March 23, 1957: UNC beats Kansas for the national title

Posted Mar 23, 2021
In a 1982 Sports Illustrated article, legendary sportswriter Frank Deford reflected on the 1957 North Carolina Tar Heels: "Here came Tommy Kearns, 5'10" and change, elbowing his way into the center circle opposite Wilt Chamberlain. The big man glared down. Kearns played it for all it was worth, getting way down as if he could spring 20 feet into the air." (Sports Illustrated)

Related: Basketball, Basketball Recruiting

Three takeaways from UNC’s 97-83 loss to SMU in ACC road opener
While Seth Trimble’s 22 points against SMU may have been the lone highlight from Saturday, the rest of UNC's backcourt struggled. No other guard scored...
Sun Jan 4, 2026

Art’s Angle: An Awakening
If SMU shoots like they did on Saturday, it could be a sign that their men’s basketball program is awakening in its new conference as...
Sun Jan 4, 2026

UNC basketball one win away from Smith Center milestone
Since 1986, the Smith Center has been the proud home of the North Carolina basketball program. Not only has it served as home, but has...
Sun Jan 4, 2026

Hubert Davis on Loss to SMU: 'It Goes Back to Defense'
Simply put, North Carolina’s 97-83 loss to SMU on Saturday was its worst defensive performance of the season to date. It was probably also the...
Sun Jan 4, 2026