Honoring Sharks’ best this season
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Exploiting matchups is the key to winning any basketball game. Those matchups tend to become magnified at the Final Four, where preparation time and the pressure of the game’s biggest stage factor in prominently.
This year’s Final Four has some intriguing matchups that will decide if Gonzaga or South Carolina and North Carolina or Oregon win Saturday to get to Monday’s title game.
Here are a few to keep an eye on:
Oregon’s defensive rebounding versus North Carolina on the offensive glass.
The Tar Heels were the national leader on the offensive glass during the regular season, snatching 15.74 per game, nearly a full rebound more than the next closest team. North Carolina cleans up nearly 42 percent of its misses, so its best offensive play is often a missed shot.
The Tar Heels grabbed 13 offensive rebounds on 31 shots, leading to 17 second-chance points in their Elite Eight win over Kentucky, one of the longest teams in the country.
Kennedy Meeks is the biggest offensive rebound producer, grabbing 3.68 per game, good for 10th nationally.
The Ducks have two starters taller than 6-foot-4 and were 114th nationally in clearing off defensive rebounds. Oregon handled one good offensive rebounding team by knocking out Kansas, but will have its hands full Saturday.
Pace game, Oregon versus North Carolina.
The Ducks are high fliers, but a fast pace is not their thing. Oregon has an adjusted tempo that’s 241st nationally and was able to slow Kansas and Michigan, two fast-paced teams, on its way to the Final Four.
North Carolina, on the other hand, is one of the fastest teams in the country. The Tar Heels love to get out and run under any circumstance, sometimes scoring five seconds after a made free throw by their opponent.
South Carolina’s frontcourt versus Gonzaga’s bigs.
Gonzaga has a massive 1-2 punch up from with Przemek Karnowski and Zach Collins. At 7-foot-1, 300 pounds, Karnowski may be the biggest player in the country. He’s also an adept passer who picks apart double teams and has great footwork for maneuvering in the paint. Collins is an athletic 7-foot freshman who can score inside and outside and may be the best NBA prospect in the Final Four.
South Carolina counters with Maik Kotsar and Chris Silva. Kotsar is 6-10, but gives up more than 50 pounds to Karnowski. Silva is an inch shorter and more than 75 pounds lighter than Gonzaga’s big man. Keeping those two out of foul trouble while getting help from everyone else will be a big key Saturday.
Gonzaga’s Nigel WilliamsGoss versus Sindarius Thornwell.
As individual matchups go, this is a good one.
Williams-Goss is the Zags’ leader, running their offense and scoring on a variety of drives, threes and step-back jumps. He also is an underrated defender — just ask West Virginia’s Jevon Carter, who was unable to get a clean look in the closing seconds of the Sweet 16 game.
Thornwell has been a force in the NCAA Tournament, leading the bracket with 26 points per game while practically carrying the Gamecocks to their first Final Four.
No telling how much they’ll get matched up, but it sure will be fun when they do.