Looking at North Carolina's title appearance by the numbers
Posted April 5, 2022 8:15 p.m. EDT
Updated April 6, 2022 10:17 p.m. EDT
The North Carolina Tar Heels’ magical run to the NCAA Championship game came to an end Monday night thanks to the Kansas Jayhawks.
Kansas (34-6) made a historic comeback to win the 2022 title.
Here is a look back at the Tar Heels' run by the numbers:
Largest comeback in NCAA Championship history
The Kansas Jayhawks made the largest comeback in the history of the NCAA Championship game in their 72-69 win Monday night against the North Carolina Tar Heels.
The Jayhawks erased a 16-point deficit after having trailed the Tar Heels 38-22 with 2:11 in the first half.
It was the largest comeback in national championship history, surpassing the 1963 title game when Loyola overcame a 15-point deficit to beat Cincinnati at the buzzer, 60-58. On Monday night, KU was down 40-25 at halftime.
Entering Monday, North Carolina was 46-0 in the NCAA Tournament all-time when leading by double digits at the half, the longest streak by any team in NCAA Tournament history. The Tar Heels are now 46-1.
Only the 1985 Villanova Wildcats have won the NCAA Tournament as a No. 8 seed
North Carolina (29-10) was vying to become just the second No. 8 seed to win the national title. The 1985 Villanova team is the lowest seed to win the NCAA Tournament.
UNC’s 12th national championship game appearance
On Monday night, UNC made its 12 national championship game appearance.
UNC has played in the finals in 1946, 1957, 1968, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009, 2016, 2017 and 2022.
It was UNC’s third Final Four appearance in New Orleans. The Tar Heels won the national titles in their previous two Final Four trips to New Orleans: Those titles came in 1982 and 1993.
UNC is now 6-6 all-time in national championship games. Their six loses are tied for most in NCAA history, along with Duke, Kansas and Michigan.
No first-year head coach has ever won the Division I NCAA Tournament
Hubert Davis would have become the first person to lead his team to a national championship in his first full season as a head coach.
Michigan’s Steve Fisher won in 1989, but he was officially the interim coach at the time.
Davis had an impressive first season, finishing 29-10, defeating Duke in Mike Krzyzewski in his final home game at Cameron Indoor Stadium, upsetting No. 1 seed and defending national champion Baylor, eliminating Duke in the Final Four and taking No. 8 UNC to the national championship game.
Five double-doubles in the 2022 National Championship game
The 2016-2021 National Championship games did not have a single double-double.
Monday night's game had five:
- Armando Bacot: 15 points, 15 rebounds
- Brady Manek: 13 points, 13 rebounds
- RJ Davis: 15 points, 12 rebounds
- David McCormack: 15 points, 10 rebounds
- Christian Braun: 12 points, 12 rebounds
21 Final Four appearances for the Tar Heels
The 2022 Final Four is North Carolina's 21st, which is the most in NCAA history. The Tar Heels' win over Duke in the national semifinal was UNC's 131st in NCAA Tournament history, the most all-time.
Tar Heels have 6-6 record against the Jayhawks
The Tar Heels are 6-6 all-time against Kansas. However, the Jayhawks have won the last four matchups, all in the NCAA Tournament (2008, 2012, 2013 and 2022).
UNC and Kansas have played in the Final Four five times
North Carolina defeated KU in the 1957 championship game and the 1993 semifinals. However, the Jayhawks beat UNC in the semifinals in 1991 and 2008.
On Monday night, the Jayhawks beat the Tar Heels.
Armando Bacot finishes season with 31 double-doubles
Junior forward Armando Bacot’s 31 double-doubles are tied for most ever by a player in a single season with Navy’s David Robinson in 1985-86.
Bacot broke Tim Duncan’s ACC record (30) for double-doubles in a single season during UNC’s Final Four win over Duke.
Late in the second half of Monday night's game, Bacot reaggravated an already-injured right ankle. He did not return to the game after gutting through 38 minutes of play.
Brady Manek nailed 3-pointers all tournament long
Graduate transfer Brady Manek became just the second player in NCAA Tournament history to make three 3-pointers in all six games of the NCAA Tournament. North Carolina's Donald Williams is the only other player to do so when he led the Tar Heels to a championship in 1993.
341 days from Selection Sunday 2023
"The Madness" will start again soon enough!
