'One Shining Moment' and other great memories from the Championship game


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SALT LAKE CITY — March Madness is over. The yearly custom of spending hours to craft the perfect bracket, only to have it decimated in three games, is over. The hope that a Cinderella runs through the big guys fell short. One last tradition to enjoy is "One Shining Moment."

Louisville is the only team that leaves the tournament with a win, but everyone gets to enjoy the video of all the different highlights of the tournament.

The video tracks a little bit of everything in 3:08. From early upsets like Harvard over New Mexico to the great underdog moments like Florida Golf Coast's great alley-oop. Last second 3's to tie or win. Emotion, fear, pride and sadness all shown.

This year might not have been the best tournament, but in the end, the highlights are always good enough to look back with joy on the quick month of madness.

Kevin Ware cuts down the nets

It's only been a week, but Ware has gone from just another kid on the Louisville team to the player with the broken leg.

Suddenly anyone could start a conversation simply by saying, "Did you see the injury?" Everyone knew what injury it was and it would come with any level of answer. There were people who watched it and others who couldn't. Some posted the picture online and fooled some into seeing the picture.

His story about bringing his teammates around after the injury is now the stuff of legend. In the end, they won for him and he got his moment.

Winners get to traditionally cut down the nets after climbing a ladder. With a broken leg, Ware was in no condition to climb up. They set it up so Ware could get the last cut of the net.

The rim was lowered and he got to raise up to get to the net and cut it down to wear it around his neck as his team cheered.

In eight days, Ware goes from one of the most sympathetic figures around to given the chance to join his teammates in one of the greatest celebrations around.

Rick Pitino gets scaredExplosions are scary. Explosions indoors are even scarier. Just ask Rick Pitino after he won the National Championship.

The clock ticked down and Pitino was going to congratulate Michigan. The end of game fireworks went off and Pitino wasn't expecting it.

Pitino went to duck-and-cover mode, then once he realized what happened had a quick laugh and remembered that he just won it all.

Alley-oop to take the lead:

The Cardinals didn't take the lead until very late in the first half, but they did it in a huge way. Their first lead happened with 24 seconds left in the half as they went up 37-36.

The lead change happened with Motrezl Harrell getting a huge alley-oop to cap a 14-3 run. It started with Louisville getting out on a fast break and the ball ended up in Peyton Siva's hands with his back to the basket.

Siva spins around and tosses the ball up to Harrell in an impressive no-look display as Harrell finishes the play off with a huge two-handed dunk to get the Cardinals going.

It might not have been the best of the tourney, but it belongs up there and is probably the defining moment in the game for the Cardinals on their way to the title.

Congratulations to the Louisville Cardinals for their NCAA Title and for a few good videos that they were able to provide.

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Jarom Moore

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