Kansas stomps UNC (and Roy Williams) 84-66 in the Final Four - April 5, 2008
Now we get to the first moment on my list that I can truly appreciate as, not only was I old enough to realize what was going on, but my fandom had increased to the point that I had followed all the team members since their recruitment and freshman years. I felt as though I knew each team member personally and was right there every step of the way taking the journey with this team.
If you ask any Kansas fan, although not many said it during the year for fear of a jinx, 2008 was the best chance KU had to win it all in a long time. In fact, yours truly said as much during the season, that if Bill Self knew he ever had a chance to win this was it. Of course, I immediately chastised myself for the possible jinx, thankfully, it all turned out OK.
This season started out just how everyone thought it would as KU raced out to a 20-0 record and looking every bit the elite level team everyone thought they would be. These 20 wins included a tough overtime win vs Arizona and a hard fought victory over USC in LA. KU cruised until they ran into upstart Kansas State with freshman sensation player of the year candidate Michael Beasley. Beasley lit up the Jayhawks and K-State ended up pulling out a victory over KU at Manhattan for the first time in 30 attempts.
This started a 3-3 stretch in the middle of the season that had some prognosticators talking about the unraveling of KU's championship hopes. What those prognosticators did not know what that two family members of two different players on the Jayhawks had recently passed away and the team had been put into a funk as a result. As Bill Self famously recounted, he questioned the team as to whether they had talked to these teammates and showed their support, which the team did not do. To this Self replied "I thought you cared."
This prompted a team meeting for the Jayhawks where this was talked about and a new resolved was gained for the remainder of the season. KU ripped off another 13 straight wins to end the season, including an epic matchup between the Jayhawks and the Texas Longhorns in the Big XII championship game.
The 'Hawks garnered themselves a #1 seed and things were looking up again in Jayhawk land. KU cruised through the first 3 rounds of the tournament winning each game by no less than 14 points. Next, KU came upon one of their most formidable opponents of the tourney, the tournament darling Davidson Wildcats. The Wildcats had stormed through the tourney as a 10 seed beating both 2-seed Georgetown and 3-seed Wisconsin on their way to their first ever trip to the Elite Eight. The crowd favorites were led by the diminutive sharpshooter Stephen Curry who was scorings points at a brisk 30 points a game clip.
As a fan this was one of the most nerve racking games ever. Bill Self was the current coach to hold the "best coach to never make a Final Four" title, some had argued the talent on this KU team had underachieved the past two years, and there was the pressure of having the 20 year championshipless monkey on their backs. The feeling was KU had to win this game to prove they were still on the same level as the UNC's and Duke's of the world. The entire squad played like they had this immense amount of pressure on their backs, they were tight, and played like it the whole game. Davidson was able to stick with the #1 seeded Jayhawks the whole game, battling back and forth until KU pulled ahead in the final minute. It looked like KU was gonna take their small lead and cruise the last minute to victory, until Davidson battled back to tie the game. KU was able to get a basket and take a 2 point lead with just a few short seconds remaining.
The only problem with this was Davidson had enough time to take the ball up the court and they had the sharpshooter Stephen Curry who was chomping at the bit to get his chance to snipe a 3 and take his team to the Final Four. Davidson took the ball down the court and KU's stout D kept Curry from taking the shot, they were able to get a 3-pointer of that was wide of the basket, KU was going to the Final Four!!! To this day, when I see that shot I still think its going in every time, but it doesn't and KU was on their way to make it to face UNC (and Roy Williams) in the Final Four.
Going in to the Final Four game, many didn't give KU a chance. UNC was one of the top teams all year and they were the tournament #1 seed. However, KU had a few things going for them this game. KU played somewhat tight in the Elite Eight as the predominant favorite, but this game they were the underdogs so they could play as pressure-free as ever. More importantly, they were playing against Roy Williams for the first time since he jilted the Jayhawks for his alma mater 5 years earlier. Roy never won a Championship at KU and won the year after he left at UNC, so this was personal, this was to prove KU didnt Roy and they could get to the promised land without him.
KU came out with possibly one of best starts in Final Four history. They came out ready to play, hitting their shots, and UNC did not know what hit them. Before you could blink it was 40-12 good guys. KU cooled off a bit but still parlayed this into a 17 point lead at halftime. There were few greater feelings I have had than this moment.
What was pure elation on my part, eventually turned into slight fear as UNC battled their way back to a 54-51 deficit late in the second half. They came out ready to play int he 2nd half and hit their shots, while KU was looking complacent with their large lead that had now dwindled to 3. After a pep talk by Coach Self, KU woke up and started playing like they did in the first half. Eventually KU pulled away with a fury and never looked back, eventually cruising to an 84-66 victory. UNC and Roy were sent packing and KU was on their way to the National Championship nearly 20 years to the day from their last one.
Why this made the list:
Let's start with the biggest reason. Defeating Roy Williams. Roy spent 15 years in Lawrence and was beloved by all fans and respected as one of the greatest coaches in the country. In 2000, after Dean Smith (KU alum by the way) retired, UNC came calling to alumnus Roy. Roy declined saying he wanted to stay at KU and finish what he started, do exactly what his mentor Dean Smith did in reverse (Dean = graduated KU dominated at UNC, Roy = graduated UNC dominated at KU). This only enhanced the fervor fans had toward their beloved coach. However, 3 short years later, after Brad Dougherty got fired, UNC came calling again. This time, Roy could not resist. Dejected after losing the National Championship game to Syracuse in a close battle Roy was asked his thoughts on UNC, to which he replied "I dont give a s***about North Carolina." One week later, he was the new coach at UNC.
Now, coaches come and go and coaches leave for their alma mater's all the time, but rarely does a fan base get spurned as badly as KU's did by Roy Williams. Personally, I was heartbroken, I had cast my lot in with Roy, and was proud to have such a good coach as the leader of our program. When I heard he was leaving it was heartbreak (sports style). He took a piece of my sports fan heart with him when he left for UNC and only left me bitter, confused, and wondering if our program was going to maintain the heights it had been accustomed to. This was a sad day in KU-land.
To make matters worse, in his second year at UNC Roy won a National Championship that had eluded him so greatly at KU. KU had not been to a Final Four since the Roy years and Bill Self was in his first one. This was a win for vendication. If KU could win this game and go on to win a National Championship all could be forgiven and Roy would be released from the majority of the hatred thrown his way.
Watching this game was a very cathartic experience for me. To destroy Roy and his Tarheels so greatly was not only vendication but proof that not only could the program go on without him, but it could succeed and reach greater heights than he ever brought us to. Winning this game almost made you feel like it was destiny to win a National Championship. Nearly 20 years to the day after winning our last one, getting to go through Roy and getting that overwith, and getting Bill Self over the hump, solidifying him as one of the best coaches in college basketball. This had to be the year and nothing made that feel more apparent than this victory.
This win symbolized and validated so much in my sports life that it had to have a place on this countdown. One of my greatest memories will forever be being in Lawrence to watch this game at a bar where everyone was going nuts and then going out on to Mass street to be with 20,000 of my newest best friends. I have never seen a better collective mood than this crowd at this time. This was one of my greatest sports moments and will forever be one of my greatest sports memories.
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