Still gathering myself after one hell of a bender...
To win in that fashion, against a team that had won more games than any in history; in the best Final Four field in history; in one of the best championship games in history; on the 20th anniversary of Danny's run, with Danny himself having done the scouting report on Memphis...
You could not have scripted this any better.
We played such a great game all the way through, except for that near-fatal dry spell toward the end. The media is emphasizing Memphis's collapse, but the real story is that the 'Hawks just played with unbelievable heart. Mario and Sherron stood out for me, but really it was a team effort, as it has been all season with this group.
Greatest KU team ever? I'm gonna go ahead and say yes.
Thanks for the link to the SI story (and cover), Chris.
Love that bit about Mario playing for the last shot as a kid, with couches as team benches and his mom singing the national anthem . . .
Nice quote from Self, seconding Deron's 10:12 comment: “Kansas basketball, Dr. Naismith and Rupp and Allen and Owens and Brown and Williams and Wilt and you go on and on and on, there’s so many great teams. This is the winningest team in the history of the program. And I told them tonight you’ll remember it as the best team ever in the history of the program if we take care of business tonight, and that to me is very humbling to think of all the great players and all the great teams, and this one will go down as the best ever. And it’s humbling to have a chance to work with that group of guys.” --from kusports.com
OMG OMG OMG!! Only half-assed text-messaging lingo will suffice at this point.
ReplyDeleteHOLY F-CK!
Mario-io-io-io!
Um, all I have to say is Rock Chalk.
ReplyDeleteROCK F**CKING CHALK!
National Championship!
Still gathering myself after one hell of a bender...
ReplyDeleteTo win in that fashion, against a team that had won more games than any in history; in the best Final Four field in history; in one of the best championship games in history; on the 20th anniversary of Danny's run, with Danny himself having done the scouting report on Memphis...
You could not have scripted this any better.
We played such a great game all the way through, except for that near-fatal dry spell toward the end. The media is emphasizing Memphis's collapse, but the real story is that the 'Hawks just played with unbelievable heart. Mario and Sherron stood out for me, but really it was a team effort, as it has been all season with this group.
Greatest KU team ever? I'm gonna go ahead and say yes.
"When it was over, as confetti cannons belched and chants of Rock Chalk, Jayhawk echoed through the Alamodome, Rush and Manning, player and assistant coach, met at half-court for a long embrace. Talk about your college hoops flashbacks. On a glorious spring night 20 years ago in Kansas City, a transcendent number 25 in Kansas blue (Manning) led the Jayhawks to a national title. On Monday night in San Antonio, another number 25 in Kansas blue (Rush) helped take over a championship game that appeared lost and put KU back into the history books. The calendar may be different, and the uniform shorts a little longer, but that championship feeling?
ReplyDeleteIt's timeless."
More parallels:
ReplyDeleteMario Chalmers dad is an assistant - just like Danny Manning's dad, Ed, in '88.
Also - referee Ed Hightower worked both games.
And . . . didn't we get out to a huge lead against an ACC team (DUKE) in the semifinal game in '88?
A game in which Manning had 25 points and 10 rebounds? Didn't Rush have 25 and 7 against an ACC team this weekend?
In the 88 semi KU jumped out to a 24-6 lead. In the second half DUKE cut the lead to three. The score? 55-52. Didn't UNC cut it to 54-50?
SI Cover here.
ReplyDeleteYou can see Julian Wright in the front row.
Thanks for the link to the SI story (and cover), Chris.
ReplyDeleteLove that bit about Mario playing for the last shot as a kid, with couches as team benches and his mom singing the national anthem . . .
Nice quote from Self, seconding Deron's 10:12 comment:
“Kansas basketball, Dr. Naismith and Rupp and Allen and Owens and Brown and Williams and Wilt and you go on and on and on, there’s so many great teams. This is the winningest team in the history of the program. And I told them tonight you’ll remember it as the best team ever in the history of the program if we take care of business tonight, and that to me is very humbling to think of all the great players and all the great teams, and this one will go down as the best ever. And it’s humbling to have a chance to work with that group of guys.”
--from kusports.com