12/13/2018 basketball Edit

2017 Championship Game Revisited: Who Remains?

THI takes a look at which players remain from UNC's 2017 national title game win over Gonzaga. (USA Today)

Andrew Jones • TarHeelIllustrated

Publisher

Andrew Jones has covered sports for 26 years, including all major college & professional sports for daily newspapers & national sites. He's done radio and TV & is entering his seventh year at THI.

North Carolina and Gonzaga have changed quite a bit in the 619 days since the Tar Heels defeated the Zags in the 2017 NCAA championship game, though each team still has five players remaining from those rosters.

Only one, Gonzaga’s Josh Perkins, started that night on Phoenix, and only four players – two for each club – got into the game: Perkins and Jeremy Jones for Gonzaga and Luke Maye and Seventh Woods for UNC. Note that Kenny Williams, who started 22 games that season, was injured and did not dress for the title game.

So, when the No. 12 Heels and No. 4 Zags get together Saturday night at the Smith Center, most of the players on the floor will be different faces from the night Roy Williams won his third national title and led Carolina to its sixth.

2017 Title Game Stats

Gonzaga

*Josh Perkins, 35 minutes, 3-8 FGs (3-6 from 3), 4-5 FT, 13 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 turnovers.

*Jeremy Jones, 0+ minutes, no stats.

UNC

*Luke Maye, 10 minutes, 0-1 FG, 2 rebounds.

*Seventh Woods, 3 minutes, no stats.

Josh Perkins is the only remaining starter from the 2017 title game. (USA Today)

And more...

Of the 10 total players on the teams’ rosters that season, only three saw game action for Gonzaga, as two players – Zach Norvell and Jack Beach – redshirted. All five Tar Heels played in games.

*Current Gonzaga players’ 2016-17 combined season stats: 1,316 minutes; 396 points; 296 rebounds; 127 assists; 88 turnovers; 44 steals; 13 blocks.

*Current UNC players’ 2016-17 combined season stats: 1,736 minutes; 501 points; 326 rebounds; 174 assists; 129 turnovers; 71 steals; 21 bocks.

The only available Gonzaga player that didn’t get into title game was then-freshman forward Rui Hachimura, who currently averages 22.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per contest. Norvell, who redshirted that season, currently averages 18.1 points and 5.6 rebounds. Perkins is at 10.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 8.4 assists per contest and Jones averages 4.1 points.

2016-17 Remaining Players' Stats

Gonzaga

Josh Perkins, 38 games (35 starts), 1,100 minutes, 8.1 points, 3.1 assists

Rui Hachimura, 28 games, 128 minutes, 2.6 points, 1.4 rebounds

Jeremy Jones, 24 games, 88 minutes, 0.6 points, 1.1 rebounds

Zach Norvell - Redshirted

Jack Beach - Redshirted

UNC

Luke Maye, 35 games (1 start), 497 minutes, 5.5 points, 3.9 rebounds

Kenny Williams, 26 games (22 starts), 617 minutes, 6.2 points, 3.3 rebounds

Seventh Woods, 40 games, 309 minutes, 1.5 points, 1.2 assists

Brandon Robinson, 37 games, 281 minutes, 1.9 points, 1.2 rebounds

Shea Rush, 20 games, 33 minutes, 0.8 points