Villanova did not shoot 71 percent from the field, like it did against the Sooners, but the Wildcats still shot an impressive 58 percent in the win over North Carolina and outscored the taller, longer Tar Heels 32-26 in the paint. That was preceded by an epic letdown by the Tigers at the free throw line, who went 1-for-5 at the charity stripe over the final 72 seconds to leave the door open for the Jayhawks, as they took home their first championship in 20 years.
Advertisement
Boy, did we get it. The two talked after recent NCAA tournament games. By the time the UNC Basketball bus pulled into the parking lot behind the Smith Center on a blustery Tuesday afternoon, there were more than 3,000 Tar Heel fans waiting to greet them.
Only, the Wildcat fans were growing exponentially by the minute. And in the end, a team no one thought would make it out of the first weekend of the NCAA tournament ended up winning it all.
That will be the play shown hundreds of times in the years to come, and it should be: It was the game-winner, although there was a play in the first half that may have stolen some of North Carolina’s momentum going into halftime.
“When he actually made that shot, the place exploded”, said Insalaco. Both Final Four games over the weekend were non-competitive, particularly Villanova’s 40-point drubbing of Oklahoma, leading to lower than normal ratings. The smart money was on the Tar Heels this time around, too, but ‘Nova isn’t a great respecter of the law of averages. The goal is to be prepared, regardless of the time on the clock, the score of the game and how many timeouts they have available.
Kris Jenkins’ buzzer-beating three-pointer from about 25 feet out was the residue of design, the embodiment of everything Wright had taught his players. Five seconds earlier, Roy watched his team, thanks to a miraculous shot, likely send the game to overtime and a chance for a national championship, which would not only put him in the ranks of some of the greatest basketball coaches in history but vault him to near the top of that list. We’re all ‘Nova fans today.
Jenkins inbounded to Arcidiacono, and he dribbled up the left side of the court, aided by a screen from Daniel Ochefu.
Right after Villanova lost by three points to N.C. State in the third round of the 2015 tournament, TV cameras captured Roxanne Chalifoux playing her piccolo as tears rolled down her cheeks.
The drink appeared to come in a repurposed Gatorade bottle – fitting, since Jenkins won two Gatorade Washington D.C. Boys Basketball Player honors in his final two prep seasons – with a photo of Jenkins slapped over the label, but as we learned Monday night, the juice really works.
Advertisement
“Just couldn’t be prouder, couldn’t be happier to see them enjoy this and fulfill their dreams”, Wright said. I was trying to be aggressive. “It’s about me making the right read”. “I just think it’s so beneficial to the players”.
