Kansas Returns to Beat North Carolina in Reality Thriller for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Title

NEW ORLEANS – Entering Monday, Kansas was just once midway through the first half in this year’s NCAA tournament. It was in the Elite Eight game against Miami, when the Jayhawks turned a six-point deficit midway into a 26-point win. They weathered hurricanes 47-15 in the last 20 minutes of that storm.

“I told them we needed to play better,” coach Bill Self said after that game. “And eventually the lid will come off.”

He may have reused his halftime speech from more than a week ago on Monday.

Kansas cleared 15 points missing at halftime to come back and beat North Carolina 72-69 in the national championship game.

This is the Jayhawks’ fourth national championship and the show’s first championship since 2008.

David McCormack made a 1:20 left hook jump after an offensive rebound to give Kansas a one-point lead, and after being overtaken by North Carolina on the following possession, McCormack hit another hook while still in possession. 22 seconds to push the lead to three.

Caleb’s Love and Puff Johnson miss the attempt to tie 3 in the game, and Brady ManekThe pass of after a rebound attack rolled out of bounds. But Carolina would have one more chance, as Dajuan Harris Jr stepped over the line with 4.3 seconds left after catching a pass in the Kansas box.

However, the number 3 of love in the last seconds appeared briefly.

Worries about North Carolina going sideways after an emotional win over Duke on Saturday seemed warranted in the opening minutes. Kansas scored the first seven points of the game, with the Jayhawks two seventh stars – Ochai Agbaji and David McCormack – bring their motivation. Agbaji hits a 3 to start the game and McCormack is making an impact on both ends of the deck, even beating Armando Bacot Leave a loose ball by diving on the floor.

The 9-3 start, combined with Bacot’s labored pregnant movement, creates the impression that this is Kansas’ title to lose.

It was one of the last times the Jayhawks had any momentum in the first half.

Bacot, who suffered an ankle injury late in the second half of Saturday’s game, started to come loose and come alive. He had a hook jump out of the under-16 timeout and assisted a Black leak leave two properties later after RJ Davis and Bacot once saved the ball out of bounds.

Carolina calms down and looks more comfortable at both ends of the floor. McCormack’s early success started hitting a wall. Kansas was looking to help him hit the post nearly every possession, but Bacot held his ground and forced McCormack to either score over him or get through traffic. After five points early, Agbaji struggled to get a clean look against Black, who was once one of the league’s best defensive players.

Tar Heels also began to dominate in attack glasses. They had five counterattacks and 12 second chance points in 11 plus minutes, which also helped McCormack and Mitch Lightfoot into foul trouble.

Remy MartinA 3-point cut with a 10:27 left gave Kansas an 18-14 lead – but North Carolina overtook the Jayhawks 25-7 for the rest of the half. Kansas made just three shots from the field in that time and ended the half with four of 14 substitution attempts.

Agbaji took the lead for Carolina to 13 with a pull-up jump with 23 seconds left, but in a remarkable first-half play, Puff Johnson got a counter-attack and put the ball in the net at half-time. one close.

According to the NCAA, North Carolina’s 15-point advantage at halftime was tied to the fourth-most first-half lead in championship game history.

Kansas left the halftime break in a tear, and McCormack emphatically ignored it when the Jayhawks owned the opening. After two Caleb Love teams pushed the lead back to 12 and seemingly slowed Kansas’ momentum, the Jayhawks went on to run 12-1 to get to round one. It could also be worse for Tar Heels. Agbaji was fouled in the back by Leaky Black – leading to Black’s third and fourth fouls – but only made one of five free throws.

The Jayhawks have found success in the opening phase. North Carolina overturned it four times in the first eight minutes of the second half, simultaneously forcing players to jump to lead to long rebounds, and Kansas had six quick break points after picking up just two in the first half. .

A three-point match by Agbaji with 10:53 left tied the game at 50, and Kansas extended its lead to six behind Martin 3 and Jalen Wilson play three points.

Carolina’s response was emphasized by the most unlikely players. Puff Johnson, who has totaled eight points in the last four games, buried a 3-point corner after a Davis drive-and-kick to end the game in 57th place. With Black on the ice bench, Davis needed someone from Tar Heels’ and little-used benches to step up and play roles at both ends of the deck – and Johnson filled that role. At one point in the second half, he scored seven straight points for Carolina.

This isn’t just a typical college basketball game with runs. It’s a game filled with punches, counter punches, game-changing punches and more punches and counters.

All set a final 90 seconds with the national championship in the balance.