Greg Chambers
MC Practicum
The final four is set and in an unusual bit of geography, it will be schools from neighboring states out west (Oregon, Gonzaga) against schools from neighboring states in the east (North Carolina, South Carolina). The South Carolina gamecocks and the University of North Carolina Tar Heels advanced to the Final Four in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, joining Oregon and Gonzaga, in the national semifinals.
South Carolina upset the Florida Gators, a regional No. 4 seeds, to win the East Region 77-70. South Carolina, a No. 7 seed, had already upset the No. 2 seed and preseason No. 1 Duke Blue Devils, and No. 3 seed the Baylor Bears. North Carolina beat Kentucky in the South Region final, 75-73, on a last second 18-foot jumper by sophomore forward Luke Maye, a former college walk-on.
South Carolina and Gonzaga will face off Saturday in the first final four trips for both schools. North Carolina will be making it’s 20 appearance in the final four, a tournament. North Carolina head basketball coach, Roy Williams is seeking to be the 5th coach to win three national championships in basketball.
This year was Gonzaga 20th year to complete in the tournament. Oregon makes it first trip since 1939.
North Carolina will be the prohibitive favorite to win it all heading into next weekend’s games, the team with 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. Last year North Carolina lost a heartbreaker on April 4 by a three-point buzzer beater by the university of Villanova 77-74.
According to ESPN news, humble coach Roy Williams, said “ As coaches, we’re really lucky a lot. I was lucky to have a 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.
The South Carolina gamecocks have the nation’s second best defense. This 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 put away foes.
Gamecocks star Sindarius Thornwell and coach Frank Martin have 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.
According to USA today, a prepare Thornwell said, “ We’re not going to settle for this, 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.”
The 79th edition of the tournament began on March 14, 2017, and will conclude with the Championship game on April 3 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ar. The championship game will be the first to be contested in a western state since 1995 when Settle, Wash., was the host of the Final Four for that year.
A total of 68 teams entered the 2017 tournament with all 32-conference tournament winners receiving an atomic bid. The remaining 36 teams received “at-large” bids, which are extended by the NCAA selection committee.
The national semifinals games are set for April 1 on CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System). South Carolina Gamecocks vs. The Gonzaga Bulldogs game will start at 3:09 eastern time. Oregon Ducks vs. North Carolina Tar Heels game will start at 5:49 Eastern time. The national championship game will be played Monday April 3 starting at 6:10 Eastern time.
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