Keidel: This Year's Final Four Features New Blood Vs. Blue Blood

By Jason Keidel
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Maybe the members of the Final Four aren't fit for a glass slipper, but other than perennial contender North Carolina, each of the remaining three teams is looking for something new: a national title (or at least a first title since the very first tournament).

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Gonzaga may not be Cinderella, but spent way too much time as a bridesmaid. Largely regarded as a paper champion from one of those dreaded mid-major conferences, Gonzaga allegedly feasted on soft teams and always appeared for March Madness tumescent from a weak schedule, ready to be pounded and exposed by real powers from power conferences. Yet again, the Bulldogs entered this tourney with a souped-up 32-1 mark, built on the back of stiffs, ready to meet the hardwood Grim Reaper somewhere between the Sweet 16 and the Elite Eight -- again.

But if Gonzaga has a weakness, please enlighten us. The Zags can play inside or outside, have a stout defense, led by the rare, true center in 7-foot-1 Polish import Przemek Karnowski. And no team since the Duke behemoth of 1999 has stormed into the Final Four with an average scoring margin of at least 22 points per game. Gonzaga is the first team from the West Coast Conference to reach the final weekend since Bill Russell led San Francisco in 1958.

The Zags are pieced together by a cadre of college transfers -- like guard Nigel Williams-Goss (Washington), forward Johnathan Williams (Missouri) and guard Jordan Mathews (California). (Williams was named the regional's most outstanding player.) And Gonzaga is led by a coach, Mark Few, who has at least a symbolic chip on his shoulder, tired of hearing the same eulogy every March. The Bulldogs may not quite be North Carolina in terms of talent and reputation, but no one should be shocked if they win this thing.

Then again, they're clashing the one team that doesn't realize it shouldn't be here, and doesn't care.

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South Carolina is the ultimate bracket buster, a hand grenade exploding in every cubicle. There will be some debate about the Gamecocks' place as a fairy tale entrant. Let's at least agree some faerie dust has been sprinkled on their spellbinding run to the Final Four.

Consider this about the Gamecocks:

• They hadn't filled a single spot on a March Madness bracket in 13 years.

• They hadn't won a single March Madness game since 1973.

• They reached four of the prior 33 tournaments.

• They won more tournament games over the last 10 days than they had in the school's history. From 1939 until 1971, they hadn't won a single tournament game, then none again from 1974 through 2016. Sure, they come from the underrated SEC, which had three teams playing this weekend (Florida and Kentucky being the others). But until this year, it seemed as if South Carolina had won in every sport but basketball.

However, once you beat Duke, the mystique of the colors and Coach K, then you assume their battle cry, "Why not?"

Oregon, considered more of a football power, is on a quick learning curve under coach Dana Altman. The Ducks do have some Final Four experience, last reaching the milestone in ... 1939.

For perspective:

• It was the first NCAA men's basketball tournament.

• FDR was president.

• There were only eight teams in the tournament.

• Lou Gehrig was about to give his farewell speech at Yankee Stadium.

• "Gone with the Wind" was the hot, new flick.

• "The Grapes of Wrath" had just been published.

• Germany had just attacked Poland.

• The team was called the Webfoots.

But of all the wins this weekend, Oregon's was the most impressive. Not only did Kansas look like the hottest team in the tournament, the Jayhawks were essentially playing at home, in Kansas City, a mere 50 miles from their campus.

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Oregon has the requisite Batman and Robin in Jordan Bell and Tyler Dorsey. Bell is a monster in the paint, particularly on defense, and Dorsey has been scalding from the field, averaging 25 points per game in the tournament. Many considered them co-MVPs of the regional, though Bell won it outright.

And when you consider their two nail-biters against Rhode Island and tournament darling Michigan, it's even more impressive that the Ducks spanked home team Kansas from whistle to gun, shooting 60 percent from the floor in the first half. And to do all this sans stalwart big man Chris Boucher (knee injury), not to mention a hobbled Dillon Brooks (foot), the Pac-12 Player of the Year, shows how potent their starting five really is.

Then we have Oregon's formidable foe on Saturday.

Perhaps we saved the best -- if not most boring -- for last. Yes, their game against Kentucky is an instant classic, literally decided with less than a half-second left, a showdown with endless lead changes and more mood swings than a Nick Saban presser. But seeing the North Carolina Tarheels in the Final Four is about as exciting and surprising as seeing the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game. (Or Saban's Crimson Tide in football's Final Four.) And, of course, Carolina came within one Villanova jumper of being defending champs this year.

While Duke may be the most hated team in the country, North Carolina, just 10 miles away, is likely the sport's most dominant. UNC has reached the Final Four 20 times. More than Duke (16). More than Kentucky (17). Even more than UCLA (18), which had its mail forwarded to the national semifinals during coach John Wooden's biblical reign over the game. Carolina has played in 160 March Madness games. Consider South Carolina had played in two before this year. Two.

Consider the roster that got legendary coach Dean Smith his first national title. Among six -- six! -- McDonald's All-Americans, one was drafted by the NBA (Matt Doherty), another was an All-Star (Sam Perkins) and a third is in the Hall of Fame (James Worthy). Oh, and another starter became the greatest player in the history of the sport, Michael Jordan.

Those are the kind of clubs North Carolina puts together. There's not much to say about this team except that it's typically loaded, is coached by a legend (Roy Williams) and is, to a man (like Jay Bilas), considered the best overall team in America. Not that they should sleep on Oregon, but if anyone can step on their streaking webbed feet, it's the Tar Heels.

To quote the immortal Jordan, the floor is the ceiling. Or is the Final Four above the floor?

Follow Jason on Twitter at @JasonKeidel