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UNC Basketball: Tar Heels celebrate National Championship in locker room

By Blake Cockrum

Apr 3, 2017; Phoenix, AZ, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Theo Pinson (1) celebrates after defeating the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the championship game of the 2017 NCAA Men's Final Four at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 3, 2017; Phoenix, AZ, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Theo Pinson (1) celebrates after defeating the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the championship game of the 2017 NCAA Men's Final Four at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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The North Carolina Tar Heels celebrated their national championship victory with final locker room celebration of the season

On Monday night, the North Carolina Tar Heels beat the Gonzaga Bulldogs 71-65 to claim their sixth NCAA Tournament championship and third in the last 13 seasons.

For North Carolina head coach Roy Williams, it’s his third title since returning to his alma mater and places him above legendary UNC coach Dean Smith, who retired with two national titles.

He now trails only John Wooden, Mike Krzyzewski and Adolph Rupp on the all-time list.

For his players, it was redemption for a heart-breaking loss in last year’s NCAA Championship Game. A game in which Villanova’s Kris Jenkins hit a game-winning shot that unknotted a 74-all tie, denying the Tar Heels an overtime period.

And now, having successfully navigated their way through the 2017 NCAA Tournament, the Tar Heels celebrated their victory in the team locker room after the game

North Carolina, its players and coaches, celebrated a victory that they’ve envisioned since they walked off the court in Houston last season.

And not unlike the nights that Williams won titles in 2005 and 2009, he had some touching words for his team.

"“I said this one time before, in 2005,” Williams said. “North Carolina basketball is Dean Smith, Phil Ford, Michael Jordan. When we won it, I added Sean May and it was Raymond Felton, Marvin Williams. We won it in 2009 and North Carolina basketball became Tyler Hansbrough, Wayne Ellington, Ty Lawson, Danny Green. And now, North Carolina basketball is going to be you, for the rest of your life. And you’re in a great, great place and there’s not many people that go there. You’ve been there. You’re there. You deserve it.”"

The North Carolina Tar Heels are your 2017 NCAA Tournament Champions.

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