1997 NCAA Final Four street Banner UNC KENTUCKY ARIZONA RARE DEAN SMITH 6.5'

Description: approximately 79" x 29" Good condition for age. This was displayed near coliseum in the weater but looks great. Has been stored in office environment since 1997. This is a rare street banner from the 1997 NCAA Final Four featuring UNC, Kentucky, Minnesota and Arizona. It's a great addition to any collection of sports memorabilia. The banner is in great shape and has been well-maintained since its original display. Celebrate this historic moment in college basketball history with this unique piece. 1997 NCAA Final Four street Banner UNC KENTUCKY ARIZONA MINNESOTA Minnesota RARE The Arizona Wildcats have the distinction of playing against the late Dean Smith in the Hall of Fame coach’s last game of his storied career. Smith, who passed away last night at age 83, completed his 35-year career at North Carolina with a loss against Arizona and coach Lute Olson in the 1997 Final Four. The Wildcats defeated the No. 1-seeded Tar Heels on their way to a national championship over another No. 1 seed, Kentucky, in Indianapolis. “What we did not realize that night was that we had given Dean Smith, the man I had learned so much from and greatly respected, the final defeat of his career,” Olson writes in his book Lute!: The Seasons of My Life. “Several months later, he announced his retirement.” Arizona went 3-1 against Smith, including another memorable NCAA tournament achievement: Beating the Tar Heels in the 1988 Elite Eight to advance to the Final Four for the first time. The Wildcats’ success against North Carolina, with two of their most historic victories, is symbolic of how the program went from rags to riches under Olson. Arizona proved itself with those wins over Smith, which included another victory early in the championship season of 1996-97 at the Hall of Fame Classic in Springfield, Mass. The 1997 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1997, and ended with the championship game on March 31 in Indianapolis, Indiana at the RCA Dome. A total of 63 games were played. The Final Four consisted of Kentucky, who entered the tournament as the defending national champions, Minnesota, making their first Final Four appearance, Arizona, making their third Final Four appearance and first since 1994, and North Carolina, making their thirteenth Final Four appearance and first since 1995. In the national championship game, Arizona defeated Kentucky in overtime 84–79 to win their first national championship. For the second time in the last three seasons, the defending national champions reached the final game and lost. Miles Simon of Arizona was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Several years later, Minnesota was stripped of its Final Four appearance following the discovery of NCAA academic rule violations. In addition, the Gophers were stripped of their Big Ten title they had also won. Arizona also became the only school since the introduction of the 64-team bracket in 1985, to defeat three number 1 seeds in the tournament, having upset overall number one seed Kansas in addition to their two Final Four victories. The tournament also saw the third victory by a #15 seed over a #2 seed, as Coppin State defeated South Carolina in their first round matchup. In addition, a #14 seed advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for only the second time, as Southeast Region #14 seed Chattanooga defeated both Georgia and Illinois. The tournament marked the end of the career of North Carolina coach Dean Smith. Smith, whose team lost in the national semifinals, retired just prior to the beginning of the 1997–98 season.

Price: 119 USD

Location: Raleigh, North Carolina

End Time: 2025-01-23T17:49:47.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD