For the fifth time in school history, North Carolina ended the season as National Champions. Behind stellar play from Ty Lawson (21 points and a championship game record 8 steals), Wayne Ellington (19 points), and Tyler Hansbrough (18 points), the Tar Heels defeated Michigan State 89-72 in front of 72,922, the largest crowd ever to watch a National Championship game. Not since Duke did it in 2001, North Carolina won every game of the Tournament by double digits.

Villanova was no match for the heavy favorites, as North Carolina defeated the Wildcats 83-69 on their way to the National Championship for a matchup against Michigan State. The decisive victory was made possible by Ty Lawson's 22 points, Wayne Ellington’s 20 points, and Tyler Hansbrough 18 points and 11 rebounds. Although Villanova fell short of repeating their performance in the 1985 Tournament, they did post a respectable 30-8 record for the season.

The Tar Heels made it their to their 18th NCAA Final Four appearance by defeating Oklahoma, 72-60. North Carolina rolled past the Sooners with the help of Ty Lawson's 19 points and Danny Green's 18 points. The season may have ended for the Sooners' Blake Griffin, but he managed 114 points and 60 rebounds throughout the tournament, both tournament highs.

North Carolina made tournament history with their 99th NCAA Tournament victory in a decisive 98-77 win over Gonzaga. Ty Lawson set the tone early on with 17 points in the first half. Tyler Hansbrough's 24 points and 10 rebounds added more fuel to the fire as North Carolina cruised to the Regional Finals to square off against Oklahoma.

Despite trailing 40-12 late in the first half, the Tar Heels mounted a comeback to move them within five points with nine minutes left. North Carolina's valiant effort was not enough though, as Kansas quickly overpowered the Tar Heels on their way to a 84-66 victory. The win propelled the Jayhawks to a spot in the National Championship, where they took on the Memphis Tigers in an OT thriller.

The Tar Heels broke from a tie halfway through the second and never looked back on their way to claiming their 17th Final Four berth. Despite Louisville's impressive 53% shooting from the floor, North Carolina's defense limited the Cardinals point total enough to secure an 83-73 win and a chance to take on Kansas in the next round. National Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough further validated his title with 28 points and 13 rebounds.

Tyler Hansbrough's 18 points and 9 boards led North Carolina to a 68-47 victory over Washington State. Not since 1946 has North Carolina held a team to less than 47 points in a NCAA game. Their balanced attack propelled North Carolina to the next round where they knocked the Louisville Cardinals out of the tournament.

Georgetown came back from an 11-point deficit in the second half to push the game into overtime, only to then score 14 straight points to upset the top-seeded North Carolina 96-84 at the final buzzer. The stunning victory over the Tar Heels earned the Hoyas their first trip to the Final Four since 1985. Despite the loss, superstar Tyler Hansbrough recorded 26 points and 11 rebounds.

The North Carolina Tar Heels overcame a 16 point deficit by imposing an 18-0 run on the USC Trojans halfway through the second quarter. The Tar Heels ended the night beating the Trojans 74-64 and securing a seat in the Elite Eight where they took on the Georgetown Hoyas.

With Most Outstanding Player Sean May's 26 points and a defense that did not allow a single basket in the last two-and-a-half minutes of play, the North Carolina Tar Heels defeated Illinois 75-70 to became the 2005 National Champs. This was North Carolina's fourth overall title, the fourth-most in NCAA history, and one more than archrival Duke. The win also gave 17-year coaching vet Roy Williams his first ever National Championship.

North Carolina defeated Michigan State by a score of 87-71. North Carolina was top-seeded and coached by Roy Williams, while Michigan State was seeded fifth and coached by Tom Izzo. The Spartans had a five point lead at halftime, but the Tar Heels roared back under the play of the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, Sean May. North Carolina went on to cut down the net in the National Championship.

Sean Mays' 29 points and Raymond Felton's clutch free throws in the final minute lifted UNC past Wisconsin 88-82. With only 1:38 left in the game, things got more and more exciting as Wisconsin closed to within three points on an alley-oop dunk by Alando Tucker. However, UNC was able to hold on for another minute and a half to move one game closer to a national championship win.

North Carolina held off Villanova in the final seconds in a 67-66 nail biter that advanced the top-seeded Tarheels to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2000. Despite the loss, Randy Foye gave his best effort and led the Wildcats' offense with a career-high 28 points.

Florida overcame foul trouble and dominated the final 13 minutes to secure a spot in the title game. Joseph Forte, the first freshman ever to lead North Carolina in scoring, went on a tear early in the second half by scoring 10 straight points during a 12-2 run. The Tar Heels' Brendan Haywood led the night's scoring with 20 points, while Forte finished with 15 before fouling out.

Joseph Forte's season-high 28 points allowed the Tar Heels to squeak past Tulsa in a close 59-55 victory. Tulsa's Dante Swanson kept the Golden Hurricanes in the game down the stretch by scoring seven points in the final 1:50, including a 3-pointer that brought the Golden Hurricane within 57-55 with 20 seconds to go. However, North Carolina was able to hold on in the final moments and ultimately advance to the Final Four for a tournament record 15 times.

North Carolina came back from a seven-point deficit in the final 4 1/2 minutes to shock No. 4 Tennessee 74-69. Despite having their star center Brendan Haywood foul-out early, the Tar Heels advanced to the Elite Eight for the third time in four seasons. North Carolina went on to knock Tulsa out of the tournament after a close 59-55 win.