Lucas: March 27 Flashback

By Adam Lucas

It had only been five years, but it felt so much longer than that. When Carolina met Wisconsin in the 2005 regional final, the Tar Heels had not been to the Final Four since 2000's improbable run.

But that time period also included a rocky coaching transition from Bill Guthridge to Matt Doherty, an 8-20 season, an NIT appearance, and the departure of Doherty and arrival of Roy Williams. So the win over the Badgers was even sweeter, sparked by Sean May's 29 points and 12 rebounds and Raymond Felton's clutch six straight free throws in the final 51 seconds. Marvin Williams also had key contributions—including a pair of free throws in what had been a one-point game late—as he continued his incredible season off the bench.

May's big game in Syracuse was part of one of the best NCAA Tournament performances in school history, as he would go on to add Final Four Most Outstanding Player to his regional MVP honors.

The win meant the senior class of Jackie Manuel, Jawad Williams and Melvin Scott would spend their last week as Tar Heel basketball players experiencing the Final Four in St. Louis. The postgame column was about those seniors and how far they—and the basketball program itself—had come in their four years, and how the win would forever change the way they are remembered in Chapel Hill.

Also on March 27

1982: Oh, just a national semifinal that had Clyde Drexler, Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan, James Worthy and Sam Perkins all on the same court. That was the talent level of the 1982 national semifinal between Carolina and Houston, won 68-63 by the Tar Heels. The game doesn't get nearly the attention of the championship two days later, but drew a crowd of 61,612, at the time the largest ever to watch a college basketball game. The throng saw Perkins score 25 points and UNC race to a quick 14-0 lead. Jordan added 18 points and Worthy scored 14.

2008: Carolina met an unfamiliar opponent, Washington State, in Charlotte in the regional semifinal. The Cougars were led by a relatively unknown young coach, Tony Bennett, who favored a slower-paced style. But Carolina, coming off a pair of 100+ point performances, had too much firepower, and Tyler Hansbrough scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half. The Tar Heels limited WSU—which had given up just 81 points in its first two NCAA Tournament games combined—to just 32 percent shooting, and the postgame column focused on the stellar team defense.

2009: In the midst of a dominating run to the national championship, Carolina overwhelmed Gonzaga, 98-77, in the regional semifinal in Memphis. With his toe a big story, Ty Lawson scored 17 first half points to push the Heels to an early lead they never relinquished. Tyler Hansbrough had a double-double with 24 points and ten rebounds. The postgame column was about a Carolina offense that was too good for Gonzaga to challenge.

2016: The top-seeded Tar Heels went on a 12-0 second-half run to help seal an 88-74 win over Notre Dame in the regional final in Philadelphia. Brice Johnson (25 points and 12 rebounds and one poorly timed technical foul that became nothing but a footnote) set the Carolina single season record with his 23^rd double-double. The Tar Heels shot 61.5 percent for the game and put all five starters in double figures. The postgame column, on Roy Williams hiding Easter eggs in the morning and coaching his team to the Final Four in the evening, might be my favorite of the Williams era.

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