The X factor
Przemek Karnowski is impossible to miss. The Gonzaga senior stands 7foot-1, 300 pounds. He has the best beard in the Final Four. And he’s probably the toughest matchup here.
In the lane, the left-handed big man excels shooting over his right shoulder. Send an extra defender his way, and he’s as good as any big man in college basketball at finding the open shooter.
Surprised? You shouldn’t be. Gonzaga coaches say the Polish-born Karnowski would’ve been a McDonald’s All-American if raised in the U.S.
“It’s going to be tough,” South Carolina forward Maik Kotsar said of defending Karnowski.
South Carolina’s D
per game in the tournament.
“It starts with their conviction,’’ Gonzaga assistant coach Tommy Lloyd said. “Not many teams are playing any form of denying defense anymore, and they’re 100 percent committed to it. That makes it a little bit different to prepare for.”
The effort starts with senior guard Duane Notice.
“The hardest thing in basketball is guarding the basketball,” South Carolina coach Frank Martin said, “and he’s just relentless at it. We’re here and the big reason we’re here is because of who he is and the way he does that.”
In the 2012 championship game, Kentucky’s Anthony Davis shot 1 of 10 from the field, and yet he still dominated. Reason: The future NBA All-Star produced 16 rebounds, five assists, six blocked shots and three steals.
Oregon’s Jordan Bell isn’t on Davis’ level, but he could impact the Final Four in a similar way. In last week’s regional final win over Kansas, the 6-9 junior produced one of the tourney’s top efforts, posting 11 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and eight blocked shots.
“Even the shots that he doesn’t block,’’ guard Casey Benson said, “he alters.”
“That’s Jordan Bell’s game,” Oregon assistant coach Tony Stubblefield said. “He was the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. He can affect the game in a lot of ways. He rebounds. He blocks shots.”