Amanda Knapp
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, also known as UNC, has a rich history in basketball, with the Tar Heels men's basketball team being one of the most successful college basketball programmes in the country. Since the inception of the basketball programme, UNC has accumulated several national championships, with sources citing different numbers. Some sources attribute UNC with six NCAA championships in 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009, and 2017. However, other sources mention a total of seven national championships, with the addition of a 1924 Helms Athletic Foundation title. UNC's basketball success has brought them national recognition and contributed to the university's athletic prowess.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of national championships | 6 NCAA championships |
| Years | 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009, 2017 |
| Number of NCAA tournament matchups won | 134 |
| Number of Sweet Sixteen berths | 31 |
| Number of Final Four appearances | 21 |
| Number of title games | 12 |
| Number of ACC regular-season titles | 17 |
| Number of ACC tournaments won | 13 |
| Number of ACC Tournament wins without defeating an in-state rival | 1 |
| Number of consecutive decades with at least one national championship appearance | 9 |
| Number of consecutive decades with at least two Final Four appearances | 6 |
| Average wins per season played | 20.7 |
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What You'll Learn
UNC's first NCAA Championship
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, also known as the Tar Heels, has a rich history in basketball. They have won six NCAA championships (seven including a 1924 Helms Athletic Foundation title, which was retroactively awarded).
UNC first appeared in the national championship game in 1946, where they were narrowly defeated 43-40 by what is now known as Oklahoma State. It would be over a decade later, in 1957, that UNC would win their first NCAA Championship.
The 1957 NCAA tournament was a historic one for UNC. Lennie Rosenbluth, who had led the Tar Heels to a perfect 24-0 regular-season record the previous year, was named the 1957 Helms Foundation Player of the Year. In the tournament, UNC faced off against Wilt Chamberlain and Kansas in the championship game. It took triple overtime, but UNC emerged victorious with a final score of 54-53. This win marked the first national championship for the Tar Heels, capping off a perfect 32-0 season.
UNC's basketball success continued in the following decades, with the team reaching back-to-back championship games in 1981 and 1982 and winning additional NCAA championships in 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009, and 2017. Their most recent championship in 2017 was a hard-fought victory over the Gonzaga Bulldogs, with the Tar Heels claiming their seventh national championship banner.
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Dean Smith's first NCAA Championship
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's men's basketball team has won seven national championships. Dean Smith, a legendary basketball coach, led the Tar Heels to their second national championship in 1982.
Smith became North Carolina's head coach in 1961. In his first few seasons, he struggled to meet the expectations of fans used to winning. However, Smith's first major successes came in the late 1960s, with consecutive regular-season and ACC tournament championships. During this time, he also took the Tar Heels to three straight Final Fours, including the national championship game in 1968.
Smith's first national championship came in 1982 with a roster of future NBA players such as Michael Jordan, James Worthy, and Sam Perkins. After winning the NCAA tournament, North Carolina had a record of 32-2. This was Smith's seventh appearance in the Final Four, and the championship game was against Georgetown. With no timeouts left, Georgetown missed a half-court shot as time expired, giving Smith his first national championship.
Smith won his second NCAA championship in 1993 with a team that included players such as Donald Williams, who scored 25 points in the final against Michigan. Smith retired in 1997 as the most successful men's collegiate basketball coach at the time, with 879 career victories. During his tenure, he led North Carolina to 11 Final Four appearances and two NCAA championships. Smith was also the first recipient of the Mentor Award for Lifetime Achievement from the University of North Carolina Committee on Teaching Awards.
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Roy Williams' three national titles
Roy Williams, a retired college basketball coach, led the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team to three national championship titles in 18 seasons. Williams' first national championship win was in 2005, when the Tar Heels defeated the University of Illinois. His second title came in 2009 against Michigan State, and his third and final title was in 2017, when the Tar Heels won against the Gonzaga Bulldogs.
Williams started his college coaching career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as an assistant coach for Dean Smith in 1978. Four years later, North Carolina won the national championship. After a decade as Smith's assistant, Williams became the head coach at the University of Kansas, leading them to 14 consecutive NCAA tournaments and four Final Four appearances. In 2003, he returned to his alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as the head coach of the Tar Heels.
