The North Carolina Tar Heels are the 2017 National Champions after defeating Gonzaga 71-65 Monday night. The game was tied at 63 with less than two minutes to go, but a flurry of action from UNC in the final 20 seconds led the Tar Heels to a 71-65 win. It was sweet redemption for North Carolina after a heartbreaking loss in title game last year.
Joel Berry II took home the Most Outstanding Player Award for 2017, leading the Tar Heels in the title game with 22 points, three rebounds, and six assists. Berry played through injuries on both ankles to lead his Tar Heels to their sixth-ever National Championship.
Berry twisted his left ankle against Texas Southern earlier in the tournament, then twisted his right ankle against Kentucky in the Elite Eight. There was a chance that Berry could miss the Final Four games but he fought through it anyway. When Jim Nantz asked him about his injuries after the game, Berry responded, “I wasn’t at my 100 percent but I gave it my all.”
Berry was clearly held back by his injury throughout the tournament. He even had to sit out Sunday’s practice before the title game. But while his production may have been down, he was so timely for the Tar Heels all tournament, there every time they needed a basket or a big play. He returned after coming up short in 2016 to lead and complete North Carolina’s redemption tour and he did exactly that.