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The Oregon Ducks have reached the Final Four for the first time since 1939 after a 74-60 win over the Kansas Jayhawks in the Elite Eight.
Time_Sports
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USA TODAY Sports’ Dan Wolken breaks down Gonzaga’s Elite Eight victory over Xavier.
USA TODAY Sports
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The court for the NCAA Final Four tournament is put together at the University of Phoenix stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Thomas Hawthorne/azcentral
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azcentral’s Paola Boivin breaks down Arizona’s loss to Xavier in the Sweet 16. Video: Michael Chow/azcentral.com
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The Arizona Wildcats, who many had in the Final Four, are bounced from the NCAA Tournament. Plus, the Oakland Raiders may soon be the Las Vegas Raiders. Will that actually happen? Video: azcentral sports
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USA TODAY Sports’ George Schroeder looks at how the Jayhawks and Ducks prevailed to set up their upcoming matchup in the Midwest region of the NCAA tournament.
USA TODAY Sports
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ULCA head coach Steve Alford acknowledges the game against the two ‘bluebloods’ of NCAA basketball with the most championships between them.
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Considered all but done after losing their star point guard and dropping six straight games in February, Xavier has improbably made a run to the Elite Eight after defeating No. 2 Arizona in the Sweet Sixteen.
Time_Sports
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Arizona Wildcats head coach Sean Miller is the third highest-paid head coach in the NCAA Tournament and can earn close to $1 million in bonuses for winning the national title.
Wochit
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Take a look at some at the faces of celebration and dejection from the tourney.
USA TODAY Sports
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The massive scoreboard known as “Colussus TV” is installed at University of Phoenix Stadium for the upcoming NCAA Final Four games. David Wallace/azentral.com
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Being on network TV means this years NCAA tourney should easily overtake last year’s viewership. Richard Deitsch explains how to watch the Madness.
Time
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Oregon advances to first Final Four since 1939 with win over Kansas
Gonzaga advances to program’s first Final Four
Piece by piece, the court for the NCAA Final Four tournament is put together in Glendale
Paola Boivin recaps Arizona’s loss to Xavier
Shot Clock: Arizona knocked out; Raiders moving to Vegas?
Kansas and Oregon set up intriguing Elite 8 matchup
UCLA’s Steve Alford talks about playing Kentucky
No. 11 Xavier upsets No. 2 Arizona to head to Elite Eight
A closer look at Sean Miller’s salary and bonuses
March Madness: Craziest faces of the NCAA tournament
Scoreboard installed at University of Phoenix Stadium for Final Four
Media circus: A guide to March Madness
NEW YORK — The South Carolina men’s basketball team’s improbable run continues … all the way to Arizona.
The No. 7 seed out of the East used yet another strong second-half effort to defeat No. 4 Florida, 77-70, Sunday afternoon and punch its ticket to the Final Four for the first time in program history. It’s also head coach Frank Martin’s first Final Four berth. South Carolina held the Gators to 0-for-14 from beyond the arc in the second half and fought back from an eight-point deficit — just before halftime — in the defensive battle between SEC foes.
BOX SCORE: Gamecocks 77, Gators 70
The Gamecocks, who sealed the victory with an emphatic dunk by Duane Notice, will face the No. 1 seed from the West, Gonzaga, next Saturday in Glendale, Ariz.
It’s been a wild ride to this point for South Carolina, a team that’s had more than its fair share of doubters over the past two weeks — from pundits thinking the Gamecocks were overseeded, to the shocked reaction of their upset of No. 2 Duke in the NCAA tournament’s second round. But there should be no more doubters now, even though they’ll retain their underdog label heading into the Final Four as the lowest remaining seed.
RELATED: Complete Final Four Arizona coverage
This South Carolina defense is stifling, frustrating and breathtaking in its effectiveness. Senior Sindarius Thornwell — an underappreciated star in a sport that skews toward freshman phonemes — is no longer the best player most fans haven’t heard about. He’s one of the best players remaining in the tournament, period.
Thornwell finished Sunday’s Elite Eight game with 26 points and seven rebounds.
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