2008 NCAA Tournament
6News Championship Celebration
Audio Clips
2007-08 April 7 KU-Memphis
- Bill Self talks with the media after winning the first national championship of his decorated coaching career
- Brandon Rush talks about Monday's win and what's next for him
- Darnell Jackson talks about the perfect culmination to a long year
- Darrell Arthur talks about stepping up in more ways than one en route to 20 points and 10 rebounds Monday
- Jeremy Case talks about Mario Chalmers' heroics and ending his career on the highest of notes
- Mario Chalmers talks about his now-legendary late-game heroics
- Rodrick Stewart talks about enjoying the final win of his KU career despite the pain in his knee
- Ronnie Chalmers talks about how his son's heroics were a long time in the making
- Sasha Kaun talks about KU stepping it up big in the paint - namely Darrell Arthur
- Sherron Collins talks about where this win ranks in his life's accomplishments
NCAA Championship Game
- Jayhawk fans: Read their stories and check out our fan photos »
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KU vs. Memphis
- Mario and the miracle! (04-08-08)
- Arthur comes up big (04-08-08)
- Tigers lament loss (04-08-08)
- KU works overtime for title (04-08-08)
- 'We're better than everyone' (04-08-08)
- Nearly 40,000 turn out to commemorate win (04-08-08)
- Campanile to ring in KU victory in National Championship (04-08-08)
- KU cancels classes Tuesday to celebrate victory (04-07-08)
- Around and about Lawrence on the night of the NCAA championship (04-08-08)
- Kansas basketball notebook (04-08-08)
- Extra Minutes: Kansas 75, Memphis 68 (OT) (04-08-08)
- Commentary: Title mends Jayhawks' grieving hearts (04-08-08)
- KU's previous Final Four history (04-08-08)
- What others are saying about... (04-08-08)
- Final four No. 1 Seed vs. No. 1 Seed (04-08-08)
- NCAA Tournament MOP's (04-08-08)
San Antonio — The shot was in the air as the game clock ticked down to 2.1 seconds. The right guy shot it. Just another big shot in a lifetime full of them for Mario Chalmers, who witnessed a Final Four in the same building in 2004. It misses and it goes down as another near miss for another outstanding Kansas team.
It swished, of course. Kansas dominated the overtime, defeating Memphis, 75-68, Monday night for the national title. Now it can be said: Bill Self's 2007-2008 Kansas basketball team (in every sense of the word) is the greatest in the history of the storied program.
It didn't come without first dragging such a passionate fan base through agony, because that's just the way it works. Down nine points with less than two minutes remaining, the team with nine lives had one left.
These Self-made champions, authors of cardiac comebacks before but covering so much ground with so little time left, brought Kansas its third NCAA championship and fifth national title, counting 1922 and '23, when the Helms Foundation awarded them the honor in pre-tournament days.
As always, Self wrapped the present with names of Kansas greats of the past when talking to his players.
"I told the guys last night and today, Kansas basketball," Self said after winning the national title. "Dr. Naismith. Rupp. Allen. Owens. Brown. Williams. Wilt. So many great teams. This is the winningest team in the history of the program. I told the guys we'd be remembered as the best team ever if we took care of business today. It's a humbling thought. All the great teams. This will go down as the best ever."
So many of those who were such a big part of Kansas tradition witnessed the coronation of team left for dead as Memphis players were getting ready to cut down the nets.
All four living Kansas basketball coaches were in the Alamodome. Roy Williams, wearing a Jayhawk sticker over his heart on a black shirt, sat about 10 rows behind the Kansas bench, next to his daughter, a KU graduate. Kitty-corner from there, in the best seats given to Kansas fans, Larry Brown, who coached KU to its last title, sat next to his friend, Lawrence businessman Doug Compton. In the row in front of Brown, a few seats over, Ted Owens, the coach after Dick Harp and before Brown, sat next to Illinois State Tim Jankovich, a former Self assistant.
