2008 March Madness tournament recap
November 12, 2008
It Truly Was March Madness
The speculation was rife ahead of the NCAA Championship; who would come out on top? Who would rise as a new star in the game? The Florida Gators had several contenders for their crown, including teams like the Arkansas Razorbacks and LSU Tigers. Other teams, too such as Louisville and Connecticut were in with at least a shot, and a mixed bag of powerful sides and potentials descended on their goal as the journey towards the Final Four brackets commenced. Ohio State’s Buckeyes coach Coach Thad Matta dramatically cut down his rotation to seven men during the season, while the UCLA Bruins held first place in the Pacific-10 Conference and looked certain to go a long way – if not all the way. The North Carolina Tar Heels were definitely in the running, too, as were the Kansas Jayhawks. It was these latter three, plus the Memphis Tigers, who were to provide Final Four audiences around the country with a feast of NCAA basketball. And, oh, what a splendid weekend we had!
Both Kansas and Memphis have been selling tons of Kansas basketball tickets and Memphis basketball tickets, and they entered the college season as firm favorites. The two other teams making up the Final Four and vying for NCAA glory are those who have been selling Carolina basketball tickets and UCLA basketball tickets. UNC and UCLA found themselves swept aside with requisite drama, while Kansas and Memphis fulfilled the prophesies and entered the arena like the athletes they are. The Final Four weekend proved astonishing and full of twists as any I can remember, and here is the summary.
The semi-final between Memphis and UCLA hit a pivotal moment with just four minutes remaining, with Memphis nine-points clear. The inscrutable Derrick Rose performed his trademark assist with a floated pass that hovered by the basket for team-mate Joey Dorsey to smash down through the hoop. Unfortunately Dorsey scuffed the floating ball and missed the hoop. UCLA guard Russell Westbrook was gifted the fluffed effort, and shot up the court in a meandering zigzag, releasing the ball and lifting the hearts of the UCLA faithful. Amazingly, Dorsey had powered the length of the court behind Westbrook, and he batted the shot away from the basket with a super-sized hand, deflating UCLA’s slim hopes in the nick of time.
The Tigers had dominated the game, a yard faster than UCLA every time, making them appear indecisive and even afraid. The Bruins recent belief that they were due a shot at the big one dissolved in a barrage of failed attacks, timid passing, and shambolic plays that fizzled out, to be scooped up and returned to the hoop again and again by the unstoppable Memphis Tigers.
The Tigers had their stuff in order, and stars Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts combined for 53 points on 16-33 shooting. Rose terrorized the Bruins’ guards, while Chris Douglas-Roberts used his size and agility to baffle and outwit UCLA at every turn. Douglas-Roberts delivered an emphatic left-handed dunk over the helpless Love, exposing the weak defense and setting the Tigers’ victory in stone. The Tigers were flying at full belt when they went into the Final. Nobody could imagine how they would fail.
Kansas opened up an 18-0 margin in the other semi-final, which fast became a 40-12 walkover. UNC Coach Roy Williams, surely anxious to make a dent in his former school’s pride, was upended by the scoring run. His team’s legendary speed ground to an inexplicable halt under the Jayhawks cohesive interceptions and exact passing game which penetrated to the hoop repeatedly. Kansas played a tight back game, too, stopping the Tarheels recent scoring trend and making them look too easy to dispossess.
The Heels did try a response in the second half, but it was too little too late, as a gap of four points was suddenly opened up again by yet another prolonged push by Kansas. Guard Brandon Rush scored 25 and was glowing and the impeccable Mario Chalmers gave a hint of what is to come from his fast-developing skill-set. Guards Russell Robinson and Sherron Collins effectively closed down the Heels’ Ty Lawson, while Hansbrough received the same treatment, often bogged down and played into a hole by multiple teaming that choked the life out of his usual flow.
There is some sympathy for Carolina, who displayed courage and resolve during their brief fight-back, but the Jayhawks were scintillating, and deserved the result for so many reasons. The scene was set for an electrifying showdown with the Memphis Tigers, possibly one of the most anticipated championships in recent times.
The last time Kansas won a championship was with a team known as Danny and the Miracles 20 years ago, and nobody could really tell how supernatural the Jayhawks would have to get to take this crown. One thing was for sure, the Tigers weren’t messing about, and they intended to turn up for a battle. Danny and the Miracles may be a distant memory, but Mario is here now, and boy did Mario Chalmers make a difference in this breathtaking clash.
Chalmers was the savior when he scooped 3 points on the back of a Memphis run of four missed free throws from five – that could have demolished Kansas’ title hopes completely – putting the icing on a life-saving comeback from nine points down with 2:12 left. Kansas coach Bill Self said, “It’ll probably be the biggest shot ever made in Kansas history.” And he wasn’t exaggerating.
The Tigers had it all going on, and they drove to a healthy lead via their indomitable freshman Rose, who scored 14 of the 16 points that opened up that seemingly unassailable lead with just 2:12 on the clock. With the score at 60-51 in Memphis’ favor, KU began smashing the Tigers around the court, knowing their dismal free-throw record could sink their momentum and open up a chink of possibility. Rose and Douglas-Roberts predictably fluffed their shots, and a surrealistic quality enveloped the court when, with just 10.8 seconds left, Chalmers whipped a ball in that never touched the sides, tying the score at 63.
Kansas went 69-63 ahead after striking first in overtime, while Rose patrolled the court dejectedly for the whole 45 minutes of overtime, his final goodbye to a realm he is surely not much longer for. Only he will know who the blame rests with for the miss with 10.8 seconds on the watch, but we must hope it won’t interfere with his future as one of the NBA’s greats – which is surely in the stars now.
But it was Kansas who were triumphant, and rightly so. Mario and his Jayhawks will likely still be celebrating this morning, as the sun dawns on a new epoch in Kansas college basketball. Both Rose and Chalmers finished with 18 points, but one man also got to take a piece of history home with him – the trophy itself, and that’s what this whole thing was all about…
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