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.

After beating Louisville 72-57, Illinois tied the NCAA single season record with 37 wins. Roger Powell Jr. and Luther Head scored 20 points apiece and led the Fighting Illini to the their best season in over a century. Illinois, the number one ranked team in the country since December, went on to face North Carolina in a close National Championship game.

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.

Touted as one of the most exciting games played in Tournament history, this thriller featured a last second 3 pointer to tie the game, a pivotal instant replay, and a double OT. At the end of the day, Shannon Brown's 24 points and solid play in the second OT earned Michigan State a spot in the Final Four where they squared off against North Carolina.

After trailing by 20 points, Louisvile staged a miraculous second half comeback to defeat West Virginia 93-85. With :29 left in regulation, Larry O'Bannon's layup pushed the game into OT and give Louisville a chance to reach the Final Four. There was no need for another comeback in OT, as the Cardinals scored first and never looked back. Larry O'Bannon's 24 points and Taquan Dean's 23 was bested only by the Mountaineers' Kevin Pittsnogle's 25.

Illinois fought back from a 15-point deficit to beat the Arizona Wildcats 90-89 in an overtime thriller. Luther Head and Deron Williams led the way on a spectacular 20-5 run which tied the game with a Williams 3-pointer. Both teams continued to battle it out for the next 5 minutes with Illinois edging out the Wildcats by only one point. Illinois went on to win the following game against Louisville earning a spot in the title game.

Wisconsin began to shake off a terrible first half after Alando Tucker hit eight in a row during a 13-0 run that turned a 37-34 deficit into a 10-point lead. The Badgers' impressive comeback effort resulted in a 65-56 win over NC State and a chance to play another North Carolina team in the Elite Eight.

The Kentucky Wildcats shot an amazing 62 percent to beat the Utes 62-52. Kentucky's two 7-footers pestered All-American sophomore Andrew Bogut all night, though he still turned in 20 points in his last game of the season. The win gave the Wildcats a chance match up against Michigan State in one of the most exciting games in tournament history.

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.

Michigan State upset No.1 seeded Duke 78-68 thanks to Paul Davis' 20 points and 12 rebounds. Ten clutch free throws in the last 68 seconds finally earned Spartans' head coach Tom Izzo his first win over Duke and Coach K. Michigan State went on to the Elite Eight where they played Kentucky in one of the most exciting games in tournament history.

The No.4 seed Louisville Cardinals took down No.1 seed Washington in a 93-79 victory. Francisco Garcia's 23 points and Ellis Myles' 13 boards helped seal the win and carry the Cardinals off to the Elite Eight where they staged a miraculous comeback to beat West Virginia in overtime.

Salim Stoudamire made an off-balance jumper with 2.8 seconds left to win the game for the Arizona Wildcats. Arizona's Hassan Adams scored 19 points and had 10 rebounds, but the top scorer of the night was the Cowboys' Joey Graham who netted 26 points. The Wildcats' thrilling 79-78 victory over Oklahoma State propelled Arizona to the Elite Eight where they faced Illinois in another thriller that went down-to-the-wire.

Top-seeded Illinois knocked the No.12 upstart Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers out of the tournament with a 77-63 victory. The Fighting Illini's Deron Williams and Dee Brown led Illinois to victory with a combined 42 points and 10 assists, however, the Panthers' Josh Tucker was the high scorer of the night with an amazing 32 points. Illinois advanced to the Elite Eight where they took on Arizona in an OT thriller.

Kevin Pittsnogle's 22 points led West Virginia to a 65-60 win over Texas Tech. The win enabled the Mountaineers to move past the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1959 when Jerry West led them to the national championship game.