The 2022 Men’s National Championship game was played on Monday and my goodness what a finish. The Kansas Jayhawks met the North Carolina Tar Heels in an epic matchup between two of the most storied programs in history.

The Tar Heels were electric this year, entering the tournament as an 8 seed. That didn’t stop them from battling their way into the final four teams. Carolina seemed to be a team of destiny after they were put up to a huge test against their archrival Duke. The Duke Blue Devils’ legendary head coach Mike Krzyzewski, or Coach K as he is better known, led the Bluedevils to the Final Four in what he announced before the season would be his last year coaching. Duke is a very popular team and many people were excited to see if Coach K could get another championship on his way out the door. I was not one of these people. Hating Duke for me is like hating the Yankees, Warriors and Cowboys, it’s just a must as a fan of parity in sports. Anyways, North Carolina would heroically send Duke back home after an amazing game in the Final Four.

The reason we love March Madness as sports fans is because of the feeling that anybody can win. Any team, no matter what conference they’re from, and no matter how small their school is, can get hot at the right time. This year certainly proved these hopes as 15 seeded Saint Peter’s was able to get to the Elite Eight. The Peacocks didn’t get there by accident as they proved by beating 2 seed Kentucky and 3 seed Purdue. The Peacocks were the first 15 seed ever to get to the Elite Eight. What a year it was for them and head coach Shaheen Holloway. He was an inspiring figure during the tournament for his belief in his players and the ‘never say die’ attitude that they carried along the way. The Peacocks would ultimately fall just short of the Final Four after running into red-hot North Carolina.

After the dust settled, North Carolina bested Duke and punched themselves a ticket to the championship game. Meanwhile, on the other side of the bracket, 1 seed Kansas was clearing the field. They looked strong as they moved through the tournament. They compiled several impressive wins by double digits and dismantled Villanova to reach the championship game.

Carolina vs Kansas is one of the best matchups sports fans could’ve asked for. Two historic programs with title dreams on the line in a one-game take-all showdown. The game started about as bad as it could for Kansas. They found themselves in a hole early on. Carolina dominated them on the boards and had several offensive rebounds that kept their lead growing. Carolina’s post presence was immense and it seemed like Kansas had no answer.

The Tar heels were the better team plain and simple. They walked into halftime with a 15-point lead. I may or may not have turned the channel for a short while. The game looked over to me. Kansas was deflated and beaten. But something changed when they came out of the tunnel into the second half.

The Jayhawk’s star trio of Christian Braun, forward Jalen Wilson and guard Remy Martin began to make plays and get buckets. The Carolina lead began to dwindle and the momentum completely shifted in favor of the Jayhawks. At the end of the game, there was an exchange of buckets that shifted the lead back and forth. However, Kansas was able to take a three-point lead with just a few seconds left. After a questionable North Carolina possession, they got another chance to tie it. The last-second three-point heave by Carolina missed and the Kansas Jayhawks were crowned National Champions. It was the first National Championship win for Kansas since 2008 and their fourth title in program history.

It was a great year for college basketball and we were blessed with some awesome games. Congratulations to the fans and to the Kansas Jayhawks.

Article by Payton Hannah