THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2008
KANSAS 75, MEMPHIS 68
5B
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plays
FIRST HALF
10:58 — Brandon Rush knifes through the lane for a finger roll. He scores his first basket of the game and puts Kansas on top 15-13, its first lead.
8:22 — In a game of high-risers, the Jayhawks showed the most highlights in the first half. Rush throws an alley-oop to Darrrell Arthur, giving the Jayhawks a 22-15 lead.
6:20 — Someone was ready to play. Chris Douglas-Roberts does all kinds of spectacular things in the first 20 minutes.Here's one of them.He takes a pass after a Memphis offensive rebound and swishes a three-pointer. 26-24 Memphis.
00. 1 — Kansas gets a major defensive stop.The Jayhawks had
done a good job of pressuring the ball for most of the half, and they did again on this final possession. The Jayhawks lead 33-28.
SECOND HALF/OT
18:55 — Antonio Anderson hits a three-pointer to tie the game at 33. Memphis isn't going away, folks.
8:08 — Derrick Rose connects on a three-pointer from the top of the key. The Tigers take a 49-47 lead. Rose and Douglas-Roberts are pretty good, huh?
0:00 — Chalmers.Three-pointer.
One of the best plays in KU history.
0:18 — Collins ices the game with two free throws. 75-68. National Champs.
HIGHS THE SENIORS
What a four-year run for Kansas' seniors. With the victory, Kansas' record during the last four years is an astounding 118-23. And the quintet of seniors has something that only two other classes in KU basketball history can boast: a national championship.
ROY'S A JAYHAWK FOR A NIGHT
Former Kansas coach Roy Williams sat 10 rows behind the Kansas bench with a Jayhawk sticker on his shirt. Former assistant coach Joe Holladay, who now coaches under Williams, sat in the same section as Williams.
CHAMPIONSHIP REDEMPTION
With the victory, Kansas is now 3-5 in NCAA title games. The victory reversed a trend for the team, which suffered losses in the title games in 1991 and 2003. Kansas' previous two NCAA titles came in 1952 and 1988.
ROCK CHALK NATION
For the second game in a row, Kansas fans could claim to be the loudest fans inside the Alamodome. Memphis fans were numerous and boisterous, but the
contingent of Kansas students in the upper deck was a special sight.
LOWS
EVERYBODY ELSE BUT KANSAS
It's hard to find lows in a national championship, but the High/Low wouldn't want to be a Kansas State or a Missouri fan today. Seeing your rival win a title must sting.
CHRIS DOUGLAS- ROBERTS
It's a shame someone had to lose especially CDR. Douglas-Roberts has a charming persona and he played like a champion against Kansas.
KANSAN.COM
Experience the euphoria of victory or the agony of defeat with an audio story of fan reactions gathered during Monday night's championship game. The Kansan hit the streets and talked to the Jayhawk faithful to get a first-hand-account of the ups and downs of the game as told by those who bleed crimson and blue.
Left: Freshman center Cole Aldrich, left, and freshman guard Tyrel Reed react to Mario Chalmers' three-pointer that sent the game into overtime.
Jon Goering/KANSAN
Right: Sophomore guard Sherron Collins drives to the basket late in regulation with a game-tying layup attempt that got swatted away beneatl the basket.
Team travels long road to victory
SAN ANTONIO — Twenty years from now, the record books will lie.
What seedings and records won't explain are the smaller Cinderella stories: the individual tales of tragedy and the ultimate redemption gained in
The numbers will paint a picture of the 2008 Kansas Jayhawks as the favorite: a top-seeded juggernaut that never faced overwhelming odds.
the jayhawks'
75-68 victory
on college
basketball's
grandest
stage
enduring tight financial times and struggling with an injury sustained in a car accident.
Justmore than one year ago, Darnell Jackson's career at Kansas nearly ended. The senior forward wanted out. He wanted home. Jackson was one decision away from heading back home to Oklahoma City to help take care of his mother who was
What seeding and records won't explain are the smaller Cinderella stories: the individual tales of tragedy and the ultimate redemption gained in the Jayhawks' 75-68 victory.
A n impromptu meeting with coach Bill Self convinced Jackson to stay in Lawrence. Jackson's choice was the start of a magical few months for the forward
Jon Goering/KANSAN
Junior guard Brandon Rush draws contact on a drive to the basket during overtime Monday night, but officials don't call a foul. Rush grabbed the rebound and scored the bucket. Rush almost left the Jayhawks for the NBA less than a year ago.
and his team. Jackson earned a starting job this season and made the most of his opportunity. The imposing 6-foot-8 post skyrocketed onto NBA scouts' radar screens after going mostly unnoticed for the first three years of his career.
Four years ago, Rodrick Stewart was a starter in the USC backcourt. The stocky freshman had the chance to play alongside his brother, Lodrick, and play big minutes at a major-conference school. Instead, Stewart transferred to Kansas and he sat on the bench for the better part of two seasons.
1 2nd Place: VTP room at Abe & Jakes + $250 in gift cards | 3nd Place: $250 in gift cards
Less than one year ago, Brandon Rush's career at Kansas started over. The junior guard was ready to leave for the greener pastures of the NBA when his knee betrayed him. The ligaments that had made him
KU CREDIT UNION A DIVISION OF 86 FEDERAL CREDIT UNION THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
a phenomenal dunker and defender gave up, delaying his NBA dream.
R u s h pulled his name from the draft and resigned himself to another year
The world adores an underdog. For that reason, the numbers won't cast the Kansas Jayhawks as lovable champions.
Stewart finally became a contributor this season, settling into a niche as a high-energy defensive specialist, but his personal struggles didn't disappear. In
of playing without pay. Thirty-seven victories and an NCAA championship later, it turns out Rush's year in basketball purgatory paid off.
February, his adopted brother was shot and killed in Seattle. One day before the national semifinal game, Stewart suffered a serious knee injury.
Since he signed with Kansas two years ago, Sherron Collins' story has been one of separation. The diminutive guard lost one child to birth complications and lives nearly 600 miles from his son, Sherr'mari. Injuries have come between Collins and basketball on several occasions and he has fought an uphill battle to keep extra weight off of his naturally heavy frame.
Playing through pain, Collins scored 11 points against North Carolina and 11 against Memphis another cog in the Jayhawks efficient offensive machine.
The world adores an underdog. For that reason, the numbers won't cast the Kansas Jayhawks as lovable champions.
A deeper look at the baggage the Jayhawks carried through a remarkable season reveals more: The 2008 Kansas Jayhawks beat the odds.
—Edited by Jessica Sain-Baird