NEW ORLEANS– No one could have predicted this near miraculous comeback.
Kansas was all but left for dead after falling behind 40-25 at halftime of the NCAA championship game against North Carolina here last night at the Superdome
But the Jayhawks refused to leave the biggest of all stages quietly, rallying from a 16-point deficit– the largest in finals history– to defeat the Tar Heels, 72-69, to win Bill Self’s second championship and the school’s first since 2008.
Kansas’ 6-10, 250-pound senior center David McCormick made two critical shots in the final moments, knocking down a jump shot with 15 seconds to play to give Kansas a three point lead and Carolina missed three 3-point attempts– two by guard Caleb Love and one by forward Puff Johnson– that could have forced overtime.
Love, who had been the hottest player in the tournament, lighting up UCLA for 29 points in the second half in a Sweet 16 win and 28 in a national semi-final against Duke, came back to earth, shooting 5 for 24 against a stifling defense that limited Carolina to just 28.6 percent shooting in the second half when the game dramatically turned.
Kansas’ All- American guard Ocahi Agbaji, who made six straight threes and scored 21 points in a semi-final win over Villanova and had 12 more against North Carolina, was a somewhat surprising selection as the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player over McCormick.
McCormick and forward Jalen Wilson led Kansas with 15 points apiece while Christian Braun had 12 points and 12 rebounds, taking advantage of the fact the Tar Heels were operating on fumes and had no legs after a thrilling 81-77 victory over ACC neighborhood rival Blue Devils.
Center Armondo Bacot, who was bothered by a bad ankle, had 15 points and 15 rebounds for North Carolina but shot just 3 for 13. Guard RJ Davis also had 15 but shot just 5 for 17.
That’s why the games are 40 minutes.
Kansas’ fourth national title will not have any single player’s name stamped on it, the way the 1988 championship belonged to Danny Manning land the miracles or the way Self’s first title in 2008 was the result of Mario Chambers’ late, game tying three against Memphis in regulation.
This was a group effort that traced its roots back to 2020, when Kansas had a team with Devon Dotson and center Udoka Azubuike equipped to win a title, but had its chances snuffed out by COVID. This year’s Jayhawks insisted they wanted to share their title with that team. Most of the key players on this team were young guns on that team. They were a poised, veteran group with 973 games of experience.
And they never panicked when Carolina, which had a 18-2 advantage on second chance points, ran off 16 straight points to take a commanding halftime lead.
Instead, the Jayhawks tweaked their defense to apply more pressure on RJ Davis, clogged the passing lanes and forced the Tar Heels to take rushed shots. cutting a huge lead to six with 10 mniutes left when they ignited their fast break. “With a group of guys as experienced as this who have been around and know each other so well. It’s kind of hard to see us get rattled,” Kansas sixth year forward Mitch Lightfoot said. “Coach challenged us to be better and have more pride.”
the Jayhawks returned all the key members of last year’s NCAA Covid plagued team and added Remy Martin, an All- Pac-12 guard from Arizona State, who found his shooting touch and scored 11 of his 14 points in the second half. McCormick played even with Bacot and backed his way in for a field goal to give Kansas a 70-69 lead withj 1;22 to play. On the ensuing play, Bacot hurt is ankle and McCormick scored on another close range shot over Carolina’s 6-9 Brady Manek.
“Coach called the play and said we’re going to throw it inside and we have to trust in you and have faith in you to deliver,” McCormick said.
The epic victory won’t erase the NCAA investigation that is going on in Lawrence that could produce severe sanctions.
But no one can take away this moment.
