DTM’s NCAA Tourney Final Four Special | SCAR vs. GONZ

NCAA TOURNEY FINAL FOUR – NATIONAL SEMIFINAL

#7 South Carolina Gamecocks vs. #1 Gonzaga Bulldogs

When: 6:09 PM ET, Saturday, April 1, 2017

Where: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

America’s Bookie Line: Gonzaga -7 Total: 137.5

TV Coverage: CBS

By Dan Leach

Follow Dan on Twitter @DanLeach971

THE COCKS!! Easily one of the most impressive stories in recent college basketball history as USC finds itself in their first ever Final Four along with perennial Cinderella Gonzaga who has finally reached their own historic level as well.

This is one of the more unlikely National Semi’s in recent history as many thought the Zags were good enough to get here, but felt they would crumble like they have done in the Elite Eight before this first time ever trip to the Final Four.

No one, and I mean NO ONE, aside from maybe Hootie and the Blowfish lead singer Darius Rucker and members of the South Carolina State House and Senate picked the Gamecocks to get to Glendale. Their run as been as astonishing as it has been mesmerizing. Frank Martin’s kids have taken on every challenge on their amazing romp thru the tourney and not just passed them, but crushed them.

USC might be on one of the most incredible runs in tourney history as they have been underdogs in every game so far and have covered the spread by 10 points or more in each contest.

So how can you go against them now?

I will give you one reason why it would be crazy to……SINDARIUS THORNWELL! The SEC player of the year has been masterful and is the main reason the Cocks are still cock-a-doodle-doing in the Big Dance. He has been all over the floor, scoring 26 against Florida in the Elite 8, 24 against Baylor, 24 in the stunning upsets of Duke, and 29 in the opening round win against Marquette. He has simply been the most dominant player in the tourney and he will continue that on Saturday night.

Now lets be fair though, while many didn’t think Gonzaga had what it took to get to this point, I had them in all but one of my Final Four brackets, I did 5 in case you’re wondering. This is the most balanced and grittiest team Mark Few has ever had in his amazing run as the Zags coach. They almost went undefeated this regular season and have Johnathan Williams and Nigel Williams-Goss, who are almost impossible to stop.

It is going to be a case of whether the Zags can use their experience and balance to slow down the Cocks train and while I understand why Gonzaga is a 7-point favorite, I find it a little absurd with the way and who South Carolina has beaten in this tourney. It is the Cocks year as their women’s team is already in the national title game and the men will follow suit against a Zags team, but in the end one that just won’t have an answer for USC’s defense and a man named Sindarius Thornwell, whose tourney mystique will just continue to grow.

8.6 DTM Bagels and Locks on the Gamecocks (SCAR +7)

Dan Leach was the world’s first human to live under the sea for more than 60 days, created what is now used as the International Olympic Flag, was the basis of Denzel Washington’s character Frank Lucas in “American Gangster”, Is often consulted on matters of national “Sports Security”, was the first human to interview Dracula, started the American Revolution on a dare, once sat in on drums with Led Zeppelin, and is a noted expert in the field of Time Travel.