WATCH THE LATEST FINAL FOUR ARIZONA VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSNorth Carolina gets redemption by winning national title | 1:19
USA TODAY Sports’ Dan Wolken explains how the Tar Heels clawed their way to the national championship by edging Gonzaga. USA TODAY Sports
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WATCH THE LATEST FINAL FOUR ARIZONA VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSLocker room reactions: UNC downs Gonzaga for title | 1:58
Take a step inside the locker rooms to see the different emotions that UNC and Gonzaga players are feeling after the Tar Heels’ 71-65 win to secure the 2017 national championship. USA TODAY Sports
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WATCH THE LATEST FINAL FOUR ARIZONA VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSGonzaga didn’t play its best game in championship | 1:49
Gonzaga coach Mark Few and several players reflect on the emotional national title game loss. USA TODAY Sports
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WATCH THE LATEST FINAL FOUR ARIZONA VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSFans arrive for NCAA championship game | 0:43
Fans gather for the national title game in Glendale. Video: Patrick Breen/azcentral sports
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azcentral sports’ Jay Dieffenbach and Kent Somers go over their NCAA predictions and break down the National Championship Game in Glendale.
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Having trouble picking a side in the national championship game between UNC and Gonzaga? Maybe these weird factoids about each squad will help. USA TODAY Sports
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WATCH THE LATEST FINAL FOUR ARIZONA VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSThe rowdiest student section at the Final Four isn’t even in the game | 0:39
Grand Canyon University’s student section, The Havocs, were gifted tickets by their school administration to attend the Final Four. USA TODAY Sports
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WATCH THE LATEST FINAL FOUR ARIZONA VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSNorth Carolina on what it will take to defeat Gonzaga | 1:01
North Carolina’s Kennedy Meeks and Justin Jackson discuss what it will take to defeat Gonzaga in the national championship. (David Wallace/azcentral sports)
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WATCH THE LATEST FINAL FOUR ARIZONA VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSGonzaga’s Nigel Williams-Goss on their status against North Carolina | 0:56
Gonzaga guard Nigel Williams-Goss talks about their David vs. Goliath status against North Carolina in the upcoming national championship game. (David Wallace/azcentral sports)
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WATCH THE LATEST FINAL FOUR ARIZONA VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSRoad to the Final Four means a lot of miles traveling | 0:24
A look at the paths taken by the remaining teams in this year’s mens NCAA basketball tournament. By Jim Sergent and Ramon Padilla, USA TODAY.
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WATCH THE LATEST FINAL FOUR ARIZONA VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSOregon reacts to heartbreaking loss in Final Four | 2:58
Oregon coach Dana Altman and players on Final Four loss to North Carolina.
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WATCH THE LATEST FINAL FOUR ARIZONA VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSNorth Carolina on advancing to 2nd title game in a row | 3:40
North Carolina coach Roy Williams and players react to Final Four win over Oregon.
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WATCH THE LATEST FINAL FOUR ARIZONA VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSSouth Carolina on tough loss to Gonzaga | 2:38
South Carolina coach Frank Martin and players react to Final Four loss to Gonzaga.
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Gonzaga coach Mark Few and players on win over South Carolina in Final Four.
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WATCH THE LATEST FINAL FOUR ARIZONA VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSNorth Carolina-Gonzaga will be throwback national title game | 0:50
USA TODAY Sports’ Dan Wolken previews the NCAA championship game, which will be a frontcourt-heavy battle between UNC and Gonzaga. USA TODAY Sports
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WATCH THE LATEST FINAL FOUR ARIZONA VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSSemifinal games come down to final plays | 1:08
USA TODAY Sports’ Dan Wolken recaps the two Final Four semifinal games, won in nail-biters by Gonzaga and North Carolina. USA TODAY Sports
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WATCH THE LATEST FINAL FOUR ARIZONA VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSGonzaga fans in Glendale react to win over S. Carolina in NCAA semifinal | 0:39
FINAL FOUR: Fans react as Gonzaga survives late S. Carolina rally, advances to championship 77-73. (Alden Woods/azcentral)
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WATCH THE LATEST FINAL FOUR ARIZONA VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSFans pack University of Phoenix Stadium lawn for Final Four | 0:38
Fans arrive early for the festivities before the Final Four games Saturday at University of Phoenix Stadium. (Patrick Breen/azcentral)
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WATCH THE LATEST FINAL FOUR ARIZONA VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSTop players to watch in the Final Four | 1:30
USA TODAY Sports’ Nicole Auerbach thinks you’ll be doing yourself a disservice if you don’t keep an eye on these players in the Final Four. USA TODAY Sports
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WATCH THE LATEST FINAL FOUR ARIZONA VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSGamecocks explain what a gamecock is | 0:58
South Carolina players answer the question that’s on the minds of so many college basketball fans: what the heck is a Gamecock? USA TODAY Sports
