ONS: KANSAS JAYHAWKS
Mindy Ricketts/KANSAN
Elite Eight
KANSAS 59, DAVIDSON 57
Jon Goerina/KANSAN
To The Final Four — Finally
Not only were the Jayhawks up against the Cinderella story of the tournament, 10th-seeded Davidson, but they were also trying to exorcise their own demons.
After losing in four Elite Eights, some questioned if coach Bill Self would ever break through to the Final Four. Not after a 59-57 victory against the Wildcats. Self collapsed to his knees and took
"We've been so close so many times," Self said. "Even though we're always going to get good players at Kansas, this was the year this needed to happen for the immediate future."
in a sigh of relief after Davidson guard Jason Richards' three-point attempt at the buzzer clanked off the bottom of the backboard.
Jon Goering/KANSAN
Case Keefer
Final Four
KANSAS 84, NORTH CAROLINA 66
Roy Down, One to Go
North Carolina, led by former Kansas coach Roy Williams, was supposed to be the best team in the nation.
Kansas had something to say about that in its 84-66 Final Four victory. The Jayhawks jumped out to an unprecedented 40-12 lead to start the game.
Despite letting the Tar Heels creep back within four in the second half, the Jayhawks regrouped to reach the national championship game. Brandon Rush scored 25 points and the Kansas big men limited national player of the year Tyler Hansbrough to 17 points.
"We were the underdog the whole game," Rush said. "We just came out and applied pressure to them. We got up and did some big things."
Case Keefer
Championship Game KANSAS 75, MEMPHIS 68 (OT)
20 Years Later
With four seconds remaining against Memphis in the national championship, Mario Chalmers drained a three-pointer that will never be forgotten.
Sherron Collins tossed the ball back to Chalmers, who knocked down the shot from the right wing to send the game into overtime, tied at 63. The 'miracle' shot was the exclamation point on a run that brought Kansas from nine down with two minutes to go to tied at the end of regulation.
The Jayhawks spanked the Tigers in overtime and took home their first title since 1988 with a 75-68 victory against the Tigers in the Alamodome in San Antonio. Chalmers scored 18 in the game and Darrell Arthur added 20 points and 10 rebounds.
"You couldn't have written it any better," Russell Robinson said. "No way you could have written it any better."
Case Keefer
Jon Goering/KANSAM