2017 NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game

{{Main|2016–17 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team}}

In his seventeenth year at the helm, Gonzaga head coach Mark Few led the team to its first Final Four and national championship game in school history, following a sweet sixteen appearance the year before.{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/01/sports/ncaabasketball/final-four-gonzaga-south-carolina.html|title=Gonzaga Beats South Carolina in Final Four for Shot at Another First|author=Karen Crouse|work=The New York Times|date= April 1, 2017|access-date=December 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181020041115/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/01/sports/ncaabasketball/final-four-gonzaga-south-carolina.html|archive-date=October 20, 2018 |url-status=live}} The team opened the season winning their first two games prior to competing in the AdvoCare Invitational. The Bulldogs beat Quinnipiac and Florida in order to reach the championship game versus Iowa State. The Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead and held it through half time, reaching eighteen points in the second-half.{{cite web |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/other-sports/no-11-gonzaga-men-beat-no-21-iowa-state-to-win-advocare-invitational-title/|title=No. 11 Gonzaga men beat No. 21 Iowa State to win AdvoCare Invitational|author= Seattle Times staff|work=Seattle Times|date=November 27, 2016 |agency=Associated Press|access-date=December 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161128061855/http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/other-sports/no-11-gonzaga-men-beat-no-21-iowa-state-to-win-advocare-invitational-title/|archive-date=November 28, 2016 |url-status=live}} However, with four minutes to go the Cyclones rallied to cut the Bulldogs' lead to one at 70–69. Gonzaga won the game 72–71 as Iowa State missed a potential three-point shot as time expired to leave. This was their third time winning the event after previously doing so in 2008 and 2012. Following their defeat of South Dakota, Gonzaga entered their conference season with an undefeated record and broke the school record for most consecutive wins to start a season with twelve.{{cite web|url=http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/college/college_basketball/2016/12/collins_leads_no_7_gonzaga_over_south_dakota_102_65|title=Collins leads No. 7 Gonzaga over South Dakota 102–65|work=Boston Herald|date=December 22, 2016|agency=Associated Press|access-date=December 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181020043209/http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/college/college_basketball/2016/12/collins_leads_no_7_gonzaga_over_south_dakota_102_65|archive-date=October 20, 2018|url-status=dead}}

After a 29–1 regular season and winning the 2017 West Coast Conference regular season championship, Gonzaga beat Pacific and Santa Clara en route to the 2017 West Coast Conference tournament finals, where they defeated Saint Mary's.{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/wcc-tournament-2017-scores-gonzaga-wins-over-smc/|title=March Madness: Gonzaga wins WCC tournament title, eyes No. 1 seed|last=Boone|first=Kyle|date=2017-03-08|work=CBS Sports|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180518194335/https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/wcc-tournament-2017-scores-gonzaga-wins-over-smc/|archive-date=2018-05-18|language=en}} The Bulldogs were the #1 seed in the West Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament.{{Cite news|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/march-madness/index.ssf/2017/03/gonzaga_bulldogs_ncaa_tourname.html|title=Gonzaga Bulldogs get No. 1 seed in NCAA Tournament West Region: Did committee get it right?|last=Odom|first=Joel|date=2017-03-12|work=OregonLive.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180518194445/http://www.oregonlive.com/march-madness/index.ssf/2017/03/gonzaga_bulldogs_ncaa_tourname.html|archive-date=2018-05-18|language=en-US}}

In the first round of the tournament, after a tightly contested first half against South Dakota State, Jordan Mathews' 16 points and Przemek Karnowski's three consecutive baskets built a 20-point lead with 5 minutes left, helping Gonzaga to come away with a 66–46 win.{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400946449|title=Mathews helps Zags slowly pull away for 66-46 win over South Dakota State|last=Associated Press|author-link=Associated Press|date=2017-03-16|work=ESPN|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180518194518/http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400946449|archive-date=2018-05-18}} In the second-round game against Northwestern, Wildcat head coach Chris Collins, trailing by five with five minutes left – after trailing by as many as 22 in the second half – stomped onto the court when a goal-tending call was missed. Collins subsequently drew a technical foul, thereby dooming Northwestern's chances of winning the game, as Gonzaga would prevail to win 79–73.{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400947027|title=Northwestern's run ends with second round loss to Gonzaga|last=Associated Press|author-link=Associated Press|date=2017-03-18|work=ESPN|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180518194655/http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400947027|archive-date=2018-05-18}}

