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D'Arcy Maine, ESPN.com 12y

The Maine Event: Live From New Orleans

11:47 PM: Thanks to everyone for following along tonight and throughout the tournament. You've made this a lot of fun. I'll remember this long after this win no longer counts in the record books. Goodnight!

11:45 PM: Sympathies to the Kansas fans... and, let's face it, everyone else in America.

11:43 PM: So there you have it, folks. The conclusion of the 2011-2012 season. The one-and-doners knocked off the veteran squad handing Calipari his first-ever title. Enjoy this one Wildcat fans. Hell of a season.

11:41 PM: Final score: Kentucky 67, Kansas 59. Hide your couches, Lexington.

11:40 PM: And the Kentucky Wildcats are your National Champions! Should I put an asterik in now or wait?

11:38 PM: UK fans all on their feet. KU fans are too... but they're walking to the exit. Lamb on the line. He widens the lead to 67-59, 17.5 seconds to go. Sigh.

11:37 PM: On the plus side Kansas fans, at least you won't have to worry about seeing any of these Kentucky players in the tournament next year. So there's that.

11:34 PM: Taylor penetrates the lane to find the basket. That's 19 for him on the day. Won't be enough but a hell of an effort.

11:33 PM: Teague on the charity stripe. That's two. UK up 8. Crowd can sense it now. Not that that's much different than the rest of the game.

11:32 PM: Kansas turns the ball over. Just when I thought this might happen. I blame myself really.

11:31 PM: Kentucky up, 63-57, with 1:11 to go...

11:30 PM: Davis misses his first attempt on the line. Does make the second. This game was starting to feel remarkably like 2008 for a minute there... Calipari's facial expressions made me think he knew that too.

11:29 PM: T-Rob makes them both. Kansas within FIVE. That feels good to write.

11:28 PM: MKG with the foul. It's nice to know he's still in this game but I think that's a reminder Calipari could have down without.

11:27 PM: Teague for three. Followed immediately by a Johnson three. Where was this KU team, I don't know, the entire rest of this game?

11:25 PM: T-Rob just made it interesting. Nailed them both from the line. Kansas down 7. I don't think they'll come back but this has to be a tense few moments for UK fans... and those concerned with 6.5-point spread. Probably more so for the latter category.

11:22 PM: The good news: Kansas is now within single digits. The bad news: There's only 3:52 left.

11:20 PM: I've spent 90% of this blog making fun of Kansas but I would like to disclude Taylor for those comments. He's giving it everything he has out there. Now with 17 after back-to-back scoring possessions.

11:18 PM; The 'Go Big Blue' chants have started. And just in time for Davis' first field goal of the day.

11:14 PM: Video board playing all Kentucky highlights with, 'you are not watching the throne, don't let me get into my zone'. Yup. Even the NCAA gets it. That's a first.

11:12 PM: Rock Block Jayhawk.

11:12 PM: Charles Barkley might have been right. This team really could beat the Wizards.

11:10 PM: Davis now with three points. No field goals.

11:09 PM: Kansas is now 5-for-10 from the line. You would think Bill Self would have made sure the team was prepared on that front.

11:07 PM: Please know as a UConn fan, I'm pretending we're talking about Jeremy Lamb everytime I write 'Lamb'. It makes this a little easier.

11:06 PM: Well that was a cute run there Jayhawks. Thanks for briefly making it interesting. Kentucky runs ahead to a 54-38 advantage after Lamb's latest three with exactly 10 minutes to play.

11:03 PM: Contest during the timeout between the student sections. In the least surprising news of the day, Kentucky wins. Again.

11:00 PM: KANSAS WITHIN 10!!! Maybe there is a higher power afterall.

10:58 PM: Kansas band singing 'We're not going to take it'. Really? Could have fooled me.

10:57 PM: Jayhawks back within 12! Yes, this provokes an exclamation point use. That just about sums up this game.

10:55 PM: I'm starting to get concerned that the crowd has passed out. The combination of boredom and excessive alcohol consumption can't end well.

10:54 PM: Danny Manning being shown on the video board. Biggest applause for anything Kansas-related all day. Guess you can't go wrong with the last name Manning in this town.

10:53 PM: Now this is just getting sad. Jones with another emphatic slam. After stealing the ball from Robinson.