Williams' teams at North Carolina were known for their offensive prowess, with a roster of skilled players who relentlessly attacked the boards. He upheld the high standards set by his mentor, Dean Smith, and established the Tar Heels as a powerhouse in college basketball, rivalling nearby Duke University.
In addition to his three national championship titles, Williams was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006 and the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007. He is one of six NCAA Men's Division I college basketball coaches to have won at least three national championships. Williams' success as a coach is further evidenced by his impressive overall record of 903 wins across his 33 seasons at Kansas and North Carolina.
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UNC's 2009 NCAA Championship
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's men's basketball team, the Tar Heels, won the 2009 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, marking the fifth NCAA national title in the school's history. The Tar Heels were led by head coach Roy Williams and considered one of the greatest teams in college basketball history.
The Tar Heels won their six NCAA tournament games by double digits, with an average victory margin of 20.2 points, and only trailed for a total of 10 minutes out of 240 throughout the entire tournament. They were the first unanimous preseason #1 ranking in the history of the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll and the Associated Press Poll.
In the national semifinal, the Tar Heels defeated Villanova 83-69 to advance to the national championship game for the ninth time in school history. In the championship game, North Carolina faced the Michigan State Spartans, the Midwest Regional Champions, at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The Tar Heels dominated the game, with Tyler Hansbrough scoring 18 points, Wayne Ellington scoring 19 points, and Ty Lawson adding 21 points to rout the Spartans 89-72. This victory marked North Carolina's second national championship in five seasons, as they had also won the title in 2005 under coach Roy Williams.
The 2009 NCAA Tournament featured some notable changes and firsts. It was the first time that the "last 12 games" evaluation criteria were removed from the selection process. Additionally, two of the four regions featured a Sweet 16 with the top four seeds, while another region included the top five seeds. North Carolina's victory in the 2009 NCAA Tournament added to their impressive basketball legacy and further solidified their place as one of the most successful programs in college basketball history.
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UNC's 2017 Championship
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's men's basketball team won its seventh national championship in 2017. The Tar Heels 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 team's sixth NCAA National Championship.
The road to the championship game was not easy, with North Carolina facing tough competition along the way. In the second round, they trailed Arkansas 65-60 with under three minutes remaining. However, Kennedy Meeks led a comeback with 16 points and a tip-in with 44.2 seconds left, putting UNC ahead 68-65 and ultimately winning 72-65 to advance to the Sweet 16. In the Sweet 16, Joel Berry II and Jackson's outstanding performances led North Carolina to a 92-80 victory over Butler, advancing them to the Elite Eight. There, they beat Kentucky 75-73 with a last-second jump shot by Luke Maye, securing their spot in the Final Four.
The 2017 championship game was a redemption story for the Tar Heels, who had lost a heartbreaker to Villanova in the previous year's final seconds. This time, they fought their way back and emerged victorious, with Joel Berry, MVP of the Final Four, expressing his joy as the "confetti was falling on us". The win was celebrated by thousands of fans who rushed to Franklin Street, with the team cutting down the nets and Chancellor Carol L. Folt proudly holding the National Championship trophy.
UNC's basketball success extends beyond 2017, with the Tar Heels having won multiple NCAA championships over the years. As of 2017, they had won six NCAA championships (1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009, and 2017), in addition to a 1924 Helms Athletic Foundation title. The team has consistently performed well, with a record-breaking streak of reaching the National Championship game for nine straight decades and at least two Final Fours for six consecutive decades.
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Frequently asked questions
UNC has won six NCAA championships in basketball (1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009, and 2017). They also won a 1924 Helms Athletic Foundation title (retroactive).
UCLA has won 11 basketball national championships, and Kentucky has won eight.
Dean Smith won two national championships in 1982 and 1993. Roy Williams won four national championships, one as an assistant coach in 1993 and three as a head coach in 2005, 2009, and 2017.
The 1982 championship-winning team included future NBA legends James Worthy, Sam Perkins, and Michael Jordan.
