# 2016–17 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team

The 2016–17 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. It was head coach Roy Williams' 14th season. The Tar Heels played their home games at the Dean Smith Center as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. In 2017, they earned their 6th NCAA National Championship by defeating Gonzaga in the championship game.

## Previous season

The Tar Heels finished the 2015–16 season with a record of 33–7, 14–4 in ACC play to finish in first place, winning their 30th ACC regular season title. The Tar Heels also won their 18th ACC tournament championship by beating Virginia in the finals 61–57. They received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as a No. 1 seed. There, they defeated Florida Gulf Coast, Providence, Indiana, and Notre Dame to earn a trip to the Final Four, the school's 19th Final Four. In a matchup against fellow ACC foe, Syracuse, the Tar Heels easily won 83–66 to advance to the National Championship against Villanova. Despite a circus shot by Marcus Paige to tie the game at 74 with less than five seconds remaining, the Tar Heels lost on a three pointer as time expired.

## Departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Notes |
| Marcus Paige | 5 | G | 6'2" | 175 | Senior | Marion, Iowa | Graduated/NBA draft |
| Brice Johnson | 11 | F | 6'10" | 230 | Senior | Orangeburg, South Carolina | Graduated/NBA Draft |
| Justin Coleman | 31 | G | 6'1" | 185 | Senior | Raleigh, North Carolina | Graduated |
| Toby Egbuna | 34 | F | 6'4" | 225 | Senior | Clemmons, North Carolina | Graduated |
| Joel James | 42 | C | 6'11" | 280 | Senior | West Palm Beach, Florida | Graduated |
| Spenser Dalton | 43 | G | 6'3" | 215 | Senior | Asheville, North Carolina | Graduated |

## 2016 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Tony Bradley C | Bartow, Florida | Bartow High School | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 235 lb (107 kg) | Sep 2, 2015 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Brandon Robinson SG | Douglasville, Georgia | Douglas County High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Sep 28, 2015 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Seventh Woods SG | Columbia, South Carolina | Hammond School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Nov 11, 2015 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Shea Rush SF | Kansas City, Missouri | The Barstow School | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Feb 14, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: #9 Rivals: #9 247Sports: #11 ESPN: #12 ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: ||||||

