It was a great championship game in San Antonio. Kansas won in 1988 with Danny and the miracles. This time it was another miracle. Kansas was down nine points with just over two minutes to play, but Memphis could not finish Bill Self's team off and several mistakes hurt the Tigers.

There was a foul by Joey Dorsey when a Kansas player had the ball 30 feet away from the basket. There were missed free throws that turned out to be an achilles heel. Memphis shot seven-of-16 from the foul line in the second half. Calipari did not want his kids mentally affected by free throw woes down the stretch, but cut it any way you want as the Tigers struggled in the area and it really hurt them. If Memphis hit one more the game they would have been cutting down nets and celebrating on the Riverwalk. Then Memphis did not foul in the final seconds of regulation as Mario Chalmers hit a trifecta to send the game into overtime.

Kansas had a bounce in their step after getting a second chance and I simply do not understand why Memphis did not foul in that situation. I was also surprised Memphis did not call a timeout to set up its defensive gameplan at the end of regulation.

Despite all of that though this was a great season for the Tigers. Memphis went 38-2, but it was not enough to win the title.

There was so much emotion and passion in this game. Kansas scrapped and clawed and a big shot by Memphis' Derrick Rose appeared to have the Jayhawks down and out, but that was simply not the case. Give coach Self's team credit for never giving up. Kansas hit its free throws down the stretch to win its first national championship since 1988.

Now the question will come out about Self. Will he go to Oklahoma State and take a boatload of cash to coach his alma mater? Stay tuned as that story could get dramatic.

Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in December 1979. Send him a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.