By CADE KENNEDY, Sports Editor
March has come and gone, but the memories made on the hardwood will last players a lifetime.
On Monday night, Kansas defeated North Carolina, 72-69, to win the national championship in college basketball. The game involved several twists and turns, including a 16-point comeback by the Jayhawks to capture the crown.
The game had everything you would want in a national title game. It had great players, a fascinating story and most importantly, a fun game.
This does not just apply to the national title game; it applies to every game in the tournament. From the moment the first game begins, every single game has its own unique cast of characters that make that game special. Some of the joy of March Madness involves watching these teams move on to the next round.
Take this year’s North Carolina team for instance. The Tar Heels came into the tournament as an eight seed and were able to blow out Marquette, survive a furious Baylor rally, escape over blue-blood UCLA and dominate underdog St. Peter’s. The Tar Heels were not done yet, as they had a matchup with their biggest rival, Duke.
Duke and North Carolina have the best rivalry in college basketball, as the two schools have combined for 11 national titles.
The matchup also featured a battle of old versus new, as first-year head coach Hubert Davis led the Tar Heels into the game against Mike Krzyzewski’s Blue Devils. Krzyzewski is in his 42nd and final year of coaching at Duke, with every game running the risk of being his last.
The Tar Heels already ruined one ceremony for Krzyzewski, as North Carolina defeated Duke, 94-81, on March 5 in Krzyzewski’s final home game. The history between the two schools is all that was needed to make this game a must-watch for even casual basketball fans.
North Carolina’s road to the title game is not the only entertaining path, as Kansas went on its own perilous journey.
The Jayhawks’ road did not have the same star power as North Carolina’s, but the games were just as memorable. A path consisting of Texas Southern, Creighton, Providence, Miami and Villanova does not feel like a road to a national title game, but in March, any given day can become chaotic.
Most teams in the tournament will be forgotten by the public, but some will remember the names of the champion, as well as a team that made an upset or two.
All 68 teams have a story, and the more stories that we can pass on to others, the better. All will help with the legacy of March Madness. Most people will remember a team like St. Peter’s, but few will remember a team like St. Mary’s.