KU/UT: What A Ballgame!

Now I only watched this one in front of my TV and even I am completely out of breath. Fran Fraschilla said it best: "What a ballgame!" Now I've have seen a few basketball games in my lifetime but this Big 12 Championship Game between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Texas Longhorns is without a doubt one of the greatest games I've ever seen.

Man, where is my water bottle?! These two teams ran up and down the court with a pace that would have rivaled the one of a Nascar race. You had everything out there - outstanding teams, tough defense, top pro prospects (Darrell Arthur fellas), stars stepping up, a great college atmosphere and so on! In the end Kansas pulled it out, 84-74, but two teams who deliver such a wonderful and outstanding game can only both be considered winners! Kansas came out firing only to see the Longhorns match them long bomb for long bomb, block for block and play for play. Just when you thought one team would maybe take over a bit, the other club went on a run of their own. We saw 14 lead changes and the quality and intensity of play you only experience in college basketball.

I actually had money on this game, taking Kansas with the spread of 5.5 and so I clearly had my favorite in this contest. But man, even I was just smiling with joy over some of the incredible plays the Longshorns made. They followed their leader D.J. Augustin, who sadly ran out of gas later in the game, and never showed any shortage of desire. What an effort and nobody on the Longhorns side should hang their heads tonight. The hero though was a member of the Jayhawks: Mario Chalmers. The junior guard, known as a ferocious defender, exploded for 30 points on 10 for 15 shooting and 8 for 12 from behind the arc. He never backed down even though Augustin went crazy early and he was just lights out from the outside. He often found himself as the recipient of oustanding Kansas ball movement, as the Jayhawks had 24 assists on 25 field goals. Wow!

I could bring up more numbers, stats, game situations or whatever analysis - you must have seen it to believe it! Now the stage was big but we aren't through with the season. March has just begun and this game had everything that you love about this beautiful month where basketball is at it's best. Too bad this couldn't have been the National Championship Game, because tonight both teams played like champions...