In Gonzaga's Sweet 16 game against West Virginia, Mathews hit a go-ahead three-pointer with less than a minute remaining to give Gonzaga a 60–58 lead. Gonzaga won the game 61–58 and advanced to the Elite Eight.{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400947270|title=Gonzaga advances to third Elite Eight in school history with 61–58 win over West Virginia|last=Associated Press|author-link=Associated Press|date=2017-03-24|work=ESPN|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180518194954/http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400947270|archive-date=2018-05-18}} In the Elite Eight, led by Nigel Williams-Goss' 23-point performance, Gonzaga routed Xavier 83–59 to reach the Final Four for the first time in school history.{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400948652|title=Top-seeded Gonzaga reaches first Final Four with rout of Xavier|last=Associated Press|author-link=Associated Press|date=2017-03-25|work=ESPN|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180518195106/http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400948652|archive-date=2018-05-18}}

Gonzaga defeated South Carolina 77–73 in the Final Four led by 23 points from Williams-Goss and 27 points from Gonzaga's big men. A Josh Perkins foul preventing Sindarius Thornwell's game-tying three-pointer with 3.5 seconds left enabled the Bulldogs to advance to the championship game.

{{Main|2016–17 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team}}

After a 26–6 regular season, North Carolina beat Miami (FL) in the ACC tournament before losing to Duke in the semifinals.{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400945792|title=No. 6 North Carolina stops Miami 78–53 to reach ACC semis|last=Associated Press|author-link=Associated Press|date=2017-03-10|work=ESPN|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180518202949/http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400945792|archive-date=2018-05-18}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400946137|title=No. 14 Duke races past No. 6 UNC 93-83 in ACC semifinals|last=Associated Press|author-link=Associated Press|date=2017-03-11|work=ESPN|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180518202914/http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400946137|archive-date=2018-05-18}} Despite the loss, North Carolina was selected as the top seed in the South regional as an at-large.{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2017-ncaa-tournament-bracket-north-carolina-no-1-seed-in-south-region/|title=2017 NCAA Tournament bracket: North Carolina No. 1 seed in South Region|last=Norlander|first=Matt|date=2017-03-12|work=CBS Sports|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180518203708/https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2017-ncaa-tournament-bracket-north-carolina-no-1-seed-in-south-region/|archive-date=2018-05-18|language=en}}

In the first round of the tournament, Justin Jackson broke out of a shooting slump and led North Carolina with 21 points to a 103–64 win over Texas Southern.{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400946425|title=Justin Jackson's 21 points lead top-seeded UNC past Texas Southern 103–64|last=Associated Press|author-link=Associated Press|date=2017-03-17|work=ESPN|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180518195308/http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400946425|archive-date=2018-05-18}} In the second round against Arkansas, after blowing a 17-point first half lead and trailing 65–60 with under three minutes remaining, Kennedy Meeks led a North Carolina comeback with 16 points and a huge tip-in with 44.2 seconds remaining to put UNC ahead 68–65 as they survived to win 72–65, and advance to the Sweet 16.{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400947185|title=North Carolina survives a scare against Arkansas, advances to face Butler in the Sweet 16|last=Associated Press|author-link=Associated Press|date=2017-03-19|work=ESPN|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180518195357/http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400947185|archive-date=2018-05-18}}

In the Sweet 16, Joel Berry II and Jackson led North Carolina to a 92–80 win over Butler with 26 and 24 points, respectively, to advance to the Elite Eight for the 26th time in program history.{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400947324|title=Tar Heels beat Butler to reach Elite Eight for 26th time|last=Associated Press|author-link=Associated Press|date=2017-03-25|work=ESPN|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170807234259/http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400947324|archive-date=2017-08-07}} In an Elite Eight showdown between two college basketball blue bloods, North Carolina beat Kentucky 75–73 on a jump shot by Luke Maye with 0.3 seconds left, advancing to its second consecutive appearance – and record-setting 20th overall appearance – in the Final Four.{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400948726|title=Maye hits late jumper to lift North Carolina to Final Four|last=Associated Press|author-link=Associated Press|date=2017-03-26|work=ESPN|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918154635/http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400948726|archive-date=2017-09-18}} Maye's shot is additionally remarkable for its similarities to Duke player Christian Laettner's shot against Kentucky in the 1992 Elite Eight 25 years earlier. Both Maye and Laettner wore the number 32;{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/03/27/the-shot-lives-christian-laettner-ribs-kentucky-fans-after-luke-mayes-game-winner/|title='The Shot' lives: Christian Laettner ribs Kentucky fans after Luke Maye's game-winner|last=Allen|first=Scott|date=2017-03-27|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=2018-05-18|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}} both games involved a No. 1 seed blue-wearing team from North Carolina playing against No. 2 seed Kentucky in the Elite Eight; and both scored a long two-pointer at or near the buzzer to win the game. Laettner himself noted the similarities in a tweet.{{Cite news|url=https://twitter.com/laettnerbball/status/846309239115173889|title=Luke my son...May the force of the #32 be with you. #uncdownsthecats #theshotlives|last=Christian Laettner|author-link=Christian Laettner|date=2017-03-27|work=Twitter|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180518195810/https://twitter.com/laettnerbball/status/846309239115173889|archive-date=2018-05-18|language=en}}

Next, North Carolina defeated Oregon 77–76 in the Final Four to advance to the championship game. Meeks led the Tar Heels with a double-double – a career-high 25 points and 14 rebounds – including an important offensive rebound of a Berry missed free throw with 4.0 seconds left to clinch the victory.

