The North Carolina Tar Heels collected NCAA title number three in school history with a 77-71 victory over Michigan with the game being decided on a timeout called by Wolverine star Chris Webber which Michigan did not have. North Carolina coach Dean Smith won his second NCAA title and UNC guard Donald Williams won the Most Outstanding Player honor.
64-Team Field
The NCAA field included 64 teams for the eighth consecutive year. The tournament ran from March 18 to April 5, 1993 with the Final Four being played in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
North Carolina No. 1 In East
North Carolina was given the number one seed in the East region. Dean Smith's team cruised past East Carolina 85-65 in the first round and Rhode Island 112-67 in the second round. In the Sweet Sixteen, the Tar Heels got by Arkansas 80-74 before needing overtime to beat Cincinnati 75-68 in the Elite Eight.
Duke Bounced In Second Round, Few Upsets
The two-time defending champions Duke was bounced in the second round of the Midwest regional, losing 82-77 against California in a game which features two top individual battles of Jason Kidd against Bobby Hurley and Lamond Murray versus Grant Hill. The tournament otherwise did not have a lot of upsets, save for the West region where the 12th (George Washington), 13th (Southern) and 15th (Santa Clara) seeds all won. No. 15 Santa Clara was led by future NBA MVP Steve Nash and beat No. 2 Arizona as one of only four times a 15 seed has won since the NCAA tournament was expanded to 64 teams.
Three No. 1s And No. 2
The 1993 tournament was the closest the Final Four had ever come to all No. 1 seeds reaching the semifinals - with three top seeds (North Carolina, Kentucky and Michigan) and No. 2 Kansas (which beat No. 1 Indiana in the Midwest final) - until the 2008 edition where all four top teams advanced.
UNC Gets Revenge for 1991 Semi, Michigan Stops Hot Kentucky
North Carolina got revenge for its loss in the 1991 semifinals by beating Kansas 78-68 as Coach Smith beat his former pupil Roy Williams. Kentucky came into the Final Four after winning games by an average of 31 points, including a 106-81 victory over Florida State in the Southeast final. But against Michigan star forward Jamal Mashburn fouled out, and the Wolverines returned to the final with an 81-78 win in overtime.
Donald Williams Shooting, Webber Mistake
In the final, Donald Williams scored 25 points and knocked down five three-pointers in keeping the Tar Heels ahead. With time winding down, North Carolina was ahead 73-71 when Webber grabbed a missed free throw and first dragged his pivot foot though travelling was not called. He then raced upcourt and called for a timeout when he was double-teamed by North Carolina. But Michigan did not have any timeouts left and North Carolina was awarded two free throws for the technical foul and possession to decide the game 77-71.
Smith's Second Blunder Victory At Superdome
It was Dean Smith's second NCAA title, and his first one (in 1982) also came at the Superdome and also was helped by a blunder from the opposition as Georgetown's Fred Brown passed to James Worthy in the 1982 final.
North Carolina's Third Title
The 1993 title gave the North Carolina Tar Heels three men's crowns along with championships in 1957 and 1982.
Michigan Return Runner-Up Trophy
Michigan was forced to forfeit its results and return the 1993 NCAA National Runner-Up trophy due to recruiting violation involving Webber.
