One Shining Moment

Congratulations to Mario Chalmers and the Kansas Jayhawks. In a fitting end to the tournament, Kansas came from behind and knocked off Memphis in overtime to claim the National Championship. Mario Chalmers will forever be remembered as one of the great Kansas heroes. I had the good fortune of watching the game in a crowded BW3’s, and the bar went absolutely crazy went Chalmers hit that shot. Once the game was tied and went into overtime, everyone knew that Kansas was going to win. Similar to the West Virginia-Xavier Sweet 16 game, where West Virginia’s star missed a free throw in the waning seconds that would have won the game and the Mountaineers ending up losing in overtime, the momentum was completely swung in favor of the Jayhawks.

Kansas showed that they were the most complete and balanced team in the tournament. Despite not having a single player named to the Big 12 First Team All-Conference, their collective depth, talent and perseverance enabled Kansas to overcome star-driven teams like Davidson, UNC and Memphis. While I’m happy for Kansas, I do feel a little bad for Memphis. To lose a game on a tough missed shot is one thing, but to let a game slip away after going 1 of 5 on free throws down the stretch…that will stay with those Memphis players for a long time to come. However, the game should be remembered for Kansas’ clutch shots and valiant comeback, rather than Memphis choking.

On a personal side note, the fact that Kansas won made me feel like a bit of an idiot. You may recall that, at the beginning of the tournament, I bemoaned the discovery that I had actually selected UCLA to win the National Championship, rather than Kansas. While I did correctly predict all of the Final Four teams, the UCLA pick ended up costing me a spot in the all-important top two of my pool. Had I merely selected Kansas to win the final (as I intended), I would have finished tied for first. With a forty plus person pool and a $20 “enjoyment” fee, well you can do the math and perhaps understand my pain. I still managed to finish fourth, but that won’t buy me a new flat-screen TV.