Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press
Michigan's Spike Albrecht defending Louisville's Luke Hancock, who had five 3-pointers. More Photos »
ATLANTA — The nets did not move. That is how pure their jumpers were. In they went, again and again, from 21 feet and beyond, shot by a Michigan freshman named Spike and a Louisville junior named Luke. No one dared miss, and neither did. It was the highest-stakes game of Horse they had ever played — on the raised court of the Georgia Dome, a national championship the prize — and, perhaps, the unlikeliest one, too.
Before Monday night, Spike Albrecht was known, in the words of his coach, for being the most eligible bachelor on the Michigan campus. He does not start. Before this weekend, Luke Hancock was known for rushing to teammate Kevin Ware's aid and kneeling beside him. He does not start, either.
But he can shoot, and every 3-pointer that spun off his hands before halftime dropped through the hoop. There were four of them, and then his fifth, with about three minutes remaining, secured victory for Louisville, title for Louisville. It extended the Cardinals' lead to 10, and they eventually won, 82-76, to capture their first championship since 1986.
With three minutes left in the first half, Albrecht had four 3-pointers and Hancock none. Fans around the nation scurried to their favorite Internet search engine to learn more about a player who began Monday averaging 1.8 points and ended it trending on Twitter. It was all Albrecht, all the time, but then, with Louisville trailing 35-23, Hancock got open, over and over. When his staccato bursts subsided, Louisville trailed, 36-35.
The shooting display par excellence mesmerized their teammates and the boisterous crowd. Albrecht pumped his fist and gestured to the crowd. Hancock put his fingers to his head as he backpedaled upcourt. In 20 minutes' time, the tournament of Russdiculous and Trey — the Louisville guard Russ Smith and Michigan guard Trey Burke, the national player of the year — had morphed into a stage for Albrecht and Hancock.
A few years apart, they followed similar career paths. Overlooked out of high school, each spent a year at a prep school to gain visibility, Albrecht in Massachusetts and Hancock in Virginia, where he landed at George Mason. After transferring when the coach, Jim Larranaga, left for Miami, Hancock sat out last season for the Cardinals, had shoulder surgery and emerged as a critical sixth man.
"As soon as we started playing Luke Hancock more," Coach Rick Pitino said, "our halfcourt offense evolved into something special."
This has been a particularly emotional three weeks for Hancock, whose father, Bill, is ill with an undisclosed ailment, as reported by Yahoo Sports. He did not attend the Cardinals' first four games, but he and his wife, Van, reportedly drove here from their home in Roanoke, Va.
After pouring in 20 points off the bench Saturday night against Wichita State, Hancock thanked Pitino for the opportunity. After leading the Cardinals with 22 points on Monday night, Hancock reflected.
"It's hard to put into words," he said. "I'm so excited that he was here. It just means a lot."
Bill Hancock was present to watch his son become the first nonstarter to be named the most outstanding player at the Final Four since at least 1939. When the moderator at the postgame news conference made that announcement, Hancock, walking off the dais, just nodded. The emotion, he showed that earlier.
As Smith strode to the foul line with two seconds left, with Louisville up by 6 points, Hancock hopped around midcourt and flexed, looking toward the crowd, before giving a flying shoulder-bump to Peyton Siva. Hancock bettered his performance from the other day, finishing with 22 points, scoring 6 after halftime, helping the Cardinals build their lead. That is where he differed from Albrecht, who scored all 17 of his points in an absurdly efficient 12-minute spurt.
"Fortunately, I was hitting shots," said Albrecht, who appeared dazed afterward, his eyes red. He logged 28 minutes, by far a career best. "Teammates were finding me."
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