Here’s Part 2 of the Top 5 Championship-Winning Men’s College Basketball Programs. Make sure to check out Part 1.

Duke and Indiana can both boast five titles. They are in elite company in college basketball. Only three programs can say that they’ve been more successful in their existence than these two lauded schools. This article will take a look at number three on the all-time list of most championships in college basketball.

#3 North Carolina Tar Heels

Few universities are more iconic in the chronicles of college basketball than North Carolina. This tremendously successful program comes in at number three on the list of most NCAAM championships. UNC needed some time though to get over the hurdle and take home its first title. North Carolina weren’t crowned champions until 18 years after the NCAA tournament was established.

1957

It may have taken UNC almost 20 years to win it all, but what a season it was for 1956-57 team. The tail end of the regular season and the majority of the tournament were a battle for the Tar Heels. Multiple close games had UNC fans biting their nails so much that by the end of the tournament, they had nothing left. UNC didn’t make it easy on itself. The national semifinal game against Michigan State went to triple overtime before the Tar Heels were able to pull out the win. And what did they get as a reward? North Carolina would compete in just its second championship game in school history.

Going into the final game of the tournament, UNC was touting a 31-0 record. Even with a flawless record, UNC was considered the underdog to a Wilt Chamberlain led Kansas Jayhawks team. But North Carolina had their own star player in Lennie Rosenbluth. The Tar Heels jumped out to a 19-7 lead in the first half, but Kansas worked to close the gap before halftime. The second half saw Kansas continually creeping closer to UNC’s lead. By crunch time, Kansas managed to take the lead and forced North Carolina to fight back. In the final minute, UNC was able to tie it up and send the game into overtime.

The national championship game would feel all too familiar for UNC. Like the semifinal game against Michigan State, the Tar Heels found themselves in a triple overtime fight against Kansas. Unlike the game we know today with a flurry of points throughout the 40 minutes, the first two overtimes saw very few points. In fact, both teams only scored one basket in the first OT and amazingly none in the second. By the third overtime however, the action picked up. The last few minutes of the game were a duel and as the final seconds were approaching, Joe Quigg found himself at the free throw line for UNC. He made both of his shots and the Tar Heels scraped by with a 54-53 win capping off an undefeated season with a 32-0 record.

1982

North Carolina found themselves back in the title game three more times in 1968, ‘77, and ‘81 before they reclaimed the title in 1982. It’s impressive that the team made it to the championship game back to back years in ’81 and ’82. The key addition the program had coming off of its disappointing ’81 title loss definitely primed the team to make another run. UNC was lucky enough to recruit the legendary Michael Jordan. Maybe you’ve heard of him. But Jordan wasn’t the only formidable player on the court for the Tar Heels in 1982. James Worthy, Sam Perkins, Matt Dougherty, and Buzz Peterson played crucial roles as well.

Under the tutelage of Coach Dean Smith, this team only lost two games all season. It managed to muscle out some immensely talented rosters, including a University of Houston team led by Hakeem Olajuwon.

Coming off its 68-63 victory over Houston, North Carolina was tasked with defeating a Georgetown squad with Patrick Ewing at the helm. Like its first championship win, this one would not come easy for the Jordan led Tar Heels. Multiple lead changes occurred in just the first half alone. At halftime, Georgetown went to the locker room with a 32-31 lead. Coming down to the wire, UNC turned the ball over which led to a basket for Georgetown. The score with less than 30 seconds to go was 62-61. Michael Jordan took over with a go-ahead basket with 15 seconds remaining to put Carolina on top 63-62. That would be the final points of the game. Jordan and the rest of the Carolina crew enjoyed their coronation and achieved college basketball’s highest honor.

2005

In 2003, Coach Roy Williams found himself coaching UNC. He is without a doubt the program’s most successful coach. With three championships and counting, Coach Williams knows how to win.

Just two years after he took over for Coach Matt Doherty, he brought another title to North Carolina. Williams emphasized both sides of the ball and his knowledge led to North Carolina ending the season second in the country in offensive efficiency and seventh in defensive efficiency. The roster was also fairly stacked with NBA talent like Raymond Felton, Marvin Williams, and Rashad McCants.

North Carolina entered the tournament as a number one seed. Right out of the gate, UNC dominated Oakland in round one and Iowa State in round two. The Sweet 16 posed more of a problem for the indomitable Tar Heels. They eked out a one point victory over Villanova. The Elite Eight game versus Wisconsin went a bit smoother for North Carolina, as did the Final Four matchup against Michigan State.

And then, it was off to Roy Williams’ first national title game as head coach. On the other side of the court was Illinois. It was a matchup of two number one seeds. The 2005 title game would mark Illinois’ first and only appearance in the national championship to date. Much of the first half was close, but nearing the end of it, UNC went on an 8-0 run that resulted in a 40-27 lead. During the second half, North Carolina led by as many as 15 points, but Illinois fought back and tied the game at 70. Coming down the stretch, Illinois had multiple opportunities to take the lead, but was never able to. The final was 75-70.

2009

UNC’s fifth championship run was about as stress-free as it possibly could have been. Thanks to the three-headed monster that was Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, and Wayne Ellington, the Tar Heels won every single tournament game by at least 12 points leading up to the championship versus Michigan State. This dominance continued and North Carolina jumped out to a 21 point lead in the first 10 minutes, largely in part because of Wayne Ellington. By halftime, UNC was up 55-34. Michigan State tried to claw back and at one point closed the deficit to 13, but the Spartans were outmatched. Their 21 turnovers were a major factor in the blowout. At the final buzzer the scoreboard read 89-72. Roy Williams would climb the ladder and cut down the net for his second time and UNC had their fifth title.

2017

Number six came for UNC just one year ago. While the 2017 squad didn’t have the star power or overall efficiency of any of the other five championship teams, it was unbeatable at one key stat: offensive rebounds. With a gift for offensive boards and a semi-proficiency in every other aspect of the game, the Tar Heels were able to keep up with other programs. Even though this team wasn’t as skilled as the other five, it won its first three tournament games in the South Regional by at least five points. The regional final game against Kentucky was the toughest obstacle in the tournament thus far. The game was a nail biter to the end. After the dust settled, UNC walked off the court with a 75-73 victory.

It was on to the final four again for Roy Williams and his Tar Heels. This time, the team had to get passed a talented Oregon team if it hoped to make it to the finals. Like its previous game, UNC took it down to the wire, winning by just one point. Justin Jackson and Joel Berry II kicked it into high gear, led the team through the perils of the tournament, and put it in contention for another championship.

The title game was set. Gonzaga versus North Carolina. A battle of number seeds. The 2017 NCAAM finals may not go down as one of the best games ever, in fact the quality of play was criticized by many, but regardless UNC won. Even with going 4 for 27 from three. Coach Williams cut down the net for his third time and North Carolina passed Duke and Indiana for third all-time on the list for most championships.

 

This is the second of a four article series on the most successful men’s college basketball programs. Stay tuned for the following installment.