Charles Barkley on why he never wavered in belief KU would win national championship

After the Kansas men’s basketball team routed Villanova in the Final Four, former NBA MVP Charles Barkley predicted the Jayhawks would win the national championship.

But when KU trailed North Carolina by 15 points at halftime of the title game, his TBS cohorts let him have it. In the end, Barkley had the last laugh as KU rallied and beat the Tar Heels.

Barkley was asked this week about his faith in Kansas while on the “Golf Underground” podcast, which is co-hosted by Royals legend George Brett.

“They were the best team. Because I said Saturday (between the semifinal games) if you remember correctly, Kansas is the best team here and they’re gonna win a national championship,” Barkley recalled. “And they were killing me at halftime when Kansas was down.”

Despite ribbing from the TBS analysts, Barkley remained steadfast in his belief the Jayhawks could rally to beat the Tar Heels. They just needed to change their plan of attack.

Barkley said he thought KU was trying to use the same strategy in the title game that worked in the national semifinal against Villanova.

“I said you have a game plan for Game 1 that doesn’t work for Game 2,” Barkley said. “And for some reason they came out with that ... game plan they had against Villanova that worked because Villanova don’t got nobody over 6-2. And they just pounded it inside and just beat ‘em to death.

“They come out in the game against UNC and first of all, their big kid’s not bigger than anybody on North Carolina, and they had the same game plan, and I said if they start playing the way they’re supposed to play, they’re gonna win the game and they did. so give a shout out to coach (Bill) Self, because man, that was awful to watch in the first half.”

Brett then invited Barkley to see a game at Allen Fieldhouse, and Barkley said he wants to make that happen.

“I was having a conversation with somebody the other day. That is on my bucket list to go to a game at Phog Allen,” he said. “Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan, Phog Allen. I think that’s it. Those are the four places (on my bucket list).”