NEW ORLEANS—Maybe you had convinced yourself that Monday was just a bonus.
Maybe, in the delirious aftermath of Saturday's era-ending win over Duke, you'd persuaded your mind that you'd be completely relaxed during Monday's national championship game against Kansas. Maybe you even made a few existential bargains on Saturday: "If we can just win this one, I'm OK with anything on Monday."
At some point against Kansas, though—perhaps it was when Carolina fought back from an early 7-0 deficit or maybe when Brady Manek had a couple of big first half blocks or certainly when the Tar Heels had a 15-point halftime lead—all the rationalizations ended and reality began.