With Kansas netting to bow to the 2021-22 season, ESPN’s team of Myron Medcalf, Jeff Borzello, John Gasaway and Joe Lunardi took one last look at this historic national championship game, including what went right for Kansas and what went wrong for North Carolina in the second half. The ESPN quartet also pondered the meaning of the Kansas triumph of the last five months of college basketball and also took a look at the staff returning to the Jayhawks and Tar Heels in 2022-23.
What was the No. 1 reason Kansas beat North Carolina?
2 About North Carolina and Kansas came together to give us one of the most exciting national title games in years. With five minutes to play, Kansas had a 63-61 lead after losing 15 points at halftime. North Carolina’s offensive fire and defensive pressure had created this cushion at halftime, but Kansas’ offensive effectiveness helped her recover and take the lead in the second half. This 10-minute break for Kansas at the start of the second half, when they beat North Carolina 31-10, kept the Tar Heels chasing it until the end of the game. In the last minutes, however, both teams had opportunities. The reason Kansas won this game was because it did in North Carolina what it did in Texas Southern, Providence and Miami in the NCAA Tournament, as it went on one of the great runs that changed the game. It was a different team in the second half. Leaky Black picked up his fourth foul early, which put pressure on Ochai Agbaji, who had otherwise been chased by the North Carolina wing. Jalen Wilson got hot after the break and overall, the Jayhawks found the same equipment they achieved when they beat the Hurricanes 45-17 in the second half of their Elite Eight game. As Kansas rallied, you could see fatigue affecting North Carolina. Armando Bacot, who turned his ankle in his team’s victory over Duke, limped early in the second half. The Tar Heels were tired of chasing Kansas players off the screens and fighting on the block with David McCormack, whose sky above Brady Manek gave Kansas a crucial three-point lead in the final seconds. Kansas made up 58% of its shots in the second half, while UNC tied with just 28%. Throughout the post-season, Kansas was able to rise to a level that no opponent could match and the Piss Heels had the same fate. And so the KU hit the button again and joined the Loyola Chicago 1962-63 team as the only teams to return from a 15-point deficit in the national title game to win and secure Bill Self’s second national championship. – Medcalf
Was it more of an epic return to Kansas or an epic North Carolina collapse?
Definitely the first. As bad as the Jayhawks played after their first 7-0 run, they used every weapon in their arsenal to turn the second half in their favor. And it’s not like North Carolina gave it away. Anything but. The Tar Heels made a lot of their own big games as they lagged behind, only to run out of time – and players – in the final minutes. In a way, Kansas won the game twice. The quick start may have crippled a smaller opponent and the upset in the second half was championship in every way. It was an epic turnaround and a fitting end to one of the biggest NCAA tournaments. Both teams deserve nothing but praise. – Lunardi
What is the historical impact of this game on Kansas and Bill Self?
The Atlanta Braves and coach Bobby Cox won 14 consecutive NL East titles from 1991 to 2005. And one World Series. Were they incredible achievements? Or inadequate? And what would many titles mean to their heritage? From Monday to Friday, host Pablo Torre brings you an inside look at the most interesting stories on ESPN, as told by the world’s top journalists and connoisseurs. I hear The Kansas Jayxes were No. 1 in the NCAA Tournament unbeaten nine times (10 if we count the canceled 2020 tournament) under Bill Self – literally halfway through Lawrence. And only once in the past had they won the last race. Even he agrees that there should have been more trophies. On Monday night, the Jayhawks did what the Braves could never do: They won the fourth national championship in school history – a second signature for their coach – and in the process turned all those unfulfilled No. 1 seeds into happy accidents. Victory cures everything. One title may be random, but two are inherited. Even if Bill Self never wins another game. – Lunardi
Which of these teams are in better shape for next season? Can Kansas become the first consecutive winner after Florida in 2006-07?
Many of them obviously depend on the NBA draft and the transfer gate. But as it stands, I think Kansas is in a slightly better position. And since the Jayhawks rank No. 4 in my Way-Too-Early Top 25 and North Carolina drops to No. 5, I clearly do not think there is a huge gap. While Kansas is expected to lose McCormack, Agbaji, Christian Braun, Remy Martin, Mitch Lightfoot and Jalen Coleman-Lands, Bill Self will have to return two key players from this season’s team to Dajuan Harris Jr. and Wilson. But the real optimism comes from the incoming recruiting class, a team with three five-star prospects. Grady Dick had an equally good season in the senior team of 2022, while M. Jay Rice is physically ready for basketball in college and Ernest Ude will help consolidate the interior. I also think the Jayhawks are coming in for some help, especially in advance. Meanwhile, North Carolina could reach the top five if Bacot, Caleb Love and RJ Davis all return to Chapel Hill. Is it too likely? Probably not. Bacot may have been out the door before the NCAA Tournament, and Kemba Walker’s Love’s impression this month may have put him out of the NBA. Black has an ultra-senior season that he can use, but that has not been determined at this point. So there’s a lot more on the air for Hubert Davis next season. Regardless, Davis will need something from his newcomers, a pair of top 50 prospects to Seth Trimble and Jalen Washington. How big a role they will have immediately after the bat will be determined by whether the current stars will stay or leave. – Borzello
What will be the most memorable aspect of the college basketball season 2021-22? How will they remember it?
We will remember that this was, at last, a return to normalcy and that the season ended with an incredible run from Saint Peter’s No. 15 and a highly entertaining Final Four full of blue bloods. The fans are back, and in hindsight, we will ignore the fact that there were still games that were reprogrammed or even canceled. But things really started to work out as soon as we got there in March. Shaheen Holloway’s Peacocks made history by impressing Kentucky and became the first No. 15 seed ever to reach the Elite Eight. North Carolina made its own amazing run as the No. 8 seed. The Tar Heels ended Mike Krzyzewski’s career in a national semifinal at the Superdome, adding an indelible chapter to this historic rivalry. Above all, we will remember Kansas overcame the deficit of 15 points at halftime and won the title. The Jayhawks were the only No. 1 seed among the famous names in New Orleans and did whatever it took to rewrite their name in the history books. – Gasaway
