Keeping It Heel
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UNC Basketball: Championship Moments

By Aaron Conrad

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 17: Leaky Black #1 and Seth Trimble #0 of the North Carolina Tar Heels embrace after defeating the Ohio State Buckeyes 89-84 in overtime during the CBS Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden on December 17, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 17: Leaky Black #1 and Seth Trimble #0 of the North Carolina Tar Heels embrace after defeating the Ohio State Buckeyes 89-84 in overtime during the CBS Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden on December 17, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
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UNC Basketball pulled out in an incredible 89-84 win versus the number 23 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes yesterday in New York. That is what championship programs do.

The UNC Basketball program pulled off an unbelievable comeback and win versus a very good Ohio State team in Madison Square Garden yesterday.

The CBS Sports Classic event is an annual meeting of three Blue Blood programs and Ohio State. It has always been odd that UCLA, Kentucky and North Carolina would play in an event of “Champions” with Ohio State.

National Championships

UCLA – 11 (1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1995)

Kentucky – 8 (1948, 1949, 1951, 1958, 1978, 1996, 1998, 2012)

North Carolina – 6 (1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009, 2017)

Ohio State – 1 (1960)

Ohio State has not won a National Championship since 1960. UCLA, Kentucky, and North Carolina have a rich tradition in titles (25 between them) and have won 20 championships since Ohio State last won their only one. It is just odd they would be in this annual matchup.

North Carolina is 6-3 in the CBS Sports Classic, Ohio State is 4-4, Kentucky is 4-5 and UCLA is 3-5.

That said, yesterday was an example of the difference between championship programs, Blue Bloods, and teams that just win a lot of games.

Down as much as 14 at one point, UNC found a way to scratch and claw back to win the game. Coach Hubert Davis usage of timeouts and the final 2 seconds comes from years playing for Dean Smith and coaching with Roy Williams.

The play call came from the same.

Yesterdays win in New York against a very good Ohio State team felt like the NCAA tournament. Winning 6 games in March and early April requires experience and a “has been there” track record. As we all know, Kansas has that mentality, culture and program too. When it comes down to it, champions and championship programs know how to win.

North Carolina proved that yesterday. The lineage of coaching and players and moments all come together when it matters. Winning a game like UNC did yesterday will matter in March and late April too.

Next. Roy Williams Enjoying Retirement. dark

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