North Carolina vs. Oregon: How the teams match up in the Final Four
A look at how the North Carolina Tar Heels and Oregon Ducks match up for their NCAA tournament Final Four game on Saturday.
WHO: No. 3 Oregon (33-5) vs. No. 1 North Carolina (31-7).
WHAT: National semifinal, Saturday, 5:45 p.m. PDT.
WHERE: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz. TV: Channel 2.
UPDATE: Oregon was known as the Tall Firs the last time it advanced to a national semifinal during the inaugural NCAA tournament in 1939, long before the birth of the current Final Four format. Now it faces a tall task against top-seeded North Carolina, making a record 20th appearance in the Final Four. Tar Heels swingman Theo Pinson appeared startled when informed that the Ducks had last appeared in a Final Four before North Carolina Coach Roy Williams, 66, was born. “Really?” Pinson said, prompting laughter. Shot back Williams: “I’ll give you the scoop first. We’re going to have a change in our starting lineup.” Oregon forward Jordan Bell has assumed the role of defensive leader since teammate Chris Boucher was lost to a season-ending injury in the Pac-12 Conference tournament. Bell blocked eight shots during the Ducks’ victory over Kansas in a regional final. Oregon’s Tyler Dorsey has scored 20 or more points in a career-high seven consecutive games. Both teams thrive in clutch situations, the Ducks having pulled out close victories over Rhode Island and Michigan while North Carolina’s Luke Maye beat Kentucky with a jumper with only three-tenths of a second left. Tar Heels guard Joel Berry II described himself as “85%” after having sprained both ankles in recent weeks and said he would play against the Ducks.
OREGON STARTERS
Ht; Wt; PPG; P
Payton Pritchard; 6-2; 200; 7.4; G
Tyler Dorsey; 6-4; 195; 14.5; G
Dylan Ennis; 6-2; 195; 10.7; G
Jordan Bell; 6-9; 225; 10.9; F
Dillon Brooks; 6-7; 225; 16.3; F
RESERVES
Kavell Bigby-Williams; 6-11; 230; 3.1; F
Keith Smith; 6-7; 205; 1.8; F
Casey Benson; 6-3; 185; 4.9; G
NORTH CAROLINA STARTERS
Ht; Wt; PPG; P
Joel Berry II; 6-0; 195; 14.6, G
Theo Pinson; 6-6; 211; 6.0, G/F
Justin Jackson; 6-8; 210; 18.2, F
Isaiah Hicks; 6-9; 242; 12.1, F
Kennedy Meeks; 6-10; 260; 12.3, F
RESERVES
Tony Bradley; 6-11; 240; 7.3, F
Luke Maye; 6-8; 235; 5.8, F
Nate Britt; 6-1; 175; 4.6, G
Twitter: @latbbolch
More to Read
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.