Helena Frye
The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team has won six NCAA championships (1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009, and 2017) in addition to a 1924 Helms Athletic Foundation title. The Tar Heels have made the Final Four a record 21 times and have appeared in a record-high 20 Final Four games. They have also won eighteen Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) tournament titles and thirty-three ACC regular-season titles. The team's first national championship came in 1957, after three overtimes against Kansas under head coach Frank McGuire. Three of UNC's titles were won under head coach Roy Williams, most recently in 2017 against Gonzaga.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of first national title | 1957 |
| Number of national titles | 6 or 7 |
| Years of national titles | 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009, 2017 |
| Number of Final Four appearances | 20 or 21 |
| Number of NCAA tournament wins | 134 |
| Number of Sweet Sixteen appearances | 31 |
| Number of Final Four appearances in consecutive decades | 9 |
| Number of Final Four appearances in consecutive years | 3 |
| Coach with most national titles | Roy Williams (3 or 4) |
| Coach with second-most national titles | Dean Smith (2) |
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What You'll Learn
UNC's first national title in 1957
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, commonly referred to as UNC, won its first basketball national title in 1957. The 1957 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship Game took place on March 23, 1957, between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Kansas Jayhawks at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The Tar Heels, led by coach Frank McGuire and Helms Foundation College Basketball Player of the Year Lennie Rosenbluth, were ranked first overall in the AP Poll. The Jayhawks, on the other hand, were led by sophomore Wilt Chamberlain, a first-team All-American, and began the season favoured to win the national title.
UNC's road to the national championship game was not easy. They survived numerous close games during the regular season, the conference tournament, and the national semifinal, where they faced Michigan State. This game went into triple overtime, with North Carolina ultimately emerging victorious. This set the stage for the highly anticipated national championship game, which attracted heavy media attention, with over ten television stations and sixty-three news reporters in attendance.
The game itself was a thriller, with the lead changing hands multiple times. The Tar Heels jumped out to an early 19–7 lead in the first half, but the Jayhawks fought back, reducing the deficit to seven points (29–22) at halftime. In the second half, the Jayhawks took control and built a lead. However, the Tar Heels showed their resilience and tied the game in the final minute, forcing overtime. Both teams battled hard in the first overtime, with each scoring a basket. The second overtime was a defensive struggle, with neither team able to score due to a lack of offensive execution. It wasn't until the third overtime that the Tar Heels finally clinched the game, winning by a final score of 54-53.
UNC's victory in the 1957 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship Game marked the school's first basketball national title and the second undefeated national championship in the history of NCAA Division I men's basketball. The win also contributed to the growing popularity of basketball in North Carolina, with the game being the first televised basketball contest in the state.
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Michael Jordan's game-winning shot in 1982
The University of North Carolina (UNC) has won the national title six times in men's basketball: in 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009, and 2017. The 1982 championship game is particularly memorable because of Michael Jordan's game-winning shot.
On March 29, 1982, Jordan, a freshman, hit a 16-foot jumper with 17 seconds left on the game clock to give UNC a 63-62 victory over Georgetown. This was Jordan's first season at UNC, and the game-winning shot has been described as the "birth of Michael Jordan" and the moment that "put Michael on the map." Jordan's shot is also credited with launching the use of the term "March Madness" to describe the annual NCAA basketball tournament.
Jordan's shot capped off a string of narrow victories for UNC in the 1982 NCAA tournament. In addition, Jordan's teammate James Worthy, who would go on to be a fellow Hall of Famer, sealed the victory with a steal in the final seconds. Worthy was also the leading scorer in the game, putting up 28 points. The 1982 championship was the second for UNC and the first for their legendary coach, Dean Smith.
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Roy Williams' three national championship wins
The University of North Carolina's basketball team, the Tar Heels, has won the NCAA Division I men's basketball championship seven times. The Tar Heels' first national championship win came in 1957, and their most recent win was in 2017.
