Bill Self, David McCormack discuss decision to go inside on final two possessions vs. UNC

With 1:41 to play in the national championship, Kansas trailed North Carolina by one point and opted to go inside to David McCormack. It worked, so they did it again on the next possession — and they scored four straight points to win the game.

On both possessions, the Jayhawks found McCormack for buckets in the paint to secure their fourth national championship in program history. In the postgame press conference, he shared what it meant to be in that spot and make those important baskets.

“It shows how much trust Coach and teammates have in me,” McCormack said. “Coach called the play and said we’re going to throw it inside and we have trust in you and faith in you to deliver and get us a basket. I just prevailed, I made the basket happen. I appreciate them for allowing me to have that opportunity.”

It was a huge swing in the game, especially considering North Carolina had a 16-point lead at one point. Those two buckets helped Kansas pull off the biggest comeback in title game history. Self admitted it was a lot to process, but added it pretty much summed up Kansas’ whirlwind tournament journey.

“I think we’re probably all a little overwhelmed and spent,” Self said. “And I don’t know that I’ve ever had a team flip the script like we have probably in the NCAA Tournament, whether it be Miami in the Elite Eight or whether it be this game. But it would be special to win regardless. But to win when your team had to fight and come back the way they did and show that much grit makes this one off the charts.

“I thought this would be good. And this is a heck of a lot better than I thought it would be.”

David McCormack: ‘We work on touch shots every day’

The first basket wasn’t an easy one. McCormack missed the shot, but got his own rebound and made the second-chance bucket to give Kansas the lead with 1:21 to play. It was huge — and he walked reporters through what went through his head on that sequence.

“Game’s on the line,” McCormack said. “You’ve got adrenaline pumping you’ve got a desire you’re going to get it. Snatch a rebound with two hands. Coach talks about keeping the ball high and going right back up.

“That’s what was going through my mind. I’m right here. We work on touch shots every day.”