In 10 years, you will be asked where you were the night of April 4. You will be asked if you saw Marcus Paige’s double-clutch miracle of a shot with five seconds left, a shot that would have gone down in history. Would have, if it was not topped just seconds later by Kris Jenkins' game-winning prayer that brought North Carolina, Villanova and all viewers of the game to their knees in a communal moment of pure and utter disbelief.
Every sport has its moments — moments that define it. Moments that are shown, talked about and cherished, for years to come. College basketball has its fair share of greatness, from Michael Jordan’s baseline winner in ‘82, to Christian Laettner’s catch and shoot in ’92, to Mario Chalmers more recent dagger of a shot in ‘08. And now it has one more.
In a season that was as unpredictable as any in recent memory, this tournament, even before the dramatic finish late Monday night, seemed like a fitting end. Heavily-favored Kansas was neutralized in the Elite Eight by a starless, faceless Villanova team. Wooden Award finalist Denzel Valentine and his mighty Michigan State team was conquered by the even mightier Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders in the first round of the tournament, and the Syracuse Orange went to the Final Four after everyone had them already penciled into the NIT.
This was after a season in which no team was able to be “the best team” for long. It seemed like every week had a new No. 1 seed, with no one team dominating college basketball as we have grown accustomed to in past years. This year, there was no pursuit for perfection like the Kentucky team of 2014-15, but a pursuit for consistency among the top teams. Never before had a season gone by without a team being ranked number one for at least five straight weeks That was until this unforgettable, roller coaster of a season that held true to its course until its final horn.
In the end, the Villanova Wildcats were crowned the champions of the college basketball world. On a night of greatness, concluding a season of chaos, this team of no-names was somehow able to end on top, in the process delivering a game that will stay embedded in the minds of all who watched and a shot that will be forever remembered in college basketball folklore for generations to come.