March Madness

Social Media Reacts to Kansas' Epic Comeback in Title Win Over North Carolina

From Joel Embiid to Vince Carter, Twitter had a lot to say about this meeting of basketball royalty.

USA Today

In a faceoff of college basketball blue bloods, Kansas beat North Carolina in thrilling fashion, pulling off the biggest championship game comeback in March Madness history.

The Jayhawks and Tar Heels gave fans plenty of viral moments, from North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis' animated halftime interview to Kansas guard Christian Braun's passionate -- and sometimes expletive -- celebrations that were caught on camera.

Out of the halftime break, Kansas mounted a gutsy comeback that embodied much of what made this tournament so great.

NBA stars were quick to weigh in on the game.

Carmelo Anthony, who led Syracuse to its only national title in 2003, offered his congrats to the Jayhawks.

While Damian Lillard, six-time NBA All-Star with the Portland Trail Blazers, took a walk down memory lane.

Meanwhile, Joel Embiid, a former Jayhawk, and Vince Carter, a former Tar Heel, joined the conversation.

Kansas head coach Bill Self and North Carolina's Davis both earned the respect of many on Twitter.

Davis led the Tar Heels to the national championship in his first year as head coach. A North Carolina alumni himself, Davis became the first coach to make the Final Four with the same program as both a player and coach.

His predecessor, Roy Williams, spent 15 seasons as head coach of the Jayhawks before taking over his alma mater in 2003. Williams won three national championships with the Tar Heels before retiring this past season. He was a very present role throughout the tournament and left no doubt that his loyalty lies with North Carolina.

Twitter also made note of the late start time, with tipoff at 9:20 ET.

The game also had business implications for some.

With a three-point lead and just seconds left on the clock, Kansas guard Dajuan Harris Jr. stepped out of bounds, giving the Tar Heels one last chance to tie it up and disappointing betters everywhere. The spread entering the game was Kansas -4, but Harris' turnover proved costly for those who picked Kansas to cover.

At the end of the day, many were grateful to have an exciting game of basketball and called on fans to maintain perspective in light of the results.

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