UNC is probably the favorite, maybe even the significant favorite, but any of these teams can win it all at this point. I suspect UNC- Oregon will be a high scoring game, and this is a game in which Oregon will really miss Boucher. I give UNC a slight edge on the boards and inside, but it wouldn't surprise me if Oregon wins.
The Gonzaga - South Carolina game is intriguing. South Carolina is the best defensive team in the tournament, and they have physically strong players who play a physical D and do a great job clogging the lane. They seem to play a matchup zone and dare teams to beat them from outside, and teams have a hard time doing that because they play good tight perimeter D. They are playing defense like UConn did in 2014, with the physicality ramped up a notch.
Gonzaga is a team that is very good but was made to look bad by West Virginia's press. I thought West Virginia would beat them but Gonzaga played good D and made some shots at the end of that game while West Virginia took some bad shots and didn't execute on offense when they needed to at the end of the game.
The matchup I don't like if I am Gonzaga is Williams - Goss against Thornwell. Williams - Goss kind of sucked against the physical defense of West Virginia and Javon Carter. South Carolina will put Thornwell on Williams-Goss and Williams-Goss will be revisiting the nightmare he had against Carter because Thornwell is the same kind of player. The key player for Gonzaga is Karnewski, who South Carolina might have matchup problems with. Kotsar is a nice freshman who can shoot but he can't physically hold up to playing against the big Karnewski. The battle of the Ks if it happens would be interesting.
I am rooting for South Carolina just because I like the way they play- Jim Calhoun must have a hard on watching them play - and I think their defense will give the other teams problems. UNC is likely the favorite and rightfully so but I want to see them get beat.
The Gonzaga - South Carolina game is intriguing. South Carolina is the best defensive team in the tournament, and they have physically strong players who play a physical D and do a great job clogging the lane. They seem to play a matchup zone and dare teams to beat them from outside, and teams have a hard time doing that because they play good tight perimeter D. They are playing defense like UConn did in 2014, with the physicality ramped up a notch.
Gonzaga is a team that is very good but was made to look bad by West Virginia's press. I thought West Virginia would beat them but Gonzaga played good D and made some shots at the end of that game while West Virginia took some bad shots and didn't execute on offense when they needed to at the end of the game.
The matchup I don't like if I am Gonzaga is Williams - Goss against Thornwell. Williams - Goss kind of sucked against the physical defense of West Virginia and Javon Carter. South Carolina will put Thornwell on Williams-Goss and Williams-Goss will be revisiting the nightmare he had against Carter because Thornwell is the same kind of player. The key player for Gonzaga is Karnewski, who South Carolina might have matchup problems with. Kotsar is a nice freshman who can shoot but he can't physically hold up to playing against the big Karnewski. The battle of the Ks if it happens would be interesting.
I am rooting for South Carolina just because I like the way they play- Jim Calhoun must have a hard on watching them play - and I think their defense will give the other teams problems. UNC is likely the favorite and rightfully so but I want to see them get beat.
