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The Kansas senior scored the final four points of the game as
the Jayhawks completed a comeback from a 16-point, first-half
deficit to defeat North Carolina 72-69 and win the national
title on Monday.
"I didn't say much at halftime," said Bill Self, who became the
first Kansas coach to win multiple national championships. "We
were disappointed in how we played in the first half. North
Carolina obviously was the better team in the first half, but
that was about as good defensively as a team can play in the
second half."
Kansas (34-6) trailed by one point when McCormack, who finished
with 15 points and 10 rebounds, rebounded his own miss and
scored on a layup for a one-point lead with 1:21 left. After a
Tar Heels turnover, McCormack made a hook shot from the lane for
a three-point lead with 22 seconds left.
"I just appreciate Coach and my teammates trusting me to make
those plays with the game on the line," McCormack said.
After an exchange of turnovers, North Carolina's Caleb Love
missed a 3-point attempt in the final second.
The rally from a 16-point deficit broke a record set by Loyola
Chicago when it overcame a 15-point deficit to defeat Cincinnati
in overtime for the 1963 national title. The 15-point halftime
deficit the Jayhawks overcame surpassed the 10-point halftime
hole Kentucky escaped against Utah in 1998.
Jalen Wilson scored 15 points, Remy Martin added 14, Christian
Braun had 12 points and 12 rebounds and Ochai Agbaji scored 12
as top-seeded Kansas won its fourth national championship and
first since 2008.
"We came back after Coach challenged us to play better and show
more pride," Braun said. "We did that in the second half."
Agbaji was tabbed as the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player.
"This is a special group of guys," Agbaji said. "We overcome the
odds and adversity as a family."
Armando Bacot had 15 points and 15 rebounds, RJ Davis had 15
points and 12 rebounds, Brady Manek had 13 points and 13
rebounds, Love scored 13 and Puff Johnson 11 to lead North
Carolina (29-10), a No. 8 seed that reached its third title game
in the past six tournaments.
"I should be disappointed," Tar Heels first-year coach Hubert
Davis said, "but I feel so much pride for what these guys have
done for themselves, this team, our university and our
community. You can't ask for them to do any more than they did.
I'm extremely proud of each one of them."
The score was tied at 65 before Martin made a 3-pointer, but
consecutive baskets by Love and Manek gave the Tar Heels a 69-68
lead with 1:41 left.
The Jayhawks made three unanswered baskets in the first 2:20 of
the second half to trim a 15-point halftime deficit to nine.
Love's 3-pointer pushed the lead back to 12 before Kansas went
on a 25-7 run that was climaxed by Agbaji's three-point play,
Martin's 3-pointer and Wilson's three-point play.
That gave the Jayhawks a 56-50 lead midway through the half.
Davis responded with consecutive baskets and an assist on
Johnson's 3-pointer that tied the score at 57.
--Les East, Field Level Media
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