by Cassie Florido, photos by MCT Campus

I come to you with this blog in a very emotionally unstable time. It’s over. Done. Fin. Basketball season is no more.

After a couple of weeks with non-stop games, just like that it’s over. It’s like ripping a band aid off, way too quick and painful.

On Monday, the Louisville Cardinals became the Champions of the 2012-2013 season, and deservingly so. The Cardinals were the overall number one seed in the tournament and lived up to their expectations.

The national championship game was one to be remembered for a long time. Up until the last couple minutes of the game, I had no idea who was going to come out on top. Also, I could not decide if I wanted Michigan or Louisville to win. Each team was leaving it all on the court which was amazing to watch. The whole game it seemed like both teams were treating each possession like their last, which added to the fast paced, exciting game.

One of the best stories of the game came in the first half. Spike Albrecht was the talk of the game in the first half. Albrecht, who averaged 1.5 points a game this season, scored 17 points in the first half for Michigan. It seemed like every time he shot he wasn’t going to miss. It was really a great moment for an underrated player. At one point it seemed like the game was just a shootout between Albrecht and Louisville’s Luke Hancock. Two players having the game of their life on the biggest stage. That’s what the NCAA Tournament is all about. Living the dream.

But in the end, Hancock and Louisville came out on top. Hancock also became the first ever nonstarter to win the MVP since 1939.

One could argue that the main reason Louisville was able to win was because of Kevin Ware. After becoming the talk all around the sports world, Ware showed great leadership in leading his team emotionally even though he was unable to play. “Win for Ware” became the team’s motivation and proved to bring the team closer together towards their ultimate goal.

This tournament was surely one of the greatest I have ever experienced. The upsets made history. New players stepped into the spotlight. People “shocked” the world. Teams bonded together through tragedy. And it was all topped off with an unforgettable ending.

But now it’s time to say goodbye. The 2012-2013 basketball season is officially over, but here’s to next year in hopes that it is just as crazy and memorable as this past season.

Goodbye basketball season, you will be missed.