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Mario's memory is a bit interesting
For Chalmers, it wasn't The Shot that stands out to this day. It's the snub.
Chalmers made one of the biggest shots in NCAA Tournament history when his 3-pointer forced overtime in the title game against Memphis. Kansas won in overtime, and
Chalmers was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2008 Final Four in San Antonio.
But it's the vindication he received during the Jayhawks victory over the Tar Heels in the national semifinals that means the most to Chalmers, a North Carolina native who attended high school in Alaska.
"That was a personal game for a lot of people, especially for the University of Kansas, with Roy Williams leaving," Chalmers said of Williams' bolting Kansas to take over at UNC.
"It was personal with me, too, growing up always being a Tar Heels fan. That's where I was going to go, no matter what. Coach Williams didn't think that highly of me, I guess. He didn't offer me a scholarship."
Chalmers said Williams told him UNC wouldn't add another point guard until Raymond Felton left.
"And then, they went out and signed Bobby Frasor like the next week," Chalmers said of the disappointment he felt before he signed with Kansas. "So that's why that game against [UNC] was personal. I think that might have been bigger than winning the championship, because that was the game we wanted. We wanted to make a statement. Memphis, we didn't have any problem with Memphis -- other than wanting that ring when we got to that game."
For Chalmers, it wasn't The Shot that stands out to this day. It's the snub.
Chalmers made one of the biggest shots in NCAA Tournament history when his 3-pointer forced overtime in the title game against Memphis. Kansas won in overtime, and
Chalmers was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2008 Final Four in San Antonio.
But it's the vindication he received during the Jayhawks victory over the Tar Heels in the national semifinals that means the most to Chalmers, a North Carolina native who attended high school in Alaska.
"That was a personal game for a lot of people, especially for the University of Kansas, with Roy Williams leaving," Chalmers said of Williams' bolting Kansas to take over at UNC.
"It was personal with me, too, growing up always being a Tar Heels fan. That's where I was going to go, no matter what. Coach Williams didn't think that highly of me, I guess. He didn't offer me a scholarship."
Chalmers said Williams told him UNC wouldn't add another point guard until Raymond Felton left.
"And then, they went out and signed Bobby Frasor like the next week," Chalmers said of the disappointment he felt before he signed with Kansas. "So that's why that game against [UNC] was personal. I think that might have been bigger than winning the championship, because that was the game we wanted. We wanted to make a statement. Memphis, we didn't have any problem with Memphis -- other than wanting that ring when we got to that game."