Afterward in the North Carolina locker room Isaiah Hicks wore a net around his neck. The net had come from one of the baskets at University of Phoenix Stadium, where the Tar Heels won the national championship on Monday night with a 71-65 victory against Gonzaga.
As there are when a team wins a national championship, UNC’s victory came amid a number of memorable stories. There was Joel Berry, the junior point guard, playing on two bad ankles, winning Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors. His No. 2 jersey is headed for the Smith Center rafters.
There was Justin Jackson, whose shooting touch left him, giving the Tar Heels the lead for good in the final minutes with a three-point play, and then sealing the game with a dunk in the final seconds.