Three weeks ago, sixty-eight teams entered the greatest tournament in all of sports. When the final buzzer rang on Monday night, it was the Kansas Jayhawks who were left standing. After being down by fifteen at halftime to the North Carolina Tar Heels, Kansas completed the largest comeback in championship history.
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North Carolina looked like a heavyweight for most of the first half. Their timely shooting and physicality threw blow after blow to a Kansas offense that couldn’t sink a shot. But sometimes it’s a tale of two halves. Kansas jumped out of the gates, as senior forward David McCormack led the Jayhawks with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Four others scored in double-figures as Kansas outscored North Carolina by 18 points in the second half. The Tar Heels had several three-point opportunities to tie the game but just couldn’t convert. The final blow came when the Tar Heels’ star center Armando Bacot re-aggravated an ankle injury and had to exit the game with under a minute to play. Kansas went on to secure the victory, 72-69.
The devastating loss ends North Carolina’s impressive run in Hubert Davis’ first season as head coach. The Tar Heels became just the fourth eighth seed to make it to the National Championship. Their run included victories over defending National Champion Baylor, Final Four favorite UCLA, Cinderella story Saint Peter’s, and Duke’s team of destiny. Impressive, but unfortunately not enough to cut down the nets.
As is the case when one winner is crowned, it’s time to look ahead to the next March Madness. According to Draft Kings, Duke opens as the favorite to raise the trophy in 2023, followed by North Carolina, Kentucky, Gonzaga, and Kansas.
Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments section below! Lastly, in case you missed it, Results of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Final Draw.
