The 2017 Final Four is here. This week, North Carolina, Oregon, Gonzaga and South Carolina will all descend on Glendale, Arizona, for the finale of the 2016-17 NCAA men’s basketball season. Four teams enter and only one will leave as the next national champion.
Oregon punched its ticket to the Final Four on Saturday with a decisive 74-60 win over No. 1 seed Kansas. It’s the Ducks’ first trip to the Final Four since the inaugural NCAA Tournament in 1939. They will face another No. 1 seed in North Carolina next Saturday for a chance to go to their first national championship in almost 80 years.
The North Carolina Tar Heels clinched their spot in dramatic fashion on Sunday, thanks to a last-second jumper by Luke Maye. The Tar Heels are no stranger to this stage. This is the second straight year UNC has made it to the Final Four and the 20th time in school history.
The Ducks will have their hands full with a team that many people have tabbed as the favorite to win it all. But Oregon reaching the Final Four is no fluke. They’ve stepped up to the challenges that the tourney has thrown at them and so far passed with flying colors.
Here are the matchups to watch for Saturday’s game:
Theo Pinson vs. Tyler Dorsey
No one has been hotter than Tyler Dorsey in March. The sophomore sharpshooter has stepped up of late averaging 24.5 points a game on near 70 percent shooting over Oregon’s four games in March Madness. He lit up defensive powerhouse Rhode Island and has hit clutch shot after clutch shot to keep Oregon’s championship aspirations alive.
But North Carolina is a different beast. On the defensive end, specifically, Theo Pinson could be a pest. The 6-foot-6 junior is the Tar Heels’ best perimeter defender and can step out to guard virtually anyone. Pinson’s height and length could make it difficult for the shorter Dorsey to get his shot off and his larger build could make driving more to the lane more of a challenge. Dorsey has responded to every challenge thrown his way so far but Pinson could be his stingiest competition yet.
Jordan Bell vs. UNC’s front line
When word got out that Chris Boucher would miss the remainder of the season after he tore his ACL, many thought it would spell doom for the Ducks. But Jordan Bell has stepped up to fill the void left by Boucher. He has averaged 12 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks in Oregon’s four tournament games, including a dominating 11-point, 13-rebound and eight-block performance against Kansas.
The Jayhawks boasted some talented big men in Landen Lucas and Carlton Bragg, but nothing like what Bell will see this coming round. Kennedy Meeks and Isaiah Hicks anchor a monstrous front line for the Heels. The two combine for over 24 points and 14 rebounds a game and set the tone for a North Carolina’s offense that gets over 55 percent of its points from inside the arc, according to kenpom. Bell will certainly have his work cut out for him with a talented North Carolina front line.
Justin Jackson vs. Dillon Brooks
Pac-12 player of the year versus the ACC player of the year. This should be one heck of a matchup.
Even though these are two of the most talented players in the country and both play the same position, they’re each productive in their own distinct ways. Jackson can fill it up on the offensive end, mainly off of threes, midrange jumpers and cuts. He averages 18 points and almost three 3-pointers per game — his 99 made threes this season are a record for a UNC player — but takes 15 shots to do so.
Brooks is also a chucker. He takes 33 percent of Oregon’s shots when he’s on the floor, according to kenpom, but his game differs from Jackson’s in that he’s most productive when he’s in the lane. Brooks thrives on turn-around jumpers and utilizes his impressive frame to get the rim. As an added bonus, he can also step outside and knock down threes if needed. What’s been impressive about this Oregon run is that it’s been done without Brooks playing great basketball. He’s taken a backseat to the Dorsey show. But for Oregon to keep this run alive, Brooks will need to outplay the NBA-bound Jackson.
Follow Gus Morris on Twitter @JustGusMorris
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