As Ryan Arcidiacono
received the inbounds pass with 4 seconds left in the National Championship and
the game tied at 74-74, Nova Nation thought he was going to be the one taking
the shot at the end of the game. There was plenty of time for the senior guard
to lead them one last time, just like he had game in and game out over his four
years as a Wildcat.
He drove down the court and had he taken the shot, nobody
would have questioned it. He had ice in his veins the entire tournament, able
to take over stretches of games like nobody else in the most clutch moments. If
one guy was going to make that shot, Arch seemed like the most appropriate
candidate.
Instead, he opted to pass, a little underhand toss
backwards to a wide open Kris Jenkins. Time seemed to stand still as the
patrons of Kelly’s Taproom held their collective breath as Jenkins launched the
shot from well beyond the arc.
Buzzer. Cotton. Pandemonium.
Beers were thrown into the air, drenching those in the
surrounding area in a victory shower 31 years in the making. Nobody minded—a
little beer wasn’t going to douse the fire that was sparked by Jenkins shot. Hugs
and high-fives, tears and screams of joy consumed the bars and watch parties
all around campus for the first couple of seconds following the shot.
Then,
as if all summoned at once, Nova Nation poured out into the streets, its
excitement no longer containable by the buildings in which it watched the shot
fall. Lancaster Avenue became a spectacle of human celebration. The crowd grew
larger and larger as Wildcats came out of the woodworks, all running to join a
mob that stretched over an entire block. Music was blared from windows, the
crowd broke out into songs and chants. Girls were hoisted onto guys’ shoulders and
they threw their hands in the air, cheering as the greatest ride of their life
reached its peak.
Rolls
of toilet paper streamed through the sky. Police officers lined the streets.
Drinks were raised up and smashed onto the ground. High above, news station
helicopters captured the scene of a mass gathering, but no camera captured the
pure joy on the faces of the people in the crowd.
Closer
to campus an even bigger group gathered. All of those inside the Pavilion
poured out into the streets and formed a mob that began a small fire. To keep
the firing going, students began uprooting trees and tossing them into the
blaze. Back on Lancaster Ave. outside of Kelly’s, a Tar Heels flag was burned
on the street.
The
mob continued near campus for a couple of hours, while the one near Kelly’s
died down after about an hour. The crowd slowly made its way into the three
bars nearby, where lines stretched full blocks and there was nowhere to move
once inside. You definitely weren’t going to get a drink, yet nobody wanted to
leave. Everyone was uncomfortably close to everyone else and there was nowhere
left to sit, in fact chairs were just another object taking up valuable
physical space, but everyone wanted to stay. The TVs in the bar showed the mob
near campus with large fires burning and a huge crowd of people, but it was too
far away from the bar to make it in time.
Eventually,
people returned to their homes or found a place to sleep for a couple of hours.
In the aftermath, Lancaster Ave. was covered in beer cans, broken glass and
trash left behind by those in the mob. By no means was the celebration over,
but for then, Nova Nation needed to revamp and get ready for their heroes to
return home. Classes were canceled Tuesday following the team’s victory and a
parade was scheduled for Friday in Center City, Philadelphia to cap off the
team’s historic run.
None
of those in the mobs saw Jay Wright hoist the national championship trophy or saw
the nets being cut down, and if it weren’t for social media none of them would
have known that Arch was named the Final Four MVP until the party dwindled for
the night. And none of them cared. As soon as that shot fell, they sprinted
from their houses or from the bars and piled into the streets. They needed to
shout and cheer and be with the collective group to try to understand the
significance of what had just happened. After watching that shot go in, the
only thing that made sense to do was to join the giant crowd and celebrate together.
For
the rest of the nation it was an instant classic. A buzzer beater three to cap
a slug-fest with the NCAA championship on the line; it doesn’t get any better
than an ending like that But for Nova Nation, this is everything. They will
remember who they were with, where they were and the events that followed
Jenkins shot with the clarity and vividness of something that happened minutes
ago, no matter how much time has passed. Those that were lucky enough to be
there in the euphoric chaos will never have those memories fade.
This
team has solidified itself in history by putting together one of the best NCAA
tournament runs of all time. It will forever be a part of Nova Nation, just
like the moment when Jenkins’ shot went through the net will forever be etched
into the minds of those watching on April 4, 2016.
