Episode XL: Championship
My second year of residence here in
The KU Basketball team just won the 2008 NCAA Championship!!!
The season was a good one (apparently the winningest season in KU history), and I watched (via television) essentially every game. Of course I had to choose last year, instead of this year, to purchase season tickets to the home games. Nevertheless, I had a good time watching the games, especially the Tournament games.
This year we had a very well-balanced team (perhaps too well-balanced even), including my favorite active point guard in the nation (after Steve Nash).
Quite frankly, I felt like the first three rounds of the tournament were fairly easy games, although the team did not perform at a high level. Then, in the Final Four, against a UNC team coached by our former head coach (it was not an amicable split), we played the best first-half of defense I have ever seen us play. It turned out to be enough to get us to the final game.
The championship game, to me, was one of the more exciting basketball games I have ever seen (and I have seen quite a few). At around two minutes to go, we were down by nine, and there seemed to be very little hope for us. But a few missed free-throws, an electrifying steal and three-pointer by the aforementioned point guard, and the biggest clutch 3-pointer the university has ever experienced, led to an exhilarating overtime win, and a National Championship for the Jayhawks.
[photo from kusports]
After each of the last three tournament games, there were massive celebrations downtown: about 4-5 blocks worth of people packed onto the sidewalks, streets, stores, restaurants, street-lights, balconies, etc. etc. It was one of the crazier things that I have experienced here in
The official estimates I believe were around 25,000 after our Final Four game, and around 40,000 after our Championship game. It was insane! I would post some videos, but unfortunately my computer just exploded in a giant fireball of fury. So a couple of pics will have to suffice for now:
5 comments:
Hi Adam,
Lindsay actually got extra credit points in one of her classes because she picked way back when that Kansas would win...weird way to get points, but she was happy.
So very exciting for you and your friends!
miss you as always!
Aunt Deyon
Yeah, my mom already told you, but I wanted to tell you myself...I got extra credit in history because Kansas won!! So even though I don't normally care that much, I was really excited too!! Congrats!!
KU
Adam, it appears that you are a good luck charm. As a KU sports fan for over 40 years (yes, I can remember that far back) the last two basketball games may be the best and most exciting games that I have ever experienced. And, for the record, Mario was one of my favorite KU players of all time before the shot.
Craig
congratulations, indeed it was a very good game, and if it counts for anything i watched nearly all of the last two games. i was the second closest guess on the championship team and total score in all of the spanish classes. well, congratulations, and good luck for the future.
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