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| November 4, 2016* 7:30 pm | No. 6 | UNC Pembroke | W 124–63 | | 20 – Berry II | 8 – Maye | 7 – Jackson | Dean Smith Center Chapel Hill, NC |
| Non-conference regular season |||||||||
| November 11, 2016* 9:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 6 | at Tulane | W 95–75 | 1–0 | 27 – Jackson | 15 – Meeks | 5 – Britt | Smoothie King Center (6,043) New Orleans, LA |
| November 13, 2016* 4:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 6 | Chattanooga Maui Invitational | W 97–57 | 2–0 | 18 – Berry II | 12 – Meeks | 5 – Berry II | Dean Smith Center (13,402) Chapel Hill, NC |
| November 15, 2016* 8:00 pm, ACCN Extra | No. 5 | Long Beach State | W 93–67 | 3–0 | 23 – Berry II | 10 – Jackson | 6 – Woods | Dean Smith Center (12,581) Chapel Hill, NC |
| November 19, 2016* 1:00 am, OC Sports | No. 5 | at Hawaii | W 83–68 | 4–0 | 16 – Hicks | 13 – Bradley | 6 – Berry II | Stan Sheriff Center (10,300) Honolulu, HI |
| November 21, 2016* 11:30 pm, ESPN2 | No. 4 | at Chaminade Maui Invitational Quarterfinals | W 104–61 | 5–0 | 22 – Hicks | 10 – Meeks | 4 – Tied | Lahaina Civic Center (2,400) Maui, HI |
| November 22, 2016* 10:30 pm, ESPN2 | No. 4 | vs. Oklahoma State Maui Invitational Semifinal | W 107–75 | 6–0 | 24 – Berry II | 8 – Tied | 6 – Jackson | Lahaina Civic Center (2,400) Maui, HI |
| November 23, 2016* 9:30 pm, ESPN2 | No. 4 | vs. No. 16 Wisconsin Maui Invitational Championship | W 71–56 | 7–0 | 22 – Berry II | 16 – Meeks | 3 – Berry II | Lahaina Civic Center (2,400) Maui, HI |
| November 30, 2016* 9:00 pm, ESPN | No. 3 | at No. 13 Indiana ACC-Big Ten Challenge | L 67–76 | 7–1 | 21 – Jackson | 8 – Tied | 8 – Berry II | Assembly Hall (17,222) Bloomington, IN |
| December 4, 2016* 2:00 pm, RSN | No. 3 | Radford | W 95–50 | 8–1 | 19 – Williams | 11 – Bradley | 6 – Jackson | Dean Smith Center (14,230) Chapel Hill, NC |
| December 7, 2016* 9:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 7 | Davidson | W 83–74 | 9–1 | 27 – Jackson | 8 – Jackson | 6 – Britt | Dean Smith Center (13,178) Chapel Hill, NC |
| December 11, 2016* 5:00 pm, ESPN | No. 7 | Tennessee | W 73–71 | 10–1 | 12 – Williams | 10 – Bradley | 7 – Britt | Dean Smith Center (18,745) Chapel Hill, NC |
| December 17, 2016* 5:45 pm, CBS | No. 7 | vs. No. 6 Kentucky CBS Sports Classic/Rivalry | L 100–103 | 10–2 | 34 – Jackson | 7 – Meeks | 7 – Berry II | T-Mobile Arena (19,298) Las Vegas, NV |
| December 21, 2016* 8:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 8 | Northern Iowa | W 85–42 | 11–2 | 18 – Meeks | 8 – Meeks | 5 – Williams | Dean Smith Center (18,033) Chapel Hill, NC |
| December 28, 2016* 7:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 9 | Monmouth | W 102–74 | 12–2 | 28 – Jackson | 12 – Meeks | 5 – Jackson | Dean Smith Center (20,064) Chapel Hill, NC |
| ACC Regular Season |||||||||
| December 31, 2016 12:00 pm, ACCN | No. 9 | at Georgia Tech | L 63–75 | 12–3 (0–1) | 16 – Jackson | 14 – Meeks | 3 – Jackson | Hank McCamish Pavilion (7,754) Atlanta, GA |
| January 3, 2017 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 14 | at Clemson | W 89–86 $^{OT}$ | 13–3 (1–1) | 31 – Berry II | 16 – Meeks | 4 – Meeks | Littlejohn Coliseum (8,716) Clemson, SC |
| January 8, 2017 1:00 pm, ESPN | No. 14 | NC State Carolina–State Game | W 107–56 | 14–3 (2–1) | 21 – Jackson | 8 – Bradley | 5 – Berry II | Dean Smith Center (16,133) Chapel Hill, NC |
| January 11, 2017 8:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 11 | at Wake Forest | W 93–87 | 15–3 (3–1) | 19 – Jackson | 11 – Meeks | 7 – Berry II | LJVM Coliseum (13,159) Winston-Salem, NC |
| January 14, 2017 2:00 pm, ESPN | No. 11 | No. 9 Florida State | W 96–83 | 16–3 (4–1) | 26 – Berry II | 15 – Maye | 4 – Hicks | Dean Smith Center (21,750) Chapel Hill, NC |
| January 16, 2017 7:00 pm, ESPN | No. 9 | Syracuse | W 85–68 | 17–3 (5–1) | 20 – Hicks | 12 – Meeks | 5 – Pinson | Dean Smith Center (20,588) Chapel Hill, NC |
| January 21, 2017 Noon, ACCN | No. 9 | at Boston College | W 90–82 | 18–3 (6–1) | 22 – Jackson | 9 – Meeks | 4 – Hicks | Conte Forum (8,606) Chestnut Hill, MA |
