NOT WHAT WE EXPECTED, BUT A FANTASTIC FOUR
North Carolina is favorite, but Oregon, Gonzaga, South Carolina are real deals
It took two nail-biters Sunday to get to this point, but the Final Four is finally set — and it’s a foursome hardly anybody expected.
Gonzaga and South Carolina will make their first Final Four appearances. Oregon makes its first trip since 1939 … so the Ducks are no regulars, either.
The one Final Four mainstay, of course, is North Carolina, the No. 1 seed out of the South Region and last year’s championship runner-up. The Tar Heels beat Kentucky 75-73 in one of the most thrilling Elite Eight games in NCAA tournament history.
North Carolina will be the prohibitive favorite to win it all heading into next weekend’s games, the team with the most experience and the team that has focused all season on getting back to the title game to take care of what it views as some serious unfinished business.
“Last year was a heartbreaker, to say the least,” North Carolina coach Roy Williams said. “As coaches, we’re really lucky a lot. I
“The most inadequate feeling I’ve ever had as a coach was what to say to my kids in the locker room.”
was lucky to have the group that I had last year, and it hurt a great deal. I still have never watched the game, probably never will watch the game. So I wanted them to get back, because so many of these guys played in that game, and you may have heard me say before, the most inadequate feeling I’ve ever had as a coach was what to say to my kids in the locker room that night.
“So for those reasons, yes, but it’s not just redemption. … I’m really happy for this team and the work that they’ve put in, the toughness that they’ve shown, and they’re just wonderful kids.”
But Oregon is no slouch — far from it, actually, as evidenced by the way it blitzed past No. 1 seed Kansas in its Elite Eight matchup. Not only are the Ducks explosive offensively, particularly when Tyler Dorsey gets going, they’re also a menace on the defensive end if Jordan Bell continues his shotblocking ways. As Kansas learned the hard way, underestimate Oregon at your peril.
And no one should discount just how balanced offensively, talented defensively and deep overall Gonzaga is.
Nigel Williams- Goss is a stud along the perimeter, and Przemek Karnowski and Zach Collins are monster 7-footers inside. The Bulldogs boast the nation’s most efficient defense — and it has shown during their rock-solid run. Gonzaga has long been plagued by an outdated and, frankly, incorrect perception that its players are soft and its teams aren’t built for the long haul in March. Neither is true — and Gonzaga will be a tough out.
The Zags will be going up against the nation’s second-best defense in South Carolina. This
North Carolina coach Roy Williams, referring to last year’s loss in the national championship game
Gamecocks defense is one of the most frustrating and stifling defenses imaginable; they’re so physical and relentless that they wear down opponents mentally by the second half, which is usually when South Carolina mounts its comebacks — or puts away foes.
There’s something magical about these Gamecocks, star player Sindarius Thornwell and coach Frank Martin. Something they’ve been working to build, and something they’ve prepared themselves to expect, this idea that they can not only compete with anyone but beat anybody, too.
“We’re not going to settle for this,” Thornwell said. “We’re still going into that (Final Four) game thinking we can win. Why not? Why not us? Why not go win it all? That’s our mind-set. We feel like we can compete with anybody right now in the country.”
So while the Final Four story lines might not be exactly what everyone expected when the bracket was unveiled two weeks ago, they’re setting up for two compelling national semifinals — and hopefully a thrilling championship game, too.