All hail KU basketball! After two decades of being good, but not quite good enough, Bill Self and the KU Jayhawks finally brought a championship back home. The last time KU won an NCAA championship, they had Danny Manning. It didn't take long, only about twenty years. Of course, they had to do it in spectacular fashion, and many did not pick them to win.

For example, ESPN sports analyst Stephen A. Smith stated, "There's no doubt in my mind going into this tournament KU is the most well-rounded team. But historically they always choke on the big one. As much as I want to pick KU to go all the way I can't because they're not clutch."

Early in the game KU had trouble stopping the fast-paced play of Memphis' guards. KU didn't have an answer for junior guard, Chris Douglas-Roberts. He scored twenty points, most of which came in the first half.

Towards the end of the first half, KU was able to slow the pace down with some good inside play from Darnell Arthur. The end result of the first half was a score of 33-28. KU was led by Arthur and Chalmers going into the half. The game seemed to have the makings of an instant classic.

After silencing critics most of the tournament, KU still met questions. Could Brandon Rush play like the star he is supposed to be? If not, could anyone step up? Could they perform under pressure?

The second half was more of the same, but just in KU's favor. Arthur was able to be the post presence that KU needed. He finished the night with twenty points and ten rebounds. KU got a little help the second half from Rush, who ended with twelve points.

The offense was run through Mario Chalmers, who gave KU fans something to cheer for. He ended the game with eighteen points and four steals. They were able to make up for the first half deficit by keeping fresh bodies on the court with their depth.

All season, KU's depth has been trouble for their opposing teams. Because of this they have had a good regular season and made short work of many of their NCAA opponents. That did not mean anything when they were down by eight points in the championship game with two minutes left.

KU went to work. Many said that free throw shooting would doom Memphis on their run to a championship. But free throws were their Achilles' heel when KU went to the hack-a-shaq strategy. They were 9-16, while Kansas was a perfect 12 for 12 from the strip. Before the game Memphis coach John Calipari thought free throws would not be important.

"We might be ranked almost last in free-throw shooting but we pull through when the stakes are at their highest."

He was wrong. Kansas fought through the last minute and fifty seconds by putting Memphis on the line. Offensively, Chalmers and Arthur were able to help each other with pick and roll and more inside play.

With ten seconds left and Collins losing control of the ball, Kansas found themselves down by three points and needing nothing short of a miracle. And they got it from Chalmers when he hit a prayer of a three pointer with no time left. This sent the game into overtime, where KU was able to wear down Memphis and secure the National Championship. The end score was 75-68.

"It'll probably be the biggest shot ever made in Kansas history," Kansas coach Bill Self said.

Coaching always seems to play an important part in championship teams, but it played an even bigger role for KU. Before Bill Self, Roy Williams coached the Jayhawks, but even with future NBA players - Nick Collison, Kirk Hinrich, Paul Pierce, Jacque Vaughn and Drew Gooden - was not able to bring home a championship.

Having the right coach matters so much that Oklahoma was trying to get Self to coach there. But after visiting and talking with the coaching staff, Self announced "Oklahoma is where I'm from, but KU is the best fit for me now."

Copyright 2008 Metropolitan Community College