| The National Championship eluded Dean Smith and the University of North Carolina in six previous trips to the Final Four, and this year Smith pinned his hopes on a talented core that featured such stars as Michael Jordan, Sam Perkins, James Worthy, and Matt Doherty. The Georgetown Hoyas had their own star-studded lineup featuring Patrick Ewing, Eric "Sleepy" Floyd and Fred Brown, with their own National Championship dreams. In a back and forth game, UNC found themselves down late in the championship game once again. With under a minute to play, Sleepy Floyd knocked down a jumper to give the Hoyas a 62-61 lead and force Carolina to call a timeout. With the championship about to escape Smith for the seventh time, he called on the heroics of his star sophomore, Michael Jordan. With 15 seconds left to play, Jordan hit a jump shot from the left side to give the Tar Heels a 63-62 lead. The Hoyas had one last chance and hoped to steal the title from UNC when Fred Brown looked to pass the ball to teammate Floyd at half court, but instead passed it directly to James Worthy. Worthy's steal, along with his 28-point effort sealed the victory for the Tar Heels. Dean Smith's seventh Final Four trip was a charm and the University of North Carolina Tar Heel's were NCAA National Champions. |
