1982 College Basketball Recap
Junior James Worthy and freshman Michael Jordan led North Carolina to the ACC championship, the regular season No.1 ranking, and the Tar Heels' first NCAA championship in 25 years.
In the title game against Georgetown in the Superdome, Worthy scored 28 points while Jordan hit the winning jump shot as the Tar Heels edged the Hoyas, 62–61. Worthy, who was named tourney MVP, also received an errant pass in the waning seconds from Georgetown's Fred Brown to ice the victory.
The last Carolina title came in 1957 in the famous triple OT win over Wilt Chamberlain and Kansas. Dean Smith rode the bench as a member of the Jayhawks that night. He became head coach at North Carolina in 1961 and after guiding the Heels to six Final Fours finally won the title on his seventh trip.
Not long after returning from New Orleans, Worthy declared for the NBA draft and went to the Lakers as a the first overall pick.
Two traditional staples were eliminated or nearly eliminated from the Division I diet in 1982—the Final Four consolation game and the jump ball. While the consolation game was discontinued, the jump ball—a constant since the sport's peach basket days—was largely replaced by the alternating possession arrow (except for the start of games and overtime periods).
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