10:52 PM: Davis finally gets a point. Singular. He makes 1-for-2 from the line. But at least he's not scoreless. Please remove that adjective from your Twitter feed.

10:48 PM: Just received a warning (on paper) that confetti will fall on my laptop at the end of the game and may damage it. Great. Another thing to look forward to.

10:45 PM: Davis' three blocks in the first half breaks the single-season record for a freshman with 183. Only Davis could have a lousy half and still find a way to break a record.

10:44 PM: Kansas's shooting from the line looks an awful lot like... Memphis in the 2008 game. That's not a compliment. But I think both of th these coaches remember that well.

10:43 PM: ...Or not. A missed dunk. Does one's ego ever recover from that? I really have no idea. I'm 5'1.

10:42 PM: Robinson strikes first in the half. That's somewhat promising. Jayhawks back within 12. Here comes that famed KU rally!

10:40 PM: Shockingly, Kansas decided to come back from the second half. At least in the literal sense. They are on the court. Can't promise much else.

10:36 PM: Guessing the CBS crew used the halftime break to finish the 'One Shining Moment' video.

10:33 PM: Anthony Davis' first-half stats: 0 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks, 1 steal.

10:30 PM: This game is over but to keep you with me for the second half I would like to point out, Kansas has trailed at halftime three times this tournament. Obviously those games worked out okay.

10:25 PM: Some Reggie Miller guy receives the largest applause. Thankfully I know he's a good three-point shooter. Because he's only reminded us of that 43098534850943853 times during his broadcasting career.

10:23 PM: Latest HOF inductees being honored. The All-American Red Heads are being called the 'female Harlem Globe-Trotters'. This is awesome minus the follow-up fact that they won 70% of their games.

10:22 PM: Lamb the leading scorer at the break with 12. MKG has 11 to help carry the load without Davis' typical production. Kentucky shooting 53% from the field overall.

10:19 PM: Taylor attacks the lane for the easy two to finish the half. I'm pretty sure fans of all teams applauded that. Mainly out of pity. Halftime. Kentucky 41, Kansas 27. Could be worse.

10:18 PM: And with 1:01 left in the first half, Kentucky has already matched Butler's point total from the 2011 title game. Seriously.

10:16 PM: Davis now with two fouls and zero points. He'll take the bench the rest of the half. See KU fans? Everything isn't going Kentucky's way.

10:13 PM: At this points the refs should probably do us all a favor and call all 50-50 balls the Jayhawks way. Please. I'm begging you.

10:12 PM: So... how about that 6.5-point spread?

10:10 PM: Timeout. Kentucky with a 37-21 lead, 3:33 to play in the first. The Wildcats are five points away from outscoring Butler in last year's National Championship game. Seriously.

10:07 PM: Davis still has zero points. And yet somehow this fact just further humiliates Kansas.

10:06 PM: Taylor scored! Taylor scored! Kansas is back... within 13. So there's that.

10:03 PM: Lexington residents may want to start hiding their couches... now. Teague for three.

10:01 PM: As if tonight couldn't get any more demoarlizing for Kansas, Kentucky just won the battle of the flash mobs. Nothing is going the way of the Jayhawks tonight.

10:00 PM: There aren't enough time outs in the world that could help the Jayhawks right now.

9:58 PM: ...Same cannot be said for Kentucky. You know when they're shooting. Because it seems to fall in the basket every time. Marquis Teague for three. Kentucky with a 31-19 lead, 7:14 left in the first. Sigh.

9:57 PM: I'm not even sure when Kansas is passing or shooting at this point.

9:54 PM: And Kentucky now has a double-digit lead. I was at least hoping we could get through a half without that happening.

9:51 PM: It took a minute for the crowd to figure it out but both student sections are doing their flash mob dances. HUGE reception. When you consider that 90% of these kids are Spring Break-level hungover, I'm just impressed they could jump up and down. Let alone in rhythm.

9:50 PM: Travis Releford obviously listened to whatever Bill Self said during that break.

9:48 PM: Self and Co. are huddled on the bench and sitting off the court. There's nothing snarky to say here. Just a strange move.

9:47 PM: Was typing that last entry but I knew Kentucky had done something as the stadium started to vibrate. MKG with the layup. 'Cats up, 24-14. Obviously Self is going to take a moment for quiet reflection with his players.

