Soon enough I shall get to the several Shining Moments at the end of this truly championship-quality championship game, one which should have been played somewhere deserving, at Freedom Hall or the Palestra or Cole Fieldhouse or Hinkle or anywhere hoops worthy other than a cavernous pigskin palace in football country.

In a moment, maybe, maybe not, I shall join the crowd and extol the virtues of Kris Jenkins rising to the considerable occasion, Ryan Arcidiacano living out his dream, Jay Wright’s exemplary game plan and its execution, the Tar Heels’ resolve, Phil Booth’s amazing performance off the pine, Joel Berry’s opening half play, the contrasting reactions of MJ and Rollie in the stands, the Jenkins/ Britt brother against brother angle, and all the other storylines inclined to stick with us about the most exciting NCAA title tilt ever.

But first, I must admit, my thoughts the morning after are not of my resounding “Holy Shit!!” at the buzzer, or, frankly, the game itself. What I couldn’t get out of my mind were the words of a Carolina coach.

And it’s not Roy Williams, who was after the L in his cloying good ol’ Southern gentleman wish I coulda done more for kids mode.

No, I am thinking of Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera, who in his misguided apologies for the deplorable post-game performance of his showboating, usually boastful QB Cam Newton, said that Super Bowl losers shouldn’t have to face the media after the loss.

The reason I thought of those two in the aftermath of last night’s game was moment easily as shining as any other last evening, the minutes when defeated Marcus Paige met the press.

The kid had just done every possible thing he could to will his Tar Heels to victory, from ten down with 5:29 to play. A second chance layup after a gritty offensive board. A laser trey from the corner on an out of bounds play. And, of course, his shot almost but not quite for the ages, a double clutch three to knot the game with under five seconds to play.

Paige was devastated. Yet, in his moment of abject sorrow, he met the media, and, displaying maturity beyond his tender years, answered questions with poise and grace. His responses were articulate, incisive, detailed.

Watching him man up in the post game press conference, for whatever reasons, is what sticks with me this morning after.

 * * * * *

When I was an adolescent, how many times — hundreds? thousands?– did I get up early in the morning, take the leather b-ball given to me by John Dromo and Don Goldstein after a U of L freshman team practice, head around the corner to a basket on the side of garage in the alley, and play out championship game after championship game? Always as a Cardinal. Always for the victory. Always with enough time on my inner clock to seal the win.

How many tens of millions of hoops crazy kids, some of you are reading this right now, did the same thing, taking the last shot on a basket with no net, to win the big one for the team of his/her dreams?

Ryan Arcidiacano did.

How many title winning buckets must he have hoisted for his beloved Villanova Wildcats, from the time he first became conscious of basketball and fell in love with the alma mater of his parents?

And there he was last night in the exact spot he’d always dreamed of being, the only spot he’d ever fantasized about so much.

Wearing a Villanova jersey, dribbling the ball upcourt, the game tied with less than five seconds to play in the NCAA championship game.

Ready to take the shot he’d been preparing to shoot his whole life.

And he, displaying composure and prescience, instead passed the ball to a teammate who nailed the winner.

It is an instant of such profound resonance, I shall not sully it with any more hyperbole.

 * * * * *

The game was just too good, the stories so sweet, for me, or any scribe, to carry on too much.

So, just a few more musings.

Nova didn’t back into the championship. They beat three legit Top 5 teams to win the title.

When they lost that ten point advantage late, but held on unlike UVa, Northern Iowa and Wisconsin, the Wildcats put on display that “Philly toughness” that, but for the W, might have become a questioned cliché.

Jay Wright recruited overweight Kris Jenkins just because he wanted Nate Britt.

The Wildcats shot 65% from the field in the Final Four.

Ken Pomeroy proved why we talk about his computer rankings so much. He had Villanova #1.

How about Daniel Ochefu mopping the floor before the final play, in the exact spot where he knew his teammate would be scurrying up court with the ball?

How poignant when Joel Berry, after the game, said, “You feel the confetti but it’s not for you.”

Famous for getting the ball up court in a hurry, North Carolina had zero fast break points. Villanova also outscored the taller Tar Heels in the paint, and the deeper Tar Heels off the bench.

What a great basketball game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

— Seedy K