There are only four teams left in this year’s NCAA National Championship.
After two weeks, 64 games have been played, two number one seeds have been eliminated, all of the brackets on ESPN have been busted, and upsets of Duke, Villanova and Kansas, Louisville, all contributed to why the tournament is labeled “March Madness.”
Let’s look back on the journey the four teams have been on for the past two weeks.
South Carolina Gamecocks – The Gamecocks opened the tournament with a crushing victory over Marquette. The Gamecocks upset the tournament favorite, beating Duke. The Gamecocks defeated Baylor easily and advanced to the Elite 8 against Florida. The game went back and forth and the Gamecocks were led by Senior Sindarius Thornwell who scored 26 points in a 77-70 victory. The Gamecocks will match up against a Gonzaga team that lost only one game this season. Expect the Gamecocks’ season to end at the hands of Gonzaga.
Oregon Ducks – The Ducks came into the tournament with pivotal victories against Iona and Rhode Island. Coming into the Sweet 16, the Ducks had to play a Cinderella Michigan Wolverines. The Ducks won a close victory 69-68. The Ducks defeated the tournament favored Kansas Jayhawks 74-60 in convincing fashion. Oregon will lose to North Carolina in the Final Four.
North Carolina Tar Heels – The Tar Heels come into the Final Four as the only team to return. The Tar Heels are the favorite to cut down the nets in Phoenix. The Tar Heels blew by Texas Southern and Arkansas to advance to the Elite Eight with selfless team play. The Tar Heels had to defeat a perennial powerhouse Kentucky Wildcats to advance to the Final Four. Senior Justin Jackson is leading a powerhouse team who I expect will cut down the nets against the Gonzaga Bulldogs.
Gonzaga Bulldogs – The Bulldogs only have one loss this season, and have looked unstoppable in this tournament. The Bulldogs knocked off South Dakota, Northwestern, and West Virginia to advance to the Elite 8. The Bulldogs routed Xavier to a final four matchup against South Carolina. Gonzaga will defeat a South Carolina team, but will fall to North Carolina.
