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Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks made a historic comeback victory in the national championship game on Monday night.
Kansas, which trailed by 16 points near the end of the first half, had a 15-point halftime deficit. But the Jayhawks outscored the North Carolina Tar Heels 31-10 in the first 10 minutes of the second half, then pulled away in the final two minutes.
After halftime Kansas looked like a completely different team that had suddenly found new life.
With Self running the show, Kansas (34-6) looked more motivated than ever to erase a disappointing first-half performance. Their defense held UNC (29-10) to 11-for-40 shooting in the second half. In the final 1:41, the Tar Heels didn't score, missing all four shots. Plus, the defense also created offense as they roared back.
Former Kansas Jayhawks and NBA legend Paul Pierce was asked about what he thought Self said to the team at halftime. He replied:
"I don't know, but I know he got in they a**, 'cause they came out like their life depended on it."
Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks complete historic comeback
It was an impressive comeback for the Kansas Jayhawks as they rallied past the Tar Heels 72-69.
After trailing 40-25 at halftime, the Jayhawks outscored the Tar Heels 47-29 in the second half.
It was a storybook ending for the Jayhawks, who put an emphatic stamp on an impressive season. For the Kansas coach, it was an especially memorable victory, given the death of his father, Bill Self Sr., in January.
With Monday night's win, Self became one of 16 men's basketball coaches to win multiple national titles. The first for the Hall of Famer came in 2008. Kansas was viewed as the best team entering the 2020 tournament, but the event was canceled because of the pandemic.
Paul Pierce gave Self, a Hall of Fame coach, another ringing endorsement, saying he is one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history:
"Bill Self just submitted himself as one of the greatest coaches in Kansas history, but college basketball history."
After dealing with a disappointing performance in the first half, the Jayhawks buckled down and put together a historic comeback. It was a fitting end for Self and the Jayhawks, as they pulled out a gritty performance for the ages.
