It took over a year, but Roy Williams has led his team to their third championship win since his arrival in Chapel Hill. After losing to Villanova on a buzzer beater in last year’s final, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) found itself playing the Gonzaga University Bulldogs in the finals.

While UNC’s season was a redemption story, the Zags were all about proving themselves as they reached their first Final Four and Finals in school history.

Although the competition was tight throughout the entire game, UNC avoided another chance at being heartbroken by preventing Gonzaga from scoring in the final two minutes, eventually winning 71-65.

The game’s officials were guilty of, and criticized for, making small foul calls and missing large ones. While 44 fouls are a lot, it’s not unheard of and at the college level small stuff will be called more than the NBA.

Of course, there are the naysayers who feel North Carolina doesn’t deserve the victory and there is some validity to that. UNC limped its way to the final by winning their previous two games by three points.

The Oregon game especially showed how luck can decide outcomes as UNC missed their final four free throws and Oregon could not take advantage of it. However, the biggest point of contention came at the start of the tournament on Selection Sunday.

While very few would object to Villanova and Gonzaga being one seed and only a few more to Kansas, North Carolina got the heat for being the most undeserved number one seed of the tournament.

They had the most losses and didn’t win their conference tourney, as did Kansas. The best proof was that Duke had beaten UNC twice this season, won the ACC Tournament and was only two seed.

But UNC proved why they deserved the one seed and why Roy Williams is one of the all-time greats. Plus, what’s March Madness without a little controversy?

This is UNC’s sixth NCAA championship. It will be exciting to see what  is in store for next season.