The men’s NCAA Championship has just ended and fans have witnessed one of the most impressive comebacks in the history of the national championship. The Kansas Jayhawks managed to defeat the University of North Carolina in an extremely tight game that ended with a 72-69 victory. After entering the second half with a 15-point deficit, the Kansas team clawed its way to the podium, but not without difficulties.
North Carolina did not go down without a fight and the Tar Heels players kept pushing to the very end. When there was just a minute and a half left, North Carolina was in the lead by one point, with a 69-68 score. David McCormack, the Jayhawks forward, sank two points and shortly after did the same, ensuring the championship for Kansas.
Ahead of the 2022 NCAA Tournament final, there have been many predictions about the next winner. Kansas was listed as a four-point favourite for the final, due to its high-flying offense, superior defence, and shooting efficiency. The team is in the top 20 for its defensive strategies and in the top 30 for its overall shooting turnover. However, there was still a chance that North Carolina would win, particularly due to its junior forward Armando Bacot.
With the conclusion of the 2022 season, the 2023 NCAAB season odds are already available and the Duke Blue Devils are available at as low as 10.0 as they are the current favourites. Due to the popularity of college sports in the USA, many people are heavily invested in March Madness and it never fails to deliver with its unpredictability. College basketball is a spectacle in itself, showcasing the best student athletes out there. It also has a long history and it is looked at as a form of tradition.
This final was not the first time the two teams had faced off on a basketball court. Kansas Jayhawks and North Carolina Tar Heels had played against each other five times in either a Final Four game or a National Championship. The first time the two teams played against each other in a matchup in the Final Four was in 1957 when North Carolina won the game 54-53 after triple overtime.
This final was also not the first time Kansas came out victorious. In total, the Jayhawks have played in 10 national title games, winning four of them. The team’s first title came in 1952 in a game that ended with an 80–63 victory over St. John’s. In the 1988 National Championship, Kansas defeated Oklahoma 83-79 with Larry Brown as a coach. The third title was won in 2008 at the 70th edition of the tournament, when the Jayhawks defeated the Memphis Tigers by 7 points, winning in overtime 75-68.
Two of the basketball team’s titles have been won with Bill Self as head coach of the programme. For a coach to win their second title with a team is a major accomplishment and he is only the 16th coach in the Division I men’s basketball to win at least two titles. The news of his victory has made many argue that he might be the best basketball coach in the NCAA. Of course, it is debatable and there are many other aspects that need to be taken into consideration rather than just the results in the final. However, Kansas fans are excited now to see what the future holds for the team in the next season, with the countdown officially on the way.