Danny Manning, the star of Brown's 1988 national champions, wore a suit this time, sitting on the bench as a member of Self's staff. The big men Manning tutors made him proud, dominating the boards, 39-28, and drawing the Memphis bigs into foul trouble.
"I told our staff at pregame that Danny's part of it now, he was a huge part of it then," Self said, looking back on '88. "Went through Nebraska, went through Detroit (in '88 and this tourney). And then when I saw the official line, Ed Hightower's refereeing. That sounds weird, but Ed refereed the championship game in '88. I thought to myself, the stars are aligning for whatever reason."
Former Boston Celtics great Bill Russell, the greatest champion in the history of sports, was a spectator, watching a group that played the same sort of relentless defense and unselfish offense that made the Celtics the Celtics.
Self has a clear vision of what he thinks a college basketball team should look like, and he put this team together with that vision in mind. First, it has to be athletic, defensive-minded and tough. He believes in balanced scoring and an inside-out philosophy. He believes players should know their roles and that part of one player's role is to take the big shots. Self's clear vision of what a basketball team should be was on display in the national title game.
Balanced scoring? Four players reached double figures, led by Darrell Arthur (20 points) and Chalmers (18).
Inside-out? Kansas attempted just 12 three-pointers, compared to 22 for Memphis.
Tough? Two words: Sherron Collins. He leads with his chin. Memphis point Derrick Rose will be one of the first two players chosen in the NBA Draft. Except for one second-half stretch in which Rose outscored Kansas, 10-2, Collins played him even on the night in a battle of great Chicago guards.
Since midway through his freshman season, Chalmers became the guy Self wanted taking the big shot.
"He has no memory," Self said Monday night. "The next thing that happens is the only thing he's ever thinking about. It's just remarkable that a guy can have that much poise when the pressure's on like that."
Self, noted for hitting buzzer-beaters as a high school big shot in Oklahoma, remained poised through first-round losses to Bucknell and Bradley in back-to-back years.
"I never saw it as the lowest of the lows, but it was a down moment in my coaching career, no question," Self said.
He didn't get down on his team when it lost at Oklahoma State, 61-60, either.
The season began with a 20-0 streak, sputtered with a 4-3 stretch, and finished with a 13-0 flurry. Kansas avenged two of its three losses, to Kansas State and Texas, in rematches.
Now KU will attempt to avenge its only other loss, to Oklahoma State, though the revenge can't come on a basketball court. Naively not even thinking about what a terrible spot they were putting the coach they desire in, Oklahoma State officials thought it would be a good idea to force coach Sean Sutton out at the beginning of the biggest week of Self's coaching life.
Self obviously kept it from being a distraction, but the sloppy handling of the Sutton ouster certainly has to be lodged in Self's brain as a reminder that his alma mater isn't buttoned-up in terms of how to do things in a big-time fashion.
It has been believed for the past couple of years that oil and energy trading magnate T. Boone Pickens would make a run at Self, a former basketball player at OSU. That run could commence as soon as today.
The pull of returning to his alma mater will not be the issue, as it was in part for Self's successor, Roy Williams, whose North Carolina team lost 84-66 to KU in Saturday's semifinal. Williams left for a place he thought would be even easier to draw recruits. Self, should he accept Pickens' millions, would be leaving for a place more difficult to land blue-chippers than Kansas. He also would be trading a boss, athletic director Lew Perkins, with whom he enjoys working, for a more murky situation. Would he be working for AD Mike Holder or for Pickens?
Monday night wasn't the night to ask Self about that. All that was on his mind was celebrating a national title with a 37-3 team he loves for a school he loves, on a night Chalmers hit the biggest shot in Kansas for the best team in school history.
Comments
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The_Voice_of_Reason (anonymous) says…
Chalk and Awe!!! Go Hawks!!!
bpitts65 (anonymous) says…
I like that, "Self made champions"!
justthefacts (anonymous) says…
Self is a smart man. He should know that if he lets Boone's money buy him, he'll never be his own coach again. If he stays with KU, he can cement his legacy into one that no one will ever be able to match. If he goes to OK, he'll just end up being someone that once had a winning team but got lured away by money. He's smart. I hope he'll make the smart choice.
otto (anonymous) says…
The headline photo for this story credits Nick Krug from the JW. This exact photo is on the front page of the Kc Star crediting Rich Sugg, The JW credits no one in the print edition for this photo. Just an observation but someone is lying.
