Unexpected Final Four features favored North Carolina and three tough outs
It took two nailbiters on 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’s focused all season on getting back to the title game to take care of what it views as some serious unfinished business.
No. 7 South Carolina edges No. 4 Florida for trip to the Final Four
No. 1 North Carolina clips No. 2 Kentucky on last-second shot to reach the Final Four
'Burden' lifted: Gonzaga's Mark Few reaches the Final Four at last
No. 3 Oregon powers past No. 1 Kansas to reach the Final Four
"Last year was a heartbreaker to say the least,” North Carolina coach Roy Williams said. "As coaches, we're really lucky a lot. I 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 they blitzed past No. 1 seed Kansas in that 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 shot-blocking ways. As the Jayhawks 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, either.
Add Luke Maye's name to the list of March Madness heroes
North Carolina has unfinished business at Final Four after wild Kentucky win
Nigel Williams-Goss is a stud along the perimeter, and Przemek Karnowski and Zach Collins are monster 7-footers inside. The Zags boast the nation’s most efficient defense — and it has shown during their rock-solid run to this point. 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.
They’ll be going up against the nation’s second-best defense in South Carolina. This Gamecocks defense is one of the most frustrating and stifling defenses imaginable; they’re so physical and relentless 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, their star Sindarius Thornwell and their 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 in the nation, but beat them, 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 mindset. We feel like we can compete with anybody right now in the country.”
So while the Final Four story lines may 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 as well.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE ELITE EIGHT