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File:Glendale-University of Phoenix Stadium.jpg, the site of the 2017 NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game]]

The game was televised in the United States by CBS.{{cite web|url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2017-03-02/march-madness-jim-nantz-grant-hill-casey-stern-and-debbie|title=March Madness: Jim Nantz, Grant Hill, Casey Stern and Debbie Antonelli highlight March Madness Commentator Teams|date=2017-03-02|website=NCAA|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026111609/http://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2017-03-02/march-madness-jim-nantz-grant-hill-casey-stern-and-debbie|archive-date=2017-10-26}} ESPN International had the media rights outside of the United States.{{Cite news|url=https://qz.com/931441/march-madness-2017-how-to-watch-the-ncaa-college-basketball-tournament-on-cable-tv-the-internet-and-outside-the-us/|title=How to watch March Madness 2017—with or without cable|last=Rodriguez|first=Ashley|date=2017-03-15|work=Quartz (publication)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180518201426/https://qz.com/931441/march-madness-2017-how-to-watch-the-ncaa-college-basketball-tournament-on-cable-tv-the-internet-and-outside-the-us/|archive-date=2018-05-18|language=en-US}}

Radio coverage in the United States was provided by Westwood One.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.si.com/tech-media/2017/03/12/ncaa-tournament-cbs-turner-broadcasting-coverage-media-circus|title=Media Circus: Breaking down CBS and Turner's March Madness broadcast package|last=Richard Deitsch|author-link=Richard Deitsch|date=2017-03-12|magazine=Sports Illustrated|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180518201621/https://www.si.com/tech-media/2017/03/12/ncaa-tournament-cbs-turner-broadcasting-coverage-media-circus|archive-date=2018-05-18|language=en}}

{{small|Source}}{{cite web|title=2016-17 Gonzaga Bulldogs Starting Lineups|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/gonzaga/2017-starters.html|website=Sports-Reference.com|access-date=16 May 2018}}{{cite web|title=2016-17 UNC Tar Heels Starting Lineups|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/north-carolina/2017-starters.html|website=Sports-Reference.com|access-date=16 May 2018}}

{{basketballbox

| bg = #e3e3e3

| date = Monday, April 3, 2017

| time = 6:20 pm MST

| report = [https://www.ncaa.com/game/basketball-men/d1/2017/04/03/gonzaga-north-carolina/boxscore Box score]

| team1 = #W1 Gonzaga Bulldogs

| score1 = 65

| team2 = #S1 North Carolina Tar Heels

| score2 = 71

| points1 = N. Williams-Goss – 15

| rebounds1 = N. Williams-Goss – 9

| assist1 = N. Williams-Goss – 6

| otherstat1 =

| points2 = Joel Berry II – 22

| rebounds2 = Kennedy Meeks – 10

| assist2 = Joel Berry II – 6

| otherstat2 =

| H1 = 35–32

| H2 = 30–39

| place = University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

| attendance = 76,168

| referee = Verne Harris, Michael Stephens, Mike Eades

| TV = CBS

}}

Gonzaga led North Carolina at the half, 35–32. North Carolina outscored Gonzaga in the second half, 39–30, to win the championship. Gonzaga was up two points with 1:52 remaining, but North Carolina came back and clinched the victory in the closing minutes.{{cite news|url=http://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/gametracker/recap/NCAAB_20170403_GONZAG@UNC/|title=Redemption: Tar Heels take title over Gonzaga in ugly game|last=Associated Press|author-link=Associated Press|work=CBS Sports|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171027095807/https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/gametracker/recap/NCAAB_20170403_GONZAG@UNC/|archive-date=2017-10-27}}

North Carolina won despite a poor (4-for-27) conversion rate of 3-point shots, and the Tar Heels made more points from free-throw conversions (15-for-26). The game included a total of 44 fouls.{{Cite news|url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/unc-played-ugly-enough-to-win/|title=UNC Played Ugly Enough To Win|last=Paine|first=Neil|date=2017-04-04|work=FiveThirtyEight|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170622012120/https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/unc-played-ugly-enough-to-win/|archive-date=2017-06-22|language=en-US}} Overall, there were 26 free-throws for each side,{{cite web|url=https://www.ncaa.com/game/basketball-men/d1/2017/04/03/gonzaga-north-carolina/boxscore|title=Gonzaga vs. North Carolina: Box Score|website=CBS Sports|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171007162632/http://www.ncaa.com/game/basketball-men/d1/2017/04/03/gonzaga-north-carolina/boxscore|archive-date=2017-10-07}} leading the Associated Press report to deride the game as merely a free-throw contest.

