Location: Lawrence, Kan. | Founded: 1866 | Enrollment: 29,624 | Colors: Crimson and Blue
Coach: Bill Self | Home Court: Allen Fieldhouse | Capacity: 16,300 Record:
(37-3, 13-3
Big 12)
All season the scoring balance, the versatility and the capability to explode were virtues that made Kansas deserving of a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
But in a 75-68 overtime victory against Memphis for the national title, the Jayhawks also showed off their grit, determination and toughness.
Some of those characteristics can be traced to a players-only meeting the day after their last defeat, a one-point loss at Oklahoma State. Players gathered in the back corner of their favorite Lawrence restaurant and plotted a path to glory.
It wasn't the first time a team regrouped in such fashion. Usually, such discussions fail to deliver the goal intended. But the Jayhawks carried out their plan as their coach, Bill Self, produced a title in his first Final Four appearance, calmly exuding confidence when all looked bleak.
Kansas, which finished 37-3 after sharing the Big 12 title with Texas, saw a five-point halftime lead slip into a nine-point deficit late in the second half against Memphis. The Tigers were converting the drives for baskets, as well as wild bank shots, and seemed destined to become the first champion since 1979 from a conference that placed just one team in the NCAA Tournament.
But as much as Memphis loves to score off the dribble, it hates to tack on points standing still from the foul line. Misses there on four of its last five attempts in regulation gave Kansas the opening it needed to come back.
Junior guard Mario Chalmers capped the rally with what instantly became the most memorable shot in Kansas history, a 3-pointer out top with 2 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime.
From there, the Jayhawks took command and rode the momentum they established to the third national crown in their storied history. And to a man, they credited Self for continually spurring them on. The fifth-year coach is now due a hefty raise, one Kansas hopes will prevent from accepting other offers.
Self deserves what he gets, and he says so does his team, for fighting through adversity, both in games and off the court.
Copyright (C) 2008 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.
Wow this is a great day to be choke hawk. KU will be stripped of the National title, just seen it today. They say it will take up to 60days to come up with all the findings and to see who will be crowned the rightful National Champ. LOL KUkid is GAy
So awesome. Mario's Miracle Shot. But in overtime...the backdoor dunks. The rebounds. Brandon wide open underneath misses and rebounds for the score. The crowd from KU. They foul Mario. He makes the first of two one and one. Then the second. Last 12 straight KU. Ball on the floor. KU ball! Collins slips and out of bounds. Rose misses. KU ball. God this is good. Doesn't the end last forever?
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It's 9:00 a, Central time and still nothing on CBS about Darrell Aurthur and acusations about failing a class in high school that may have made him ineligible. I know the NCAA cleared him to play so the penalties shouldn't be severe, but I think it is a huge story and want more information on it. Way to stay on top of things CBS!!
The Big 12 had the best players in the nation the last two years and shocker- neither team they played on made to the Sweet 16. Maybe college sports are still about team and teamwork! You can't buy tradition and you can't compete with history because you have the best player. I hope schools of rich tradition and history stay away from the one and done players and stick with
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The College Basketball Experience tournament has a new format for the 2008-09 season.
The CBE will consist of 12 teams, down from 16 a year ago.
Host schools KU, Syracuse, Washington and Florida will each play two home games (likely Nov. 16 and 18), then advance to Kansas City on Nov. 24-25 regardless of how they fare in the opening games.
I have heard a lot about the Great Memphis Collapse and how they should have won the game, which diminishes what Kansas really did. The great stat is that Memphis missed 4 of their last 5 free throws and lost the game. I have heard that the Memphis players failed to foul in the final seconds of regulation, or that they did foul and it wasn’t called.
Kansas basketball received its seventh commitment of the 2008 recruiting class when St. Anthony (N.J.) point guard Tyshawn Taylor gave an oral commitment to the Jayhawks on Tuesday morning, according to St. Anthony coach Bob Hurley.
Taylor, rated a four-star prospect and the No. 77 overall player by Rivals.com, originally signed a letter of intent with Marquette in the fall. But when Marquette