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WATCH THE LATEST FINAL FOUR ARIZONA VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSNorth Carolina on being back to the NCAA Final Four | 0:37
North Carolina’s Justin Jackson and Joel Berry II discuss being back to the NCAA Final Four and trying to win it all, in the locker room at University of Phoenix Stadium on March 30, 2017. (David Wallace/azcentral sports)
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WATCH THE LATEST FINAL FOUR ARIZONA VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSOregon on counting their blessings | 1:10
Oregon’s Dillon Brooks, Dylan Ennis and Casey Benson, discuss counting their blessings, meeting Kobe Bryant and playing a Final Four in their home state, respectively, in the locker room on March 30, 2017. (David Wallace/azcentral sports)
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WATCH THE LATEST FINAL FOUR ARIZONA VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSGonzaga on rising to the moment | 0:51
Gonzaga’s Przemek Karnowski, Jordan Mathews and Nigel Williams-Goss talk about rising to the moment of the NCAA Final Four in the locker room at University of Phoenix Stadium on March 30, 2017. (David Wallace/azcentral sports)
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WATCH THE LATEST FINAL FOUR ARIZONA VIDEOS FROM AZCENTRAL SPORTSPiece by piece, the court for the NCAA Final Four tournament is put together in Glendale | 0:59
The court for the NCAA Final Four tournament is put together at the University of Phoenix stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Thomas Hawthorne/azcentral
North Carolina gets redemption by winning national title
Locker room reactions: UNC downs Gonzaga for title
Gonzaga didn’t play its best game in championship
Fans arrive for NCAA championship game
Shot Clock: Breaking down UNC-Gonzaga
Six strange story lines in the national championship
The rowdiest student section at the Final Four isn’t even in the game
North Carolina on what it will take to defeat Gonzaga
Gonzaga’s Nigel Williams-Goss on their status against North Carolina
Road to the Final Four means a lot of miles traveling
Oregon reacts to heartbreaking loss in Final Four
North Carolina on advancing to 2nd title game in a row
South Carolina on tough loss to Gonzaga
Gonzaga reacts to Final Four win over South Carolina
North Carolina-Gonzaga will be throwback national title game
Semifinal games come down to final plays
Gonzaga fans in Glendale react to win over S. Carolina in NCAA semifinal
Fans pack University of Phoenix Stadium lawn for Final Four
Top players to watch in the Final Four
Gamecocks explain what a gamecock is
North Carolina on being back to the NCAA Final Four
Oregon on counting their blessings
Gonzaga on rising to the moment
Piece by piece, the court for the NCAA Final Four tournament is put together in Glendale
What we learned in North Carolina’s 71-65 victory over Gonzaga in the NCAA men’s basketball national championship game at University of Phoenix Stadium on Monday.
Making a memory
Monday’s championship will be memorable for Arizona because it was the first Final Four played at University of Phoenix Stadium.
It will be memorable for North Carolina for the obvious reasons.
It will be memorable for Gonzaga because it was the Bulldogs’ first Final Four appearance.
For the rest of the nation, however, Monday’s championship had few, if any, shining moments. There were more than an average number of air balls, clanked shots, poor passes and bad calls from the officials.
You know how sometimes networks show old games in the wee hours of the morning? That’s not going to happen with the 2017 NCAA Championship Game.
University of Phoenix Stadium is not a shooter’s gym. In three games at the Final Four, Gonzaga was the only team to shoot better than 40 percent, and that came in the semifinal victory over South Carolina.
On Monday, the Bulldogs shot 33.9 percent, including 8 of 29 (27.6 percent) in the second half. The Tar Heels were only marginally better, shooting 35.6 percent. That included going 4 of 27 from 3-point range (14.8 percent).
Sure, defense played a part. But playing basketball in a football stadium is not conducive to shooting percentage.
Folks can gripe all they want about that, but it’s not changing. There were 76,168 people in attendance Monday night.
Doesn’t anyone know how to officiate any more?
We typically don’t criticize officials, but there wasn’t any continuity in the way Monday’s game was called. NCAA games tend to be physical affairs, but the big men were not allowed to play that way on Monday.
North Carolina’s Kennedy Meeks scored just 10 points.
Each team had 22 fouls called on it. But the second half had no flow because the officials called it tight. There were 27 fouls called in that half.
Gonzaga’s top three big men finished with at least four fouls. North Carolina’s two starting inside players, Meeks and Isaiah Hicks, each had four.
Zach Collins, Gonzaga’s backup center, fouled out and at least two of the calls against him were beyond questionable.
The semifinal games on Saturday were officiated smoothly, but the championship game was a different story.
Some of the better players on both teams played poorly. Gonzaga center Przemek Karnowski, who averages 12 points a game, made just 1 of 8 shots, and many of the misses weren’t difficult attempts. He also had four turnovers and committed four fouls.
North Carolina’s leading scorer, Justin Jackson, scored 16 points but it took him 10 shots to do it. He made only six of them and was 0 of 9 from 3-point range.
Gonzaga guard Nigel Williams-Goss scored 15, but it took him 17 shots to get there. He went 3 for 11 in the second half and failed to convert in the final minute when Gonzaga desperately needed a bucket.
Turnovers anyone?
Gonzaga led by three at the half, but blew that in the first few minutes of the second half. On their first seven possessions, the Bulldogs missed five shots and committed two turnovers. North Carolina went on an 8-0 run to take the lead.
Gonzaga bounced back, but turnovers continued to hinder them throughout the second half. They committed nine of them and finished with 14. The Tar Heels had only four.