Tar Heels win NCAA basketball championship
On March 29 1982 the University of North Carolina (UNC) Tar Heels win the NCAA mens basketball championship with a 63-62 defeat of the Georgetown University Hoyas.It was the first title for Carolina coach Dean Smith who would retire in 1997 as the most successful coach in NCAA Division I mens basketball history with 879 career wins.(Bobby Knight broke the record in 2006.)Dean Smith coached UNC for 36 seasons during which he led the Tar Heels to the tournament 25 times and to the Final Four 10 times.
In his first 21 seasons however Smiths teams failed to win championships losing three times in the NCAA semifinals and three times in the finals including losses in both 1977 and 1981.Critics called him stubborn and old-fashioned and blamed the losses on his use of the so-called four corners offense in which the team spread the floor and passed the ball around without attacking the basket in the hopes of protecting a lead.In the 1982 NCAA final Smiths coaching counterpart was John Thompson Jr.a close friend who had taken a moribund program at Georgetown and turned it into a national powerhouse.
Thompson had been the first African-American assistant coach in U.S.Olympic history when he assisted Smith at the 1976 Montreal Olympics at which the U.S.team won the gold medal.
In 1982 Thompsons Hoyas were led by outstanding freshman center Patrick Ewing.Ewings overzealous defense in the first half led to 10 Carolina points as he blocked five shots that were called for goaltending.The Tar Heels held steady led by the Most Outstanding Player for the tournament senior forward James Worthy and his fellow forward Sleepy Sam Perkins.
Freshman guard Michael Jordanwho would go on to win College Player of the Year as a junior and then dominate the NBA to the tune of six titles with the Chicago Bullsled the team in rebounding with nine boards.The Hoyas kept the game close.With 550 left to play Carolina spread the floor into their four corners offense forcing Georgetown to foul.The Hoyas took possession and scored taking a 62-61 lead into the final minute.
With 15 seconds on the clock down by one Jordan hit a 16-foot jumper from the left baseline to give the Tar Heels the lead 63-62.The Hoyas brought the ball up the court and set their offense but sophomore point guard Fred Brown threw the ball to Carolinas James Worthy mistaking him for Georgetown teammate Eric Smith.Worthy dribbled out the clock and a stoic Dean Smith stood surrounded by his celebrating players as Thompson consoled Brown.
Smith who graduated 97 percent of his players while at Carolina would win his second and final championship with UNC in 1993.Two years later Patrick Ewing and Fred Brown led Georgetown to its own NCAA championship with a victory over the University of Houston 84-75.When it was over cameras flashed as senior point guard Fred Brown who had thrown away the Hoyas chance to win in 1982 was wrapped up in a triumphant embrace by his coach John Thompson.
