COLUMN: I remember when heartbreak turned into redemption for UNC men's basketball

I remember exactly where I was when Kris Jenkins ruined what would have been the greatest shot in North Carolina men’s basketball history.

I was standing, not sitting, on my couch in my Chapel View apartment. Seconds before, I experienced pure euphoria. Marcus Paige had just hit the most important shot of his career, double-pumping and hoisting the ball up in the air well beyond the 3-point line to tie Villanova at 74 in the 2016 National Championship game with just 4.7 seconds remaining. 

I remember the intense joy I felt when Paige hit that shot. I knew UNC was about to win its sixth NCAA championship just one year after Duke had taken the crown. My friend had ordered an Uber as we got ready to march to Franklin Street once UNC won the game in overtime, an outcome that was certain following Paige’s improbable bucket. 

I remember Jenkins receiving the ball, and I watched transfixed as he confidently pulled up and watched as his shot soared through the air. The ball dropped through the hoop and with that, my stomach also dropped. I immediately felt sick. My friend yelled in anger and stormed out of our apartment without saying a word, and my roommate and I exchanged looks of horror and disgust. We didn’t say a word to each other because there was nothing to say.

But I also remember the year that followed. I remember a team that did not have the most talent in the country, but led by three starters and six key contributors from the previous season’s national runner-up team, returning to redeem the heartbreak.

I remember Joel Berry II single-handedly delivering UNC a victory over Duke on the senior night for Kennedy Meeks, Nate Britt, Isaiah Hicks, Kanler Coker and Stilman White.

I remember watching North Carolina’s second-round game in the 2017 NCAA Tournament and thinking there would be no redemption, as Arkansas took a 5-point lead with 3:31 left. I remember telling my friends, “they’re screwed, the season is over” and then watching the team pull off a 12-0 run to eliminate the Razorbacks.

I remember when Luke Maye, just a sophomore reserve at the time, hit his game-winning shot to knock off Kentucky in the Elite Eight. I watched it with my roommates and friends and tackled one of my buddies as we dog-piled. My neighbors must have thought a fight was breaking out. 

I remember the following weekend, as my group of friends again sat in my apartment watching the Final Four game against Oregon. My excitement leading up to the game quickly turned into anxiety. 

As it unfolded, I could barely watch. My stomach started to sink, just as it had nearly a year before, walking out of the room at times because it was too stressful to watch. Then, Meeks grabbed an offensive rebound and tossed the ball to Theo Pinson, who launched it towards the roof as time expired.

I remember watching the national championship game with the same friends, this time at my friend’s house, due to its close proximity to Franklin Street. I felt confident during the game. I remember as Berry was fouled with 7.3 seconds left in the game. As he turned and yelled to the crowd, my friends and I jumped up and down as if we personally had just won the World Series. 

I remember the intense joy I felt as one of the worst moments of my UNC fandom turned into a moment of unadulterated happiness. I remember rushing Franklin Street and feeling closure. 

I remember jumping up and down in the crowd with thousands of students, parents and fans. I remember that feeling of heartbreak from a year before, replaced with full ecstasy.

A feeling I will never forget.

@christrenkle2

@DTHSports | sports@dailytarheel.com