NCAA News: Jayhawks Shock Tar Heels For First Title In 14 Years

The top-seeded Kansas Jayhawks rallied back from a 15-point deficit at the end of the first half to take the NCAA men’s basketball championship title away from a very game North Carolina Tar Heels squad.

Fellow seniors David McCormack and Remy Martin came through for the Jayhawks when they needed them the most to produce, with forward sophomore forward Jalen Wilson and junior guard Christian Braun helping them out.

McCormack, with a 15-point, 10-rebound performance of his own, was one of two Jayhawks to put up a double-double against the Tar Heels, the other being Braun.

Martin--a heavily-scouted NBA prospect in the upcoming 2022 NBA Draft--did most of his damage from the three-point line tonight, ending the Tar Heels’ hopes to the tune of 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting from three, three boards plus a steal and a block in 21 minutes of action.

Kansas went on a 7-0 run to kick off the game, but the eighth-seeded Tar Heels were eager to prove that they belong on the big stage when they had a 14-0 run of their own late in the first half to stifle the Jayhawks’ momentum.

Puff Johnson, brother to Phoenix Suns sharpshooter Cameron Johnson, gave the Tar Heels the seemingly insurmountable 40-25 lead going into the second half.

However, the Jayhawks began proving to the Tar Heels why they were the No. 1 seed and slowly began chipping away at their lead.

North Carolina was unable to sustain their offensive outburst late in the first half, and the Jayhawks were knocking on their door with just a point away from tying the game with 12:41 remaining on the clock.

Both teams then went blow-for-blow to close out the game before McCormack’s offensive rebound and putback gave the Jayhawks the lead for good with 1:20 left on the clock.

The senior center again made another hook shot deep in the paint to give his school the 72-69 lead, with the Tar Heels just having 22.5 seconds to make something happen.

Sophomore Tar Heel Caleb Love attempted a game-tying three with just seconds left on the clock, but it airballed to give Kansas the win.

Junior forward Armando Bacot and sophomore guard R.J. Davis led the way for North Carolina with 15 points apiece.

The victory not only netted the Jayhawks’ fourth NCAA title and Bill Self’s second, but it also set a new record for the biggest comeback in a national title game.