More then a number one seed: Kansas and Memphis are one win away from a National Championship
Kansas survives massive comeback attempt by North Carolina, setting up an awesome matchup with Memphis for the National Championship on Monday Night
SCOTT JACOBS
When it came to America, most people had North Carolina and UCLA in their championship game. Including me.
Come Monday night, neither one of the college basketball powers will take the court. After Memphis overwhelmed UCLA in game one, Kansas rode one of the most incredible first halves I’ve ever seen en route to a lead as big as 28, and held on after a furious Carolina run cut it to 4, to knock off the tournament’s number one seed. The Jayhawks, that team that could barely beat Davidson! and the Tigers, that team from the soft as tissue paper Conference USA! are the last two teams left. Wow.
I said at the beginning of the week none of these games would be considered upsets, but the way Memphis and Kansas played, it’s hard to believe that anyone could’ve predicted this type of dominance. Bill Self’s first Final Four trip, and Memphis’s record breaking season (38 wins and counting…) are the equation that equals National Championship berth.
For UCLA, it’s three years in the Final Four in a row, and three empty trips back to LA. For the Heels, it’s a stunning fall from grace after no one truly tested them the entire tournament. Instead, it’s the Tigers who shot over 70% from the line (remember everyone (including myself) who predicted foul shooting would be their downfall) and member John Calipari telling everyone that they’ll make em when they count? Well, the Tigers have surprised everyone. The Jayhawks have been great all year. And what do you know? The last two teams to lose a game, will determine the last team to be left standing.
Kansas steam-rolled the beleaguered Tar Heels, who went over 9 minutes without a basket in the first half. Kansas’s 18-0 run in the first half: one of the most impressive things I’ve ever seen. The two best teams (the two best number one seeds on Saturday night) win a pair of routs.
Monday night there will be no Bruin sighting, or North Carolina blue. Instead, upstart Memphis, who finally got over that Elite Eight hump, and Kansas, who got over their ownrecent tourney struggles are championship caliber, and I’d be shocked (make that stunned) if the game isn’t played in the high 70s at 150 mph. The National Player of the Year is gone, and the most storied program in college basketball history is going home disappointed, and it all sets the stage for what should be a fabulous, make that phenomenol championship game.
Kansas-Memphis. Monday night can’t come soon enough.
And could someone please tell UCLA coach Ben Howland, that it’s Memphis (not Memphis State!) that beat him. C’mon, no excuse for getting the team that whooped you, wrong. None. And that’s why I think Memphis will win it all on Monday night. That and the fact that you don’t win 38 games by accident. This team is damn good.
Popularity: 3% [?]
I’m not too excited about the game. In the most boring March Madness in a long time, the Final Four, with 4 #1’s, was finally supposed to be a good round. I just can’t get myself excited after all this shit, and a Kansas-Memphis final doesn’t even have much history or relevence, like UCLA-UNC would have.
I just have a gut about this game. Memphis has never won a title, and Kansas hasn’t been here since Carmelo Anthony was at Syracuse. So I think it should be interesting. While I agree with you about March Madness being kinda boring this year, there’s no doubt that the upsets in the first few rounds were great. If Davidson had knocked off Kansas this would have been one of the more exciting Final Fours in some time.
Well I’m confused. I don’t know what’s the problem here. What’s wrong. At first I thought it looked really smart, but I’m not sure any more