Final Four (2008)
Everything on Kansas, Memphis, UCLA, UNC
Bill Self’s “remarkable week” turned into extraordinary on Monday night when Kansas ended 20 years of title frustration and beat Memphis for the NCAA Championship.
And now, the bidding for Self’s services can begin.
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Pick your favorite Derrick Rose superlative. Astonishing. Unbelievable. Phenomenal. They all apply to Memphis’ freshman point guard.
So what’s left? Champion.
Just five years ago, Carmelo Anthony etched his name into NCAA lore as the best freshmen we’d ever seen. Rose is one victory from matching ‘Melo. Who knew history repeated itself so often? (For symmetry’s sake, the title-game opponent is the same as Anthony’s: Kansas. Go figure.)
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Flip a coin.
Deciding Saturday’s Final Four winners is that simple. Grab a coin – nothing fancy – and call it in the air. Sure, you could always go with the Vegas line, but doesn’t a coin flip work just as well?
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If Memphis beats UCLA in the Final Four, it’ll set an NCAA record for victories in a season. If North Carolina wins the title, it’ll set a record. And if the Tigers win it all, their 39 wins would be a memorable moment for the record books.
Yet, would 39 or 38 wins in one season be enough to vault either team into the “greatest ever” discussion?
After all, in the most loaded Final Four we’ve ever seen, shouldn’t the winner (survivor) receive some kind of consideration for “greatest” talk?
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Give thanks to the hoops gods for a loaded Final Four.
Yes, this was that season when sticking with the chalk in your bracket would’ve been a blessing. Kansas and Memphis didn’t fall short. Carolina steamrolled foes. And UCLA, well, the Bruins are used to playing at this time of year.
Simply put, those four teams comprise a once-in-a-generation Final Four.
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Sunday’s a big day for Kansas. Memphis too, but I’m starting with Kansas.
The Jayhawks will never be the bigger, badder bully in an NCAA Tournament regional final. And coach Bill Self will never have a better chance to grab that Final Four berth.
If the Jayhawks want to return to the Final Four for the first time since 2003 – an eternity in Lawrence – they’ll need to be exactly what’s they've been thus far: A stone-cold efficient team that’s taken advantage of an easy path.
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