Feeling the post-March madness blues? Even if you loved watching Kansas cut down the nets, the postseason can be rough on fans who miss the madness. Especially after such an unpredictable tournament–how many of you predicted 8 seed North Carolina being in the championship game? Each and every year, there is a school that goes on an incredible run when it matters most, and we want to relive that as we look forward to next season. Here's our March Madness Recap.

The 2022 March Madness Champion Jayhawks

Kansas defeated North Carolina in the final, 72-69. This championship game was an immediate classic. North Carolina came out of the gates on fire, scoring point after point, eventually going into halftime with a 40-25 lead. Kansas nation may not want to admit they were nervous, but it was not looking good for the Jayhawks at the time due to how well UNC was playing and how much momentum they had. However, Kansas got all of the momentum in the second half when they needed it most. After getting multiple defensive stops in a row, they capitalized on the offensive end as well, taking a lead late into the game. UNC had some chances to win the game, but ultimately Kansas's tough defense prevailed.

Prior to the championship game, Kansas defeated Texas Southern, Creighton, Providence, Miami (FL), and Villanova. Kansas primarily handled most of these matchups well, but had some trouble with the gritty defensive Providence team in the sweet sixteen. All American forward for the Jayhawks, Ochai Agbaji, was named the 2022 March Madness Most Outstanding Player. Agbaji led the Jayhawks in scoring on the year, averaging 18.8 points per game. 

The Jayhawks were a defensive minded team all season and stuck to that in March, leading to them winning the whole thing. Aside from the stellar play from Agbaji all year, Kansas also had center David McCormack, point guard Remy Martin, and shooting guard Christian Braun providing major minutes for them.

Related: March Madness: The Greatest Time of the Year!

North Carolina's Path to the Championship

It's not often that you see an 8 seed upset a number 1 seed, which is exactly what UNC did when they upset Baylor in the second round of this year's tournament. Their momentum didn't stop there, and that win was what catapulted them into the national spotlight as a true darkhorse. Following that win, UNC kept their dream of winning it all alive by defeating UCLA, Saint Peter's, and Duke.

There is no better rivalry in college sports, potentially all sports, than the UNC vs. Duke rivalry. Over the years, this matchup has given the world some of the best basketball games ever. To add to the rivalry even more, UNC and Duke had never played each other in March Madness before, and this season was legendary coach, Mike Krzyzewski, final season coaching at Duke. To say that this game was the game of the tournament is an understatement. The game was back and forth for the entire 40 minutes, with the two heavyweight schools trading buckets all game. By the end of the game, a new star was born, UNC guard, Caleb Love. Love had 28 points in the final four game against Duke, and none bigger than the three pointer he hit with less than 30 seconds left in the game to give UNC a 78-74 lead. Once that shot went in, America could feel it, UNC was going to win the game, and that's exactly what happened, with a final score of 81-77.

Saint Peter's?!

Now who could have ever predicted the run that the Saint Peter's Peacocks would go on in March? The Peacocks came into the tournament as a 15 seed and would make it all the way to the elite eight! The start of their Cinderella run came in the first round when they shocked number 2 seed Kentucky, dominating the game and going on to win in overtime, 85-79. Following their upset over Kentucky, the Peacocks went on to defeat Murray State before matching up with number 3 seed Purdue, and on National Peacock Day, no less! At this point, Saint Peter's was officially America's team. Most of the people in the country wanted them to continue their improbable run. No 15 seed in history had ever made it to the elite eight until March 25, 2022, when Purdue would fall to the Peacocks, 67-64. History was made.

Whatever Americans weren't behind Saint Peter's by this point were now on board. Unfortunately, UNC put the incredible run to an end in the Elite Eight, as the Tar Heels dominated Saint Peter's, winning 69-49. However, the Peacock's run will never be forgotten and has officially marked its place in the history of college basketball.

What were your thoughts on the 2022 March Madness? Let us know in the comments!
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* Originally published on May 5, 2022, by Ashton Grenon