Updated 2017 NCAA Tournament bracket: National Championship Game set
An updated 2017 NCAA Tournament bracket now that the Gonzaga Bulldogs will meet the XX in the National Championship Game
Looking at the 2017 Final Four, there was most certainly no way that anyone could have predicted that things would play out the way they did in the NCAA Tournament bracket. With the No. 7 seeded South Carolina Gamecocks emerging from the East Region and then the Oregon Ducks upsetting Kansas in the Midwest Region, it was a bit shocking to this point. However, they still had to play the National Semifinal matchups on Saturday night.
The first matchup of the night to work towards completing the 2017 NCAA Tournament bracket saw Gonzaga as heavy favorites against the aforementioned Gamecocks. However, the heart and grit of South Carolina wouldn’t be denied. Despite being down by 14 points midway through the second half, they fought back and had the game tied late.
Ultimately, they didn’t have enough, though. Przemek Karnowski and the Zags were able to come up huge down the stretch with both big buckets and then big stops. After an inopportune missed free throw from Sindarius Thornwell, it was Gonzaga that secured the win and moved on to the National Championship Game.
Saturday night’s second Final Four contest pitted Oregon against the North Carolina Tar Heels, a team that was in the title game one year ago. Despite solid scoring, this was an ugly affair. Both teams struggled in terms of their offensive efficiency and the Ducks turned the ball over a great deal.
Even still, it came down to a tight finish in Phoenix. Though UNC was up by six, they allowed a 3-point make from Tyler Dorsey. They then couldn’t convert on the next possession and Oregon scored a lay-up with just over six seconds remaining. North Carolina still couldn’t hit their free throws—but shockingly it didn’t matter. Despite four missed foul shots, the Tar Heels came up with two offensive rebounds to run out the clock and advance to the title game.
Now that the National Championship Game is set, let’s take a look at the updated 2017 NCAA Tournament bracket:
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It’ll now be North Carolina vs. Gonzaga for the title. Will the Tar Heels be able to get redemption after their heartbreaking loss last year? Or will the Zags be able to win their first every championship? It should be a thrilling conclusion to the season to find out.