The Villanova Wildcats were in desperate need of a rebuttal after North Carolina guard Marcus Paige sank a miraculous double-clutch three-pointer to knot the score at 74-74 in the game’s waning moments, and junior forward Kris Jenkins offered up the picture-perfect response.
After inbounding the ball to senior guard Ryan Arcidiacono (16 points), Jenkins trotted down the court, got freed from any distress via a lumbering screen from big man Daniel Ochefu, and hoisted what proved to be the buzzer-beating three-pointer that helped the Wildcats to capture their first National Championship since 1985.
“I think every shot is going in,” Jenkins, who finished with 14 points and a lifetime of reverence from Wildcat faithful said postgame when asked about his moment. “This one was no different.”
Wildcats head coach Jay Wright accredits the success in which the final play was ran with to familiarity.
“I didn’t have to say anything in the huddle. We have a name for it, that’s what we’re going to do. Just put everybody in their spots,” said Wright.
Wright’s reaction to Jenkins’ game-winning bomb went viral immediately after the contest, as he mouthed “bang” and stoically trekked down the sideline to shake hands with UNC head coach Roy Williams.
Jenkins’ shot may garner all of the praise and rightfully so, but it’d be a travesty to gloss over what guard Phil Booth did to keep Nova within striking distance when UNC went on a run to end the first half.
Booth finished with a career and team-high 20 points off the bench, nailing big shot after big shot, refusing to shy away from the spotlight.
Early on in the game, it was evident that both teams were impacted by the pressure-permeated environment as the kids played in front of 70,000 fans at NRG Stadium in Houston, TX.
Balls were bobbled, both teams blew easy layups and the offensive execution wasn’t as pristine as we’d become accustomed to seeing from both squads throughout the tournament. Once things settled down, fans were treated to one of the most riveting National Championship Games in recent memory.
Going into this game, Villanova knew it’d take a collective team effort to keep UNC’s frontline behemoths out of the paint and off the offensive glass, and they made a concentrated effort to negate that advantage by fronting the post and gang-rebounding.
North Carolina did manage to outrebound Villanova 36-23, (16-2 on offensive boards) but their conversion rates on those second and third attempts were unusually low, something that would ultimately deprive them of their first championship since 2009.
The Wildcats’ switch-happy defensive scheme helped to disrupt North Carolina’s offensive rhythm, but that didn’t matter for at least the first half. The Tarheels shot lights out from behind the arc, an unexpected occurrence as this North Carolina team was statistically one of the worst three-point squads in school history.
North Carolina drilled seven long-balls in the first half and went 11-17 (64.7%) for the duration. Sophomore guard Joel Berry III went 4-4 from downtown and finished with 20 points, with sophomore forward Justin Jackson nailing 3-4 and Paige 4-7 to finish with a team-high 21 points.
The Tarheels’ trio of big men, Brice Johnson, Kennedy Meeks and Isaiah Hicks were mostly rendered ineffective with the exception of Johnson, who finished with 14 points and eight rebounds and did his best to combat tears as Jenkins’ shot sailed through the net.
Villanova’s tournament run was powered by stifling defense, taking out the oppositions’ best players in most of their games, and Monday night was no exception. UNC’s inability to get the ball inside relegated them to the perimeter, and that did not bode well for the Tarheels.
Meeks and Hicks went a combined 3-12 from the field and only scored eight points, with the latter in foul trouble for most of the game.
After struggling to bend UNC’s suffocating defense in the first half, (the Tarheels did an excellent job of pressuring and jamming ball-handlers out of the pick-and-roll and pinching just enough off of shooters to disrupt the Nova’s drives to the rim) the Wildcats hit their offensive stride.
Villanova was reluctant to up the tempo in this one, understandably so as North Carolina flourished in the open court throughout the season with their slew of athletes such as the aforementioned Johnson, Paige and Hicks. The Wildcats brought the pace to a screeching halt and hoped their offense could hum just enough for them to emerge as champions.
It appeared as if this tactic was going to yield Nova a title, until all hell broke loose in the game’s final two minutes.
The Wildcats clung to a six-point lead with less than two minutes left after two made Josh Hart free-throws, but Paige reeled off his own personal 5-0 run and overtime was on the dome of all North Carolina fans until Jenkins’ dagger.
After clinching the National Championship for Nova, Jenkins embraced his mother, a college basketball coach and the person who helped Jenkins develop such a sweet stroke, and belted out, “They said we couldn’t!”
Jenkins, who fostered a brotherhood with North Carolina guard Nate Britt, as the Britt family adopted Jenkins when his mother had to move for a coaching job, said he wouldn’t rub the victory in his brother’s face too much.
“I’ll just put my finger on the table to let him know what it is,” Jenkins said during his postgame press conference, flanked by a grinning Ochefu and Arcidiacono.
Williams’ press conference was much more somber, as he reflected on what he told his team in the locker room after the devastating defeat.
“I told them I loved them. I told them I wish I could’ve helped them more. I’m not very good because I can’t take away the hurt,” said Jenkins. When asked about how he felt when that last shot was lofted into the air, Williams responded with “helpless.”
In attendance at this National Championship game were a plethora of notable alumni and former players from both schools. Villanova had former assistant coach and current NBA analyst Mike “The Czar” Fratello, Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry and New Orleans Pelicans forward Dante Cunningham, who happened to be on Nova’s last Final Four team prior to this one, in attendance.
North Carolina had the likes of Vince Carter, Kendall Marshall, Antwan Jamison and Michael Jordan rooting them on from the stands.
Jordan, who is recognized as the greatest player to ever pick up a basketball, was thoroughly impressed with Jenkins’ shot, as he turned to friend and former NBA on NBC sidelined reporter Ahmad Rashad and said “good shot.” Recognition from “His Airness” is always a great thing.
Jenkins summarized his shot with an old adage that the Wildcats have lived by under Wight’s tenure as coach: “Shoot ‘em up, sleep in the streets.”
There wasn’t much sleep in Villanova, Pa. on Monday night and that was to be expected. For a city such as Philadelphia, that has endured numerous sporting misfortunes over the past several years, they can find solace in the fact that finally, someone came out a champion.
Even if Villanova and Philadelphia may be worlds apart in many different aspects, they intertwined for a night, giving the city a glimmer of hope.
B.J. Boyer is a third-year student majoring in communication studies with a minor in journalism. Contact them at WB806695@wcupa.edu