In contrast to the positive reaction{{Cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2016/04/04/villanova-defeats-north-carolina-national-championship-final-four-kris-jenkins/82630838/|title=Villanova clips North Carolina on buzzer-beater for national championship|last=Auerbach|first=Nicole|date=2016-04-05|work=USA Today|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918111940/https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2016/04/04/villanova-defeats-north-carolina-national-championship-final-four-kris-jenkins/82630838/|archive-date=2017-09-18|language=en}} to the previous year's title game—in which UNC lost to Villanova at the buzzer—many criticized the quality of play in the 2017 championship. North Carolina head coach Roy Williams did so as well, commenting during the trophy presentation ceremony that "neither team played very well."{{Cite news|url=https://www.sbnation.com/2017/4/4/15172952/north-carolina-gonzaga-championship-game-joel-berry-kennedy-meeks-officiating|title=North Carolina finds redemption in an imperfect championship game|last=Rutherford|first=Mike|date=2017-04-04|work=SB Nation|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918154605/https://www.sbnation.com/2017/4/4/15172952/north-carolina-gonzaga-championship-game-joel-berry-kennedy-meeks-officiating|archive-date=2017-09-18|url-status=dead}}

The media generally blamed officiating for the game's low quality. Both teams were in the bonus eight minutes into the second half. The Associated Press labeled the game "unwatchable." Mark Tracy of the New York Times declared it a "sluggish slog of a national title game."{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/04/sports/ncaabasketball/unc-tar-heels-national-champions.html|title=Tar Heels, After Letting One Slip, Hold On Tight This Time|last=Tracy|first=Marc|date=2017-04-04|work=The New York Times|access-date=2017-04-05|issn=0362-4331}} Myron Medcalf, writing for ESPN, wrote that the game was blighted with "an abundance of foul calls, poor offense and a sleep-inducing rhythm."{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/19072726/referees-missed-shots-poor-play-make-forgettable-national-title-game|title=That was not a good national title game|last1=Medcalf|first1=Myron|date=2017-04-03|work=ESPN|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180109224215/http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/19072726/referees-missed-shots-poor-play-make-forgettable-national-title-game|archive-date=2018-01-09}} Chris Chase of Fox Sports lamented how the referees had "ruined" the contest through a combination of incorrect foul calls, missed calls, and superfluous use of instant replay.{{Cite news|url=http://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/story/referee-north-carolina-gonzaga-fouls-ncaa-tournament-championship-ruined-game-040417|title=The refs ruined the NCAA championship game|last=Chase|first=Chris|date=2017-04-04|work=Fox Sports|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805033824/http://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/story/referee-north-carolina-gonzaga-fouls-ncaa-tournament-championship-ruined-game-040417|archive-date=2017-08-05|language=en-US}} Tom Ley of Deadspin condemned the game as "memorably disgusting."{{Cite news|url=http://deadspin.com/the-referees-didnt-want-you-to-have-any-fun-last-night-1793988501|title=The Referees Didn't Want You To Have Any Fun Last Night|last=Ley|first=Tom|date=2017-04-04|work=Deadspin|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829083013/http://deadspin.com/the-referees-didnt-want-you-to-have-any-fun-last-night-1793988501|archive-date=August 29, 2017|url-status=live|language=en-US|df=mdy-all}}

Multiple prominent current and former basketball players vocalized their distaste for the game's quality of officiating on social media, including LeBron James,{{Cite news|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/news/everyone-thought-the-ncaa-title-game-refs-were-bad-even-lebron-043117847.html|title=Everyone thought the NCAA title game refs were bad, even LeBron|last=Kaduk|first=Kevin|date=2017-04-04|work=Yahoo! Sports|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180518203353/https://sports.yahoo.com/news/everyone-thought-the-ncaa-title-game-refs-were-bad-even-lebron-043117847.html|archive-date=2018-05-18|language=en-US}} Dwyane Wade, James Worthy, and Jay Williams.{{Cite news|url=http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/college/article142528494.html|title=Social media reacts to North Carolina's national championship win over Gonzaga|last=Wertz Jr.|first=Langston|date=2017-04-03|work=The Charlotte Observer|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180518203437/http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/college/article142528494.html|archive-date=2018-05-18|language=en}}

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NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game

NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game