| January 26, 2017 8:00 pm, ESPN | No. 9 | Virginia Tech | W 91–72 | 19–3 (7–1) | 26 – Jackson | 14 – Meeks | 4 – Jackson | Dean Smith Center (20,113) Chapel Hill, NC |
| January 28, 2017 1:00 pm, CBS | No. 9 | at Miami (FL) | L 62–77 | 19–4 (7–2) | 21 – Jackson | 6 – Hicks | 4 – Berry II | BankUnited Center (7,563) Coral Gables, FL |
| January 31, 2017 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 12 | Pittsburgh | W 80–78 | 20–4 (8–2) | 20 – Jackson | 8 – Hicks | 4 – Britt | Dean Smith Center (18,438) Chapel Hill, NC |
| February 5, 2017 1:00 pm, ESPNews | No. 12 | vs. No. 20 Notre Dame | W 83–76 | 21–4 (9–2) | 16 – Jackson | 8 – Meeks | 7 – Berry II | Greensboro Coliseum (17,051) Greensboro, NC |
| February 9, 2017 8:00 pm, ESPN/ACCN | No. 8 | at No. 18 Duke Rivalry | L 78–86 | 21–5 (9–3) | 21 – Jackson | 7 – Pinson | 4 – Woods | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| February 15, 2017 8:00 pm, ACCN | No. 10 | at NC State Carolina–State Game | W 97–73 | 22–5 (10–3) | 18 – Berry II | 8 – Meeks | 6 – Berry II | PNC Arena (19,500) Raleigh, NC |
| February 18, 2017 8:15 pm, ESPN | No. 10 | No. 14 Virginia ESPN College GameDay | W 65–41 | 23–5 (11–3) | 20 – Jackson | 8 – Hicks | 6 – Jackson | Dean Smith Center (21,750) Chapel Hill, NC |
| February 22, 2017 9:00 pm, ESPN | No. 8 | No. 7 Louisville | W 74–63 | 24–5 (12–3) | 21 – Jackson | 10 – Meeks | 3 – Berry II | Dean Smith Center (21,269) Chapel Hill, NC |
| February 25, 2017 Noon, ACCN | No. 8 | at Pittsburgh | W 85–67 | 25–5 (13–3) | 23 – Jackson | 10 – Meeks | 7 – Pinson | Petersen Events Center (10,704) Pittsburgh, PA |
| February 27, 2017 7:00 pm, ESPN | No. 5 | at No. 23 Virginia | L 43–53 | 25–6 (13–4) | 12 – Berry II | 7 – Meeks | 3 – Maye | John Paul Jones Arena (14,001) Charlottesville, VA |
| March 4, 2017 8:00 pm, ESPN | No. 5 | No. 17 Duke Rivalry/ESPN College GameDay | W 90–83 | 26–6 (14–4) | 28 – Berry II | 9 – Hicks | 7 – Pinson | Dean Smith Center (21,750) Chapel Hill, NC |
| ACC Tournament |||||||||
| March 9, 2017 12:00 pm, ESPN | (1) No. 6 | vs. (9) Miami (FL) Quarterfinals | W 78–53 | 27–6 | 19 – Hicks | 7 – Meeks | 6 – Pinson | Barclays Center (17,732) Brooklyn, NY |
| March 10, 2017 7:00 pm, ESPN | (1) No. 6 | vs. (5) No. 14 Duke Semifinals/Rivalry | L 83–93 | 27–7 | 19 – Meeks | 12 – Meeks | 8 – Pinson | Barclays Center (18,103) Brooklyn, NY |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| March 17, 2017* 4:00 pm, TNT | (1 S) No. 5 | vs. (16 S) Texas Southern First Round | W 103–64 | 28–7 | 21 – Jackson | 9 – Maye | 5 – Britt | Bon Secours Wellness Arena (14,179) Greenville, SC |
| March 19, 2017* 6:10 pm, TNT | (1 S) No. 5 | vs. (8 S) Arkansas Second Round | W 72–65 | 29–7 | 16 – Meeks | 11 – Meeks | 5 – Jackson | Bon Secours Wellness Arena (14,179) Greenville, SC |
| March 24, 2017* 7:09 pm, CBS | (1 S) No. 5 | vs. (4 S) No. 21 Butler Sweet Sixteen | W 92–80 | 30–7 | 26 – Berry II | 12 – Maye | 5 – Jackson | FedExForum (16,397) Memphis, TN |
| March 26, 2017* 5:05 pm, CBS | (1 S) No. 5 | vs. (2 S) No. 6 Kentucky Elite Eight/Rivalry | W 75–73 | 31–7 | 19 – Jackson | 17 – Meeks | 4 – Jackson | FedEx Forum (16,412) Memphis, TN |
| April 1, 2017* 8:49 pm, CBS | (1 S) No. 5 | vs. (3 MW) No. 9 Oregon Final Four | W 77–76 | 32–7 | 25 – Meeks | 14 – Meeks | 5 – Pinson | University of Phoenix Stadium (77,612) Glendale, AZ |
| April 3, 2017* 9:20 pm, CBS | (1 S) No. 5 | vs. (1 W) No. 2 Gonzaga National Championship | W 71–65 | 33–7 | 22 – Berry II | 10 – Meeks | 6 – Berry II | University of Phoenix Stadium (76,168) Glendale, AZ |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. S=South Region, MW=Midwest, W=West. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Final |
| AP | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 5 | Not released |
| Coaches | 6 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 16 | 12 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 1 |
*AP does not release post-NCAA Tournament rankings

## Players drafted into the NBA

| Year | Round | Pick | Player | NBA club |
| 2017 | 1 | 15 | Justin Jackson | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 2017 | 1 | 28 | Tony Bradley | Los Angeles Lakers |