9:46 PM: With that SC-worthy dunk, Jones has now matched his Saturday point total (6). And we're not even ten minutes in.

9:44 PM: Robinson with the dunk, followed immediately by a massive roll of thunder. Hope they keep that part in the Disney movie of this game. It's a nice effect.

9:43 PM: KU bench seems much more tense and hunched over then their counterparts. The UK players don't seem to have the same nervous energy. I guess they've been planning on this moment for some time.

9:41 PM: Finally something to cheer about for the Rock Chalk faithful. Jeff Withey with old-fashioned three-point play.

9:39 PM: On the other hand, Terrence Jones already has almost the same amount of points he had on Saturday already. Guess that's not saying much. But that dunk was a nice reminder of his existence.

9:37 PM: Almost six minutes in and Davis has yet to score a bucket (0-for-3). Let's please panic over this on Twitter for the next 3-4 minutes.

9:35 PM: Doron Lamb for three. Somebody in the NCAA office better start mass ordering white-out for the record books.

9:34 PM: It it too early to sound the alarms on this one? Kentucky jumps ahead to an 11-7 lead after capitalizing on multiple Kansas' turnovers.

9:32 PM: This game is getting physical early. There's no chance we escape this with no injuries. Hope that doesn't ruin Kentucky's hyped Draft tryout tonight!

9:31 PM: Elijah Johnson with the first three of the day. KU up, 5-3.

9:29 PM: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist takes a hard fall. He's slow to get up but makes it to the line. And I thought his biggest issue would be staying out of foul trouble tonight. Had to be a scary moment for Wildcats fans. And we're only 70 seconds in.

9:28 PM: Tyshawn Taylor gets the Jayhawks on the board first. At least we can say 'Kansas is in the lead!' at some point tonight.

9:27 PM: Game time! Here we go...

9:26 PM: So much for that 9:23 on the dot tip-off...

9:24 PM: KU fans throw confetti during starting lineups. UK students just split my eardrums. People seem to really like this Anthony Davis kid, huh?

9:21 PM: Who's ready for this basketball game? I got here six hours early so I know I am.

9:19 PM: The Fray with a horrific performance of the National Anthem. On the plus side, I've never heard a perform rehearse so many time prior to the game. On the down side, they actually practiced that performance.

9:17 PM: In honor of the last national title game played in this building, I'm going to stand and cheer the first time both teams make it over half-court line.

9:15 PM: It's probably a 65-35 split of Kentucky to Kansas fans but both fan bases are LOUD. So much so they are drowning out the thunder... and the PA announcer. He might as well go home early. His job is completely meaningless tonight.

9:14 PM: Spoiler alert: The student sections will both be participating in a flash mob dance organized by the fun police known as the NCAA. I would keep your expectations low.

9:12 PM: Please make tonight's blog as interactive as possible. This is the National Championship so don't let the season end without your voice being heard nationally on such things Anthony Davis' unibrow, Calipari's scrupulous record with the NCAA or 'Rock, Chalk Jayhawk' puns. Let us hear 'em in the comments section or on Twitter (@darcymaine_espn).

9:09 PM: Was impressed with the thunder sound effect booming throughout the stadium. Until the building started shaking. That's taking this 'perfect storm' thing a little too literally for my liking.

9:05 PM: If you're still wondering who to root for tonight, I would say... pull for Kentucky if you like winners and pull for Kansas if you're concerned with things like ethics, academics and a team that will actually be in the record books in five years. Just my friendly, unsolicited advice.

9:03 PM: Scene outside of the Superdome and all through the Quarter for the past 48 hours has been a sea of Blue and spontaneous chant of 'C-A-T-S, Cats, Cats, Cats!' and 'Rockkkkkk Chalkkkkkkk Jayhawk'. There may or may not have been one U-C-O-N-N chant as well. But I digress. It's been a mob scene of fans at all hours. Seriously. All hours. I wouldn't be surprised if a large portion of this crowd passes out during this game.

9:01 PM: Greetings from the Superdome for the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME! Felt like that needed to be in all caps right there. Not because my caps lock key got stuck and I was too lazy to fix it... We have a basketball lover's dream matchup tonight two bluebloods in Kansas and Kentucky. So many storylines tonight - Veterans vs. One-and-dones, Self vs. Calipari Part 2, Good vs. Evil... I'll stop here.

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