Championship Monday is Here

The epic finale.

UK vs. KU.

Calipari vs. Self.

Talented youth vs. experienced veterans.

National Player of the Year vs. the runner-up.

One game. For all the marbles. One Shining Moment. The road ends here.

Championship Monday is finally here, marking the final day of the college basketball season. This year has been a truly special year.

One of basketball’s blue-bloods was finally resurrected in Bloomington. A freshman and his unibrow took the nation by storm one swat and lob at a time. Two 15-seeds shocked the world on the same day by beating Missouri and Duke. The Battle of the Bluegrass made its way to New Orleans and the Final Four.

And Bob Knight finally said the words “Kentucky” and “Indiana”.

Tonight’s game is between college basketball’s all-time-winning programs as they face off for the national title. No one would have thought these two teams would meet again in the championship, especially after the way Kentucky was able to dismantle Kansas.

Credit Kansas and the toughness they showed. Credit Bill Self. He showed why he is one of basketball’s elite coaches and probably it’s most patient coaches (we’re looking at you Tyshawn Taylor). This isn’t Self’s most talented bunch, but it is the toughest he has ever had.

Calipari deserves a lot of credit as well. It is one thing to bring in talent, especially with all of the turnover his program has. Just look at all the one-and-done talent that schools such as Georgia Tech, Baylor, Memphis and even North Carolina and Duke.

It is extremely hard to get these talented freshmen to come in, buy into the system, play defense and share the ball. Calipari has done it now three years in a row. He doesn’t just roll the ball on the court, he develops players and not just freshman. Go look at how he developed players like Josh Harrellson, DeAndre Liggins and Darius Miller.

As far as the game itself, expect Kansas to run at Kentucky. Conventional wisdom would say that Kansas should play a half-court game and limit the number of possessions, but that really isn’t their game.

Kansas likes to push tempo and score the ball and transition. Believe or not, it is actually a better strategy than keeping this game in the half-court.

Running against Kentucky may seem like suicide, but teams such as Indiana and Florida have shown that you can keep the game close by running. You can score against Kentucky with that style. A half-court game becomes a struggle for teams offensively because of the way Kentucky forces you to take jump shots.

If Kansas is going to win tonight, they will need to push tempo, get Kentucky in foul trouble, have Thomas Robinson go off for 20 and 10, and then they will have to pray that Kentucky has an off-night. Kentucky is the more talented team, they are extremely tough, unselfish and can beat you with any style. They may get into first half foul trouble, but rarely does it culminate into late-game foul trouble, which is why they are able to shut teams down in the last 8-10 minutes of a basketball game.

Kentucky is clearly the better team, but anything can happen.

Tonight’s game will be more than just a championship game. Legacies and philosophies will be written. A win tonight for Kentucky and the idea that you cannot win with freshmen and sophomores will be challenged.

Calipari will have had his revenge.

A win tonight for Kansas will solidify Bill Self’s case as a hall-of-fame coach. Kansas will have shocked the country and proven that toughness can beat talent in a one-game scenario.

So what happens tonight? Well, Mario Chalmers ain’t walking through that door.

Kansas will jump out to an early lead, but will find themselves tied or down one possession at half. Kentucky will go on a big run in the second half and win its eighth national title.

Kentucky 76, Kansas 69.