Three of Final Four finalists worthy of attention, two have never been there



… and forget about the fourth spot 

The great part of the 2017 Final Four field is that three of the teams -- and I am writing before knowing the fourth -- have spent little or no time in that hallowed location.

Gonzaga and South Carolina have never been there, and Oregon was there only once, in the first Final Four when the founder of basketball, James Naismith, attended. That was way back in 1939.

That makes it enticing, and it means that I will never root for the winner of the last game -- North Carolina and Kentucky, two programs who have been there many times but have rather sleazy reputations.

Zags

Enough of that. Let's talk about who we can root for. Coach Mark Few has finally led the Gonzaga Zags to the Final Four, and they are my hope to win it all. Gonzaga has just over 5,000 students, and is a good academic institution, a Jesuit school.

The Zags have lost only one game this year, and they were the number one seed in the West. The are big and strong, and they play with a great deal of intensity.

Gamecocks

They will face South Carolina, which is also in its first Final Four. What makes the Gamecocks interesting is that they are a seven seed but have surprised many people in a bracket that was replete with upsets. The East lost number 1 Villanova and number 2 Duke early, and number 3 SC disposed of number 3 Baylor by 20 points.

In short, the Gamecocks could win it all, too. Should make for an interesting game with the Zags.

Ducks

The other very interesting team to advance is the Oregon Ducks, which surprised everyone -- except themselves and their fans -- by summarily disposing of top-seeded Kansas in the Midwest final. That was very impressive, though the Ducks were the number 3 seed in that bracket.

Since they have not been to the FF in 78 years, they are also a sentimental favorite. They lost a key player earlier in the year, but the team has rallied and played well down the stretch.

I would love to see a final of Gonzaga vs. Oregon.

Regardless of who wins that last berth.

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