Logan72 (Alia Ahmed) says…
Keegan is an example of an excellent journalist. Here's a clip from the KC Star if you'd like to see a "reporter" at the other end of the spectrum. It is really sad and pathetic. http://videos.kansascity.com/vmix_hos... 1812349&f=mokas
otto (anonymous) says…
The lead pfhoto in this article gives credit to Nick Krug from the JW, there is no credit given in the print edition. This exact photo is on the front page of the KC Star giving credit to Rich Sugg. Just an observation but someone is lying.
theironmouse (anonymous) says…
WE need a downtown parade!! GO KU!
avoice (anonymous) says…
That would be predecessor, not successor, when you're talking about Roy Williams. Unless this is a Freudian slip revealing a desire for Williams to return should Self decide to vacate.
Logan72 (Alia Ahmed) says…
The link to the videoblog by Mike DeArmond on the KC Star about Missouri Tigers' feeling Memphis Tigers' pain will not post correctly. At first, I thought the KC Star had disabled it b/c it is so embarrassing for MU fans and "reporter" alike, but it's still there. If want to see it, you'll have to go the KC star and look under the sports section and click on the link. It is sort of like a train wreck, so horrific but difficult not to look at.
mongolian (anonymous) says…
It's not the same photo, just from nearly the same angle.
jumpin_catfish (anonymous) says…
Best championship game I've ever watched. Thanks Hawks and especially Mario, super doesn't do you, the team or that game justice. Awesome baby!!!
parsimoniousjayhawker (anonymous) says…
I hope Billy Packer gags on KU's Championship victory. I was so sick and tired of listening to this babblehead talk about our Hawks not being able to get the job done. Rock Chalk Jayhawk 2008 orange bowl football champions and national basketball champions!!! Our teams have made the Jayhawk Nation very proud...
otto (anonymous) says…
look again, same photo zoomed in
lsaylor (Lee Saylor) says…
Otto:You know, it is possible for 2 photogs to stand next to one another. The KC Star photo has more of the cheerleaders pom above Matt K's head then the LJW shot
otto (anonymous) says…
I didn't know there would be more than one photographer there? ---- No - I really thought it was the same photo, apparently not, sorry.
lacoov (anonymous) says…
Thank you Coach Self and the 2008 NCAA Championship Team!! It's GOOD to be a Jayhawk!!!!!!
Rickyonealku (anonymous) says…
Best year for Kansas University E.V.E.R.
Congrats to the 2008 NCAA National Championship Team Team Team....
riverdrifter (anonymous) says…
Roy is getting hammered in NC for sticking around for "the" game & not hightailing it home with his team. I DO like this aspect of RW: he has no use for "the politically correct" . I'm more than glad that he's gone and Self is here.
blakus (anonymous) says…
Rock Chalk!!! Been a KU fan since I was born in Lawrence in '83! This is absolutely wonderful. Congratulations to Bill and the team! And to Oklahoma State... you have no class! To release intentions of hiring Self during a championship run is completely laughable and gives one reason why Self shouldn't sign with OSU! I am happy though, Self proved he has the mental toughness to win the title with looming questions of leaving KU... something some former KU coach was unable to do. No matter what happens with Self though, he has already proven himself as an elite coach in the long and rich history of Kansas.
davidsmom (anonymous) says…
MU fans really, really, really hate our championship win. My co-worker said, "I hate to say this, but if Memphis had just made those free-throws..." I say, get over it! Thousands of basketball games have been won or lost because of free-throw points. It's part of basketball...a huge part. And intentionally fouling...it's part of the strategy in close games. MU fans just absolutely can't stand this. Maybe next year their team will be more competitive.