He strutted across the center-court logo and assertively pointed his right index finger toward the floor, a man staking his claim.
“I’m here!” Kansas guard Malik Newman shouted. “I’m here!”
This was overtime in the Elite Eight, a matchup between two Hall of Fame coaches and two of the most prominent programs in college basketball, a game that Kansas players had said they so desperately wanted to win to send their senior leader to a Final Four.
But in this moment, it wasn’t about Duke. It wasn’t about Kansas. It wasn’t about perhaps the best game this year’s NCAA tournament has offered.