March is over and so is the college basketball season. The season came to a close Monday, April 7, after the Kansas Jayhawks defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels 72-69. The Jayhawks won their fourth title and Bill Self’s second as head coach. The Jayhawks also won the Big 12 tournament and also shared the Big 12 regular-season title with the 2021 national champion, Baylor Bears.

The National Championship game was an instant classic. The Tar Heels dominated the first half of the game and had a fifteen-point lead going into halftime. Led by center Armando Bacot who scored fifteen points along with fifteen rebounds. The Tar Heels’ center played a huge role all night long guarding Kansas forward David McCormack.

The second half started with a 12-1 Kansas scoring run, which brought them within one point of North Carolina. There were eighteen lead changes throughout the game, and in the whole second half both teams were back and forth. David McCormack scored a layup to put the Jayhawks up three with only eight seconds left in the game, and North Carolina quickly turned it over on their end of the court and only five seconds were left on the clock. Kansas inbounded the ball and stepped out of bounds to give UNC the ball back with only four seconds remaining.

After the official review, the call stood and North Carolina had a chance to tie the game. Coach Hubert Davis called his players to a huddle and drew up a play. After breaking the huddle the Heels took position as their entire season rode on the shot about to take place. Puff Johnson passed the ball into Caleb Love, Love dribbles trying to fake out the defender. Three seconds left, Love makes another move. Two seconds left he dribbles back and prepares for the shot. One second Love shoots just beyond the arc and misses. The final shot fails, and the Jayhawks are the National Champions.

Kansas overcomes the largest deficit in NCAA Basketball Championship history to seal their fourth title and their second under head coach, Bill Self.