Jayhawks load the wagon, rally past Heels to win NCAA title

• Ochai Agbaji (KUAthletics.com)

By Ken Davis

NEW ORLEANS—In 1988, Kansas had Danny and The Miracles. In San Antonio in 2008, it was Mario’s Miracle. Monday night in the Superdome, the Jayhawks pulled off another miracle.

But this one will not be named for any one person.

It was simply the greatest come-from-behind victory in NCAA Tournament championship-game history as the Jayhawks overcame a 16-point first-half deficit to beat North Carolina 72-69 and win the fourth title in Kansas history.

This one belonged to coach Bill Self and his entire team. If Kansas fans want to attach a motto to a remarkable run that ended with 11 consecutive victories, it will be this: “Don’t worry about the mules, just load the wagon.”

That was the saying Self learned long ago from his father, Bill Self, Sr., who passed away during this KU championship season, an event that had a profound impact on the head coach and his players. This veteran Kansas team led by Ochai Agbaji, voted the Final Four Most Outstanding Player, and David McCormack rose up to load the wagon again one last time.

Danny Manning may be the greatest player in Kansas history. Mario Chalmers made the jump shot that sent the 2008 title game into overtime before the Jayhawks beat Memphis. This time it was a total team effort.

Bill Self, Sr. would’ve been pleased.

“I talked to my dad a lot when he was alive, but not as much as he wanted me to,” Self told the media after the game. “And you know, so many parents that are my age grew up with families that lived through the Depression and The Dust Bowl and everything else. And so he always felt that nothing was ever given, everything had to be earned.

“I think he would be very proud of this team because he knows, without question, they earned what happened tonight.”

Kansas (34-6) jumped out to a seven-point lead in the first half, but the headline was North Carolina dominating the final minutes of the half to lead 40-25 at halftime. The Jayhawks deployed some impressive second-half performances during the season, rallying to beat Kansas State in Manhattan during the regular season and blitzing Miami after halftime in the Midwest Region final.

Monday night, this one felt different. It looked bleak. Kansas fans were holding their heads until the Jayhawks returned to the court for the second half.

The long faces did not extend to the Jayhawks. McCormack (15 points, 10 rebounds) was even smiling.

“He was looking at me, and I was like, why are you smiling, dude?” Christian Braun [12 points, 12 rebounds] said. “We’re down 15. He was talking to me. Keep your head up, keep going, we’ll be all right. I was like, man, I don’t know if I’ve ever been here before.”

Braun scored baskets that cut North Carolina’s lead to 48-47. The Jayhawks were back in it. With 10:53 to play, Agbaji (12 points, three rebounds) drove the left side of the lane and scored. He was fouled and completed the three-point play to tie the game at 50.

A 3 by Remy Martin (14 points, 5-of-9 shooting) gave Kansas the lead and then Jalen Wilson (15 points) converted a three-point play to extend the lead to six. Suddenly, the Tar Heels seemed to be showing the wear and tear of their emotional win over Duke in the semifinals.

“I think we’re probably all a little overwhelmed and spent,” said Self, who joined the elite group of coaches to win two or more national titles. “I don’t know that I’ve ever had a team flip the script like we have in the NCAA tournament, whether it be Miami in the Elite Eight or whether it be this game. When your team had to fight and come back the way they did and show that much grit makes this once off the charts.”

The final bit of grit came from McCormack, who easily could have been the MOP. He used his muscle to score the last two baskets of the game after Carolina had battled to take a 69-68 lead.

The Kansas student section of fans sang “We Are The Champions.” And with the Jayhawks standing on the victory podium and accepting the championship trophy, they start to chant, “Load The Wagon.”

That made the entire Self family smile.

“I talked to him the first half,” Self said of his father. “When we’re down six to 10 to 15. I talked to him then. I talked to him at halftime. It was the one time he didn’t talk back.

“I think we’ve got good mules. We’ve got guys that all load the wagon.”