Kansas Wins NCAA Championship

20 Years in the Making

What a game, what a win for Kansas! 20 years in the making and the Kansas Jayhawks win the 2008 NCAA Championship in a fashion no one could have imagine. Mario Chalmers hit a 3-point shot with only 2.1 seconds left in regulation, forcing the already tense game into overtime.

Kansas had been down by as much a nine points with 2:12 minutes lest in the second half. Memphis, who had missed four free throws in the latter part of the game left the door wide open for Kansas and Chalmers to make a run. According to www.NCAA.com, Derrick Rose's two-point shot off glass that was initially ruled a 3 - and correctly overturned - also made a difference. This was a obviously a game in which every point counted.

The final score (75-68) was not surprising at all considering that both teams had phenomenal records and star players that could match each other like no other they had faced before. KU coach Bill Self said, "We got the ball in our most clutch player's hands, and he delivered," of the three point shot to save the game. "I had a good look at it," Chalmers said. "When it left my hands it felt like it was good, and it just went in."

As a fan, I could not have imagined a more perfect shot as I watched stunned as the ball fell so perfectly in the basket. Another player you just could not ignore tonight was Rose, the Memphis Tigers freshman who took over, scoring 14 of the teams 2nd half 16 points. Memphis also missed the critical free throws in OT which also could have saved them in this game. Memphis head coach, Calipari has this to say following the game, "Overtime, they kind of beat us down, I didn't sub a whole lot, because I was trying to win the game at the end."

I could not have said it better myself. They were beat down and Kansas can celebrate a hard earned, well deserved championship. A fun fact? This was the first overtime in the title game since 1997, when Arizona beat Kentucky 84-79. This is what NCAA basketball is all about-nothing short of fun and exciting.