The Kansas Jayhawks pulled off the biggest comeback victory in NCAA Championship Game history on Monday night. They trailed the North Carolina Tar Heels by 16 points late in the first half, and 15 points at the break. The Jayhawks managed to erase the entire deficit in less than 10 minutes, in route to winning their fourth national championship, 72-69. It was a thrilling game to watch, and obviously a tale of two halves. The Tar Heels dominated the paint in the first half, leading in second-chance points 18-2. But Kansas shored that up in the second half, and limited North Carolina to just 31 percent shooting for the game. With Kansas trailing 69-68 and less than two minutes to go, Jayhawks big man David McCormack hit back-to-back hook shots to put Kansas ahead for good.

It was the school's second NCAA Championship under head coach Bill Self. He helped engineer the Kansas Jayhawks to a title back in 2008 with Mario Chalmers and the Miracles. This school has knocked on the door so many times, but winning another title secures Self's place in history.

So, let's delve into the 3 reasons that Kansas beating North Carolina solidified Bill Self in college basketball history.

3 Reasons Why Kansas beating UNC Validated Bill Self's Legacy with the Jayhawks

1. Bill Self can win without NBA Lottery Picks

Even coach Self himself acknowledged prior to the title game vs. UNC that this was not his most talented team. He talked about this being maybe the closest team he ever coached, but was certainly not the most talented.

The only NBA Draft prospect on the team is likely the Big 12 Player of the Year, Ochai Agbaji. However, even Agbaji is somewhat limited and is not seen as a top pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. He dipped his toes in potentially joining the draft after last season, but did not like his projections. So, he decided to come back to school. It was a good decision, as he improved his draft stock.

But after watching North Carolina's Leaky Black bottle him up all game, his performance Monday night did not help his case. It did however help Self's case as a great basketball coach. Unlike so many other Hall of Fame coaches, Self continues to win at Kansas despite not having elite NBA talent on his teams.

We have seen so many freshman and sophomores carry programs to national titles over the last 10 to 20 years. But clearly, Self is a great teacher of the game of basketball. He can take lesser talent, bring them together and help turn them into champions.

2. Bill Self is an incredible motivator

After completing the greatest comeback in NCAA title game history, people wondered what in the world Self said to his team at halftime. He answered that question quite honestly.

Self apparently asked his team “would you rather be down 15 (points) with 20 minutes left, or down nine points with two minutes left?” He of course was referencing his other National Championship.

In 2008, Kansas trailed Coach John Calipari and the Memphis Tigers by nine points with just over two minutes remaining. Memphis missed a number of free throws, and Mario Chalmers hit one of the greatest shots in Jayhawks history, a deep three sending the game to overtime. Kansas would go on to win in OT, ending a 20-year drought without a championship.

An argument can be made the Self now has coached the two most impressive comeback victories in NCAA Championship game history. He knows how to motivate.

3. Bill Self joins truly elite company

With his second national championship as coach, Bill Self joined the likes of Dean Smith, Rick Pitino and Jay Wright as coaches who have won multiple titles. Overall, he is the 16th coach with more than one championship to his credit. But there are not many that also have the body of his resume.

He took over at Kansas for Roy Williams back in 2003. Since then, the Jayhawks have reached the Final Four on four occasions, winning the title twice. He has led Kansas to 16 Big 12 regular season conference titles in 20 seasons, which is astounding. Self also led the Jayhawks to nine Big 12 conference tournament titles. He was named National Coach of the Year in 2009 and in 2016, and the Big 12 Coach of the Year six times.

But the importance of winning the second championship cannot be overstated. Any team can go on a run and win a title. But if Kansas had only managed a single championship during Self's tenure, it would have been looked at very differently. Instead, Self is now recognized as one of the very best current coaches in college basketball. He also earned his place in history.