You remember Michael Jordan, in between commercials, finding a way to win so many basketball games that mattered. We come this March to mark the 25th anniversary of one he didn't.

It was his last college game. An upset that still rankles a quarter century later, like a large pebble in his Air Jordans.

He seldom looks back with regret. Why would a man need to, with six NBA titles and 32,292 points?

But March 22, 1984, is the exception.

"Without a doubt," Jordan said over the phone. "It ended my era in college. I wanted to win on the way out."

North Carolina went into the East Regional in Atlanta ranked No 1 with a 28-2 record. Five Tar Heels — Jordan, Sam Perkins, Kenny Smith, Brad Daugherty and Joe Wolf — would eventually be first-round draft picks.

Indiana had eight defeats and an unheralded lineup. Only two Hoosiers — Steve Alford and Uwe Blab — would dabble in the NBA.

They also had Bob Knight.

"He did a great job in making us believe it could happen," said Alford, now New Mexico's coach.

This was Knight at his best. Not the controversial volcano but the superb tactician. He ditched his beloved motion offense and spread the floor, to better combat Dean Smith's trapping defenses.

Alford remembers that only twice in his four Indiana years did Knight try that — this game and the 1987 Final Four against UNLV. Indiana, an underdog each time against top-ranked opponents, won both.

Another Knight idea: Put a blue-collar defender named Dan Dakich on Jordan. Dakich was ordered to deny Jordan the backdoor cut, the post-up and offensive rebounds. Fail at any, and he was on the bench.

Dakich learned of his assignment a few hours before the game. Already ill, he went back to his room and threw up.

Jordan picked up two early fouls, and Smith sat him the rest of the first half, a decision that would inspire many second guesses.

"Everybody thought Coach Smith was at fault for keeping me on the sidelines," Jordan said. "But with me not on the floor, we were still a strong basketball team."

North Carolina trailed 32-28 at halftime, but instead of surging with Jordan's return, fell further behind. Indiana's lead grew to 12, shrank to two, but was preserved by freshman Alford's late free throws, the last of his 27 points. The Hoosiers shot 69.6 percent and won 72-68.

Jordan was a junior but the NBA was calling. His last college line showed 13 points, 6-for-14 shooting, five fouls — and one broken heart.

"When I got back in the second half, I felt like I was trying to cram 40 minutes into 20 minutes," he said. "I could never find any sync in my game.

"I thought we were the best team in the country. But in one game, that can be swept away from you."

Two days later, Indiana lost an ugly 50-48 regional final to Virginia, a team North Carolina had beaten twice during the season.

"I would have felt better," Jordan said, "had they went on to win the national championship."

Dakich now does a radio show in Indianapolis. Back in 1984, it did not seem like a career-defining moment. "At Indiana," he said, "we were expected to play at that level."

But time made it different. "Because of what Michael Jordan became."

Dakich, Bowling Green coach in 2001 and needing a lift after a particularly depressing loss, slipped in the North Carolina game tape to watch with his family. It is the last time he saw it, but he hears about it weekly.

"I am not diminishing what he did. I think he did exactly what Coach Knight wanted him to do," Jordan said.

"But (the media) made it a one-on-on proposition. Being the competitor that I am, and hearing the only one who could ever stop you was Dan Dakich ... when I look back at the shots I had, I lick my chops. I just missed them."

North Carolina's Buzz Peterson later became a coach and friend of Alford. When the Omni was demolished in 1997, Alford messaged Peterson that one of America's great arenas had come down.

A good joke.

But 25 years later, Michael Jordan still isn't laughing.