Final Four guide: Teams, players and matchups to watch

It is the Cocks’ year – as their women’s team is already in the national title game.

The first semifinal match-up this year features two teams making their first ever Final Four appearance – the West Region champion Gonzaga Bulldogs against the East Region-winning South Carolina Gamecocks.

Smith scored five of her 14 points in the last three minutes to draw Cardinal to within three points of the Gamecocks before Stanford’s shooting escaped them with SC winning 62-53 at American Airlines Arena, Dallas.

The victory bests the team’s run in 2015, when they also went to the Final Four, but lost in the national semifinal game to Notre Dame.

“We had a chance to talk a little bit last night”, Williams said of the four coaches. The player who really makes the Zags go, though, is Washington transfer point guard Nigel Williams-Goss, who was selected to the 10-man Wooden Award All-America team. “This is the last two games of the season”, Williams-Goss said.

“Actually, before that bet, we had quite a bit of money on OR on the money line, but nothing like this”, Andrews said.

Gonzaga players celebrate on the court over their victory over SC in the semifinals of the Final Four NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, April 1, 2017, in Glendale, Ariz.

SC attempted more 3-point shots (715 in 36 games to Gonzaga’s 711 in 37). “I don’t know how people in the back are going to see the game”.

“We play in the SEC”, Martin said Tuesday.

Based on the way the second half was going, it seemed highly unlikely the Gamecocks would even be in that position, having fallen behind 65-51 with just under 11 minutes remaining. Karnowski, who has the most famous beard in the tournament, comes in at 7-foot-1, 300 pounds and averages 12.2 points per game. “They forced me to pass it out on my drives”.

“It just humbled me, and I came back with a chip on my shoulder, ” he said. SC was led by PJ Dozier’s 17 points.

Jordan Mathews is Gonzaga’s third leading scorer at 10.7 points per game, but Few will need him to knock down the open looks he gets.

“Right now it feels a lot better than what it was”, Berry said.

Gonzaga, North Carolina, Oregon and SC will all hold practices that are open to the public ahead of the national semifinals.

FOCAL POINT: The distractions of the Final Four are everywhere for the players, from media commitments to fans being there every time they turn around.

The Gamecocks’ 6-5 All-America forward was held to a below-average 13 points by Stanford’s smothering array of double- and triple-teams.