It didn't come out of nowhere. Our memory mostly tells us that Luke Maye's Final Four-clinching shot against Kentucky was completely unexpected, but sophomore Maye had quietly been asserting himself in some of Carolina's biggest games. He'd posted 16 points and 12 rebounds against Butler in the regional semifinal two nights earlier, and he'd been excellent in the season's first matchup with Kentucky.
Carolina lost that game, 103-100, despite a career-high 11 points from Maye. But Theo Pinson didn't play in that game, and he made a big difference in the rematch, including the game-winning assist to Maye.