Calipari concedes gamble did not pay off
SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - Memphis coach John Calipari thought having Derrick Rose at the free throw line with the game in his hands was the perfect situation.
The Tigers were up 62-60 with 10.8 seconds left and his standout freshman was ready to hand-deliver Memphis their first national championship.
Hit both free throws and Rose might rival Elvis Presley as Memphis's favorite son.
"I'm going to tell you what I said on the bench when Derrick went to the line," Calipari told reporters. "You know, I think everything in life happens for a reason.
"And I sat there and I looked up and I said, 'Lord, if he makes this, these two, we're supposed to be national champs.' And if that's your will, I'm fine. And if he misses them and we're not, I'm fine with that, too.'
"That's what I said in my mind."
Rose made only one of two free throws and Kansas guard Mario Chalmers hit a game-tying three-pointer from the top of the key with 2.1 seconds left to send the game into overtime.
The Jayhawks dominated Memphis in the extra session to win 75-68 on Monday and claim their third national title and first since Danny Manning led them to the crown two decades ago.
Memphis missed four of five free throws in the final 1:15 of regulation to lose for the second time in 40 games this season.
Chris Douglas-Roberts, who finished with 22 points, blew all three of his free throws, while Rose hit only one of two in the clutch.
TON OF BRICKS
The 49-year-old Calipari, whose team led for most of the second half, said he gambled and lost.
"I was trying with that lead to just finish the game off," he said. "So I didn't do a whole lot of subbing those last eight minutes.
"And that really beat down Chris and even Derrick. And I rolled the dice. I basically said, 'We better get out of here in regulation.'"
Calipari said his players were inconsolable after losing a nine-point lead in the final 2:12 of regulation.
"They're suffering right now. But you think about what they've done, 38 wins. They took on all comers. They put themselves in a position to win the national title.
"They did everything they were supposed to do really against the odds, and they did it, and they were there, and it slips. It's devastating to them."
Calipari said the loss had not really hit him yet.
"What just happened, you're kind of numb to it," he said.
"It will probably hit me like a ton of bricks tomorrow, that we had it in our grasp."
(Editing by Peter Rutherford)
