conference tournament, and a triple-overtime game against Michigan State in the national semifinal. The team finished the season undefeated at 32-0. Lennie Rosenbluth led all tournament scorers with 140 points.
After the win, coach McGuire was given a new Carolina blue and white Cadillac by the university and signed a new five-year contract worth $11,500 per year. The players were awarded watches for their victory.
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North Carolina's 1993 national championship
North Carolina has won the national championship in basketball multiple times, including in 1993. In the 1993 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, North Carolina won the national title with a 77–71 victory over Michigan in the final game, which was held in New Orleans, Louisiana. This was their first national championship since 1982.
The 1993 tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination matches to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 1993, and ended with the championship game on April 5. A total of 63 games were played. North Carolina was coached by Dean Smith, and Donald Williams of North Carolina was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
The final game against Michigan was particularly memorable. In the last seconds of the game, Michigan's Chris Webber tried to call a timeout with his team down by 2 points and double-teamed by North Carolina. However, Michigan had already used all of their timeouts, so Webber's attempt resulted in a technical foul. This mistake led to two uncontested free throws for North Carolina, which they successfully converted, and possession of the ball. North Carolina added two more points from the free throw line, securing their victory with a final score of 77-71.
The 1993 championship was the second time that North Carolina had played in back-to-back championship games, the first being in 1981 and 1982. This victory added to North Carolina's impressive basketball legacy, with the Tar Heels becoming a renowned program where upperclassmen often get more publicity and playing time.
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North Carolina's 2017 national championship
North Carolina has a rich history in basketball, with several national championship wins. In 2017, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's men's basketball team won its seventh national championship. They defeated the Gonzaga Bulldogs by 71-65 in the final game, which was played on April 3, 2017, at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. This win marked the Tar Heels' sixth men's basketball national championship.
The 2017 NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game was a hard-fought battle that came down to the last ticks of the game clock. The Tar Heels had lost to Villanova in the previous year's final seconds, but they fought their way back to the championship game. With seconds left, Justin Jackson of North Carolina made a dunk that put his team up by five points, sealing the victory.
The 2017 championship game was not without its criticisms, however. Many, including North Carolina head coach Roy Williams, commented on the quality of play. The media blamed officiating for the game's low quality, with an abundance of foul calls and a slow pace. Despite this, the Tar Heels were able to claim the national championship title, adding to their impressive basketball legacy.
This win by North Carolina was especially sweet as they had faced a heartbreaking loss in the 2016 championship game. In that game, Villanova's Kris Jenkins made a buzzer-beating shot, defeating the Tar Heels. In 2017, North Carolina avenged that defeat and claimed the championship title, making it their second consecutive title game appearance and eleventh overall.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's basketball team has a long and proud history, with their first-ever national championship win dating back to 1948. The team has consistently performed well, with multiple championship appearances and wins over the years. The 2017 win further solidified their place as one of the top basketball programs in the country.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, North Carolina has won several national championships in basketball.
North Carolina has won seven national championships.
North Carolina won its first national championship in 1927.
North Carolina beat Wilt Chamberlain and Kansas to win its first national championship.
The 1982 national championship team included James Worthy, Sam Perkins, and Michael Jordan.
