John Walters

SAN ANTONIO - Three … two … wonderful!

Kansas guard Mario Chalmers, who set the Jayhawk single-season record for steals last season, robbed Memphis of its first national championship in this one in the Alamodome. The 6-1 junior from Anchorage, Alaska, calmly drained an overtime-forcing 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds left as Kansas culminated a 9-point comeback in the national championship game's final two minutes.

"I had no doubt whatsoever that it was going in," Chalmers told reporters, repeating himself at least as many times as the replay was likely being shown on television. "It felt good when it left my hands and I released it."

Michael Jordan, North Carolina, 1982. Lorenzo Charles, North Carolina State, 1983. Keith Smart, Indiana, 1987. And now Mario Chalmers, Kansas, 2008. Others have made big shots in the NCAA tournament, but only these four drained the game winner in the closing seconds. And if you want to pick nits and remind me that Chalmers' shot only forced overtime, well then, you should have seen that Memphis bench moments after. Rock Chalk outline the corpse.

"I just dropped to my knees," said Memphis power forward Joey Dorsey, who'd fouled out with 1:56 remaining. "I just dropped to my knees. Couldn't believe it. I was ready to cut down the nets."

Dorsey's coach, John Calipari, was also dumbfounded. He spent much of overtime either with both palms atop his cranium or pacing the sideline whilst slapping his right hand against his right thigh. Who knows, maybe Cher's "If I Could Turn Back Time" was running through his mind.

"All I wanna say is, 'I thought we were national champs'," Calipari said as he entered the post-game press conference.

He wasn't alone. A platoon of NCAA minions were pushing cardboard boxes filled with commemorative national champion T-shirts toward the Memphis bench only moments before Chalmers' rainbow.

Of course, it was not all that simple. After a frenetic and furious 38 minutes that must have even had viewers cramping up at home, Memphis found itself with a 60-51 lead at the 2:12 mark. That was the result of a 16-4 Memphis run over the previous seven minutes.

Then Kansas began fouling.

Men's NCAA Championship      UNC 89, Michigan St. 72 Images: Best moments Bracket  |  Champions Carolina runs to 5th NCAA title Opinion: Heels cement special place in history Beyond the Arc: Great time to stay in school Opinion: Sorry Dean — UNC now Roy's program Kansas team to beat in '10  |  15 to watch A Top 25 for next year  |  Who's in yours? Images: Which school has the best alumni? One shining moment can last a lifetime

All tournament long pundits had admonished Memphis for its woeful free-throw shooting. Memphis, 38-1 and indomitable in most every other way, gave new meaning to the term "charity stripe" by converting only 59 percent during the season. Calipari downplayed that statistic.

"I think I have mentally tough kids," Calipari said on Sunday. "If they're relaxed, they're going to make free throws. A kid who's not mentally tough who shoots 90 percent, knees knocking, he's missing it. Percentage doesn't matter, and we've got tough kids."

Recent history seemed to bear Coach Cal out. The Tiger made 50 of 59 free throws in their Elite Eight and Final Four victories. His All-American backcourt of Chris Douglas-Roberts and Derrick Rose had gone 23-28 (82.1 percent) and 18-20 (90 percent), respectively, during those games.

No one here is about to question the mental fortitude of Douglas-Roberts and Rose, both of whom were brilliant this evening. However, this must be noted. Memphis shot 9 of 12 (75 percent) from the free-throw line in all but the final two minutes of the championship game. In those last two minutes the Tigers, i.e, Douglas-Roberts and Rose, were 3 of 7 (42.9 percent) from the line. CDR was inciting the need for CPR among Tiger fans, missing 3 of 5 foul shots. Rose missed one of two.

Conversely, Chalmers and his blue-jerseyed buddies missed 8 of 9 3-pointers before the score was 60-51. In the final two minutes Kansas made both 3-pointers that it attempted.

"I really can't explain why I missed those free throws," said Douglas-Roberts, who missed a pair with 0:16 remaining and Memphis up by two. "I don't know. I don't know. You play this game and some things you can't explain."

Going OT NCAA Championship overtime games — 2008 — Kansas 75, Memphis 68, OT — 1997 — Arizona 84, Kentucky 79, OT — 1989 — Michigan 80, Seton Hall 79, OT — 1963 — Loyola, Ill. 60, Cincinnati 58, OT — 1961 — Cincinnati 70, Ohio State 65, OT — 1957 — North Carolina 54, Kansas 53, 3OT — 1944 — Utah 42, Dartmouth 40, OT

Still, those back-to-back blunders were erased by an offensive rebound by Robert Dozier. When Rose was fouled six seconds later, Douglas-Roberts took the ball and spiked it against the court. In another setting, in a game with less on the line, a referee might have called a technical foul. In fact, CDR appeared to realize his third error in that brief time span, extending his arm out and palms down in an "I'm chill" expression.

And Douglas-Robers might have been just that if Rose had made both free throws. But the phenomenal freshman, who'd finish with 18 points, only made one. And as Kansas guard Sherron Collins raced upcourt with the ball in the game's dying seconds, there was not a fan watching — in the Alamodome, in Alaska, and everywhere within that radius, who did not wonder, is Memphis at long last about to suffer for its free throw sins?

"When they missed those free throws," said Kansas Director of Basketball Operations Ronnie Chalmers, "I knew we had a chance. I didn't know how, but I knew we had a chance."

Ronnie Chalmers is, yes, Mario's father. A few years ago Ronnie and Mario flew from the family home in Anchorage to see the Final Four in person. Ronnie was Mario's coach at Bartlett High School and the two had just always wanted to see a Final Four in person. Father and son have a lifelong basketball jones.

"Mario came out of the womb shooting baskets," Ronnie says.

So off the father and son went to see the Final Four. And as they sat there together, living an American Express commercial, Mario told his dad, "One day I'm going to be here and win a national championship."

The son was using "here" in a figurative sense, meaning the Final Four. Unbeknownst to the two of them, he was also using it in a literal sense. Ronnie and Mario attended the 2004 Final Four, which was held in … the Alamodome.

MORE FROM COLLEGE BASKETBALL

College basketball Section Front

What to watch for as season starts Opinion: Kansas tops 2009-10 hoops storylines   Baylor freshman woman provides dunk preview Wall goes for 27 as No. 4 Kentucky routs Clarion Tar Heels hold recent edge on rival Blue Devils Beyond the Arc: Missouri literally sleeps at the gym UConn's Dyson, Beverly cleared to play Boeheim poised for win No. 800 Another round of teaching for Saint Louis' Majerus At Seattle U it's dad taking orders from son College basketball Section Front   Add College basketball headlines to your news reader: