That National Championship Was Some Old-School Basketball

For most of my grown college basketball experience, the best players have been able to throw up the deuces for the NBA whenever they want, let alone the one-and-done rule.

Fortunately, I am surrounded by great editors who are WAY older than myself, and they explained to me that this is what college was like during this magical time known as the '90s – when good players stayed at schools long enough to love and hate them.

Tonight, we got a lot of that flavor. Did you root for Louisville because of Kevin Ware's injury or Michigan because Rick Pitino did unsanitary things in a restaurant? Big men actually came to play in this game. Guards refused to let their teams lose. Players named Hardaway and Robinson. A young Michigan lost in the National Championship, just like one of the best teams to never win it in college sports history. Pitino won a championship, becoming the first coach to do so at multiple schools – still in the state of Kentucky, nonetheless.

The parallels were one thing. The plays were another.

There was defensive presence.

Heat checks galore.

High flying dunks

Bad officiating.

And a fulfilling ending.

`
Back to top