Roy Allen Williams, born on August 1, 1950, is a retired college basketball coach. He served as the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels for 18 seasons and the Kansas Jayhawks for 15 seasons. Williams was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006 and the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.
Williams led the Tar Heels to three national championship wins in 2005, 2009, and 2017. In 2005, Williams won his first national championship, defeating Illinois by a score of 75-70. Sean May, who scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP). This was North Carolina's first national title in 12 years.
In 2009, the Tar Heels won their fifth NCAA title by defeating Michigan State in the championship game of the NCAA men's basketball tournament. They won all six of that year's tournament games by at least 12 points, with an average victory margin of 20.2 points.
Williams won his third and final national championship with the Tar Heels in 2017, defeating Gonzaga by a score of 71-65. This victory came one year after the Tar Heels lost the national championship to Villanova on a buzzer-beater. The 2017 win marked the seventh national championship for the University of North Carolina's men's basketball team.
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Dean Smith's two national championship wins
Dean Smith was an American collegiate basketball coach at the University of North Carolina from 1961 to 1997. During his 36-year tenure, Smith led the Tar Heels to two national championship wins and appeared in 11 Final Fours. Smith played college basketball at the University of Kansas, where he won a national championship in 1952.
Smith's first national championship win was in 1982. The Tar Heels had a strong team in the 1980-81 season, finishing second in the ACC with a 10-4 record. In the 1981-82 season, the Tar Heels went on a string of narrow NCAA tournament victories, winning games by two points, five points, ten points, five points, and one point. The team included Michael Jordan, James Worthy, and Sam Perkins. In the championship game, North Carolina defeated Georgetown 63-62, with Jordan making the game-winning shot with 17 seconds left on the clock.
Smith's second national championship win was in 1993. In the 1992-93 season, the Tar Heels started out with an 8-0 record and were ranked #5 in the country. In the national title game, UNC faced #3 ranked Michigan. The game was a see-saw battle, but is best remembered for Chris Webber calling a time-out while trapped against the sideline by two defenders. Michigan did not have any timeouts remaining and were assessed a technical foul. UNC ended up winning 77-71, giving Smith his second national championship.
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UNC's most recent national title in 2017
The University of North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team has had a long and storied history, with the team winning its first NCAA championship in 1957. In total, UNC has appeared in a record 20 Final Fours and won six national championships, with their most recent title coming in 2017.
The Road to the 2017 Championship
UNC's journey to the 2017 national title began with a strong foundation of talented players and a resilient mindset. The team was determined to bounce back from a heartbreaking loss in the previous year's championship game, where they fell to Villanova in the final seconds. This time, the Tar Heels were even more driven to bring home the trophy.
The Championship Game
On the road to the championship, UNC demonstrated their skill and determination, earning their spot in the final game. The 2017 national championship game was a thrilling contest between the Tar Heels and the Gonzaga Bulldogs. It was a back-and-forth battle that kept fans on the edge of their seats until the very last ticks of the game clock. In the end, UNC emerged victorious with a final score of 71-65.
Post-Championship Celebrations
The victory brought immense joy and pride to the UNC community. Fans rushed to Franklin Street to celebrate, donning Carolina blue and black 2017 National Championship t-shirts. The sound of whoops and chants of "U-N-C!" filled the air as people celebrated well into the night. Meanwhile, in Phoenix, Coach Roy Williams and the men's basketball team cut down the nets, commemorating their hard-fought victory.
Legacy of the 2017 Championship
The 2017 national title holds a special place in UNC's basketball history, marking the team's sixth national championship. It also contributed to UNC's record of reaching the National Championship game for nine straight decades, a feat unmatched by any other school. This victory further solidified the Tar Heels' reputation as one of the most successful college basketball programs in the country.
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Frequently asked questions
UNC won its first national title in 1957.
UNC has won six national titles.
UNC won national titles in 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009, and 2017.
Notable figures from UNC's national championship teams include players Michael Jordan, James Worthy, and Lennie Rosenbluth, and coaches Dean Smith and Roy Williams.
