Final Four 2017 live stream: How to watch NCAA tournament online

The NCAA tournament’s Final Four gets underway Saturday, beginning with No. 1 seed Gonzaga Bulldogs against No. 7 seed South Carolina Gamecocks, followed by No. 1 seed North Carolina Tar Heels facing off against No. 3 seed Oregon Ducks.

The semifinal games will take place on Saturday night, starting with Gonzaga and South Carolina at 6:09 p.m. ET. The Tar Heels and the Ducks will square off at approximately 8:49 p.m. after the first game ends. The last two standing will face off with a NCAA title on the line 9 p.m. on Monday, April 3. All games will air on CBS and stream on March Madness Live.

Gonzaga earned a No. 1 seed for just the second time in its 19 straight tournament appearances. The Bulldogs finally seem to have shed their “Cinderella” designation, and it’s fitting that they’ll play the closest thing this tournament has to one.

South Carolina comes into this matchup having set the program record with its 26th victory in its Elite Eight win over Florida. Sindarius Thornwell was named the Most Outstanding Player (MOP) of the East region of the tournament, after leading South Carolina straight through Baylor in a 70-50 blowout and following that up with 26 points in the Gamecocks’ 77-70 comeback win over Florida.

On the other side of the matchup, Nigel Williams-Goss landed on the All-West Region Team, and teammate Johnathan Williams took home the region’s MOP honors. Williams scored 19 points as Gonzaga ended Xavier’s tournament run in the Elite Eight in a 83-59 win. He also scored 13 points in the Bulldogs 61-58 win over West Virginia. Though it was guard Jordan Mathews who hit what turned out to be the game-winner off the assist from Williams-Goss.

These are the two best defensive teams in the country. Mark Few coached Gonzaga to the best adjusted defensive efficiency rating in the country, and Frank Martin has the Gamecocks right behind the Bulldogs, according to Kenpom. Few and Martin employ their players to run tight man defenses. The ‘Zags also rank 14th in offensive efficiency.

Keep your eyes on Thornwell and Williams-Goss as they each try to figure out the toughest defense they’ve faced this season. They did both play against elite defenses last weekend, as West Virginia and Florida are ranked fourth and fifth in the country respectively.

Time: Saturday, 6:09 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Live stream: March Madness Live
Odds: Gonzaga is a -7 favorite, per OddsShark

The Tar Heels survived an Elite Eight matchup with Kentucky that should go down as an instant classic. By now you’ve seen Luke May’s shot, even if you’re starting to forget the Malik Monk three that tied the game. UNC squeaked by, 75-73. If you missed the game, this is for your viewing pleasure:

Forward Justin Jackson led the Tar Heels with 19 points against the Wildcats and had 24 in UNC’s 92-80 Sweet 16 win over Butler. North Carolina is worried about guard Joel Berry’s availability for the Final Four, as he’s suffering with injuries to both ankles. But the guard told reporters that he’d play on Saturday.

Losing Chris Boucher was supposed to prevent Oregon from making it this far. Instead, the Heels go up against an Oregon team that’s seen Tyler Dorsey turn into Mr. March. After nailing the game-winner to help the Ducks survive the first weekend, Dorsey led the team with 20 points as they squeaked past Michigan 69-68. Then Dorsey lit up Kansas in the Elite Eight for 27 points on 9-of-13 shooting, going 6-of-10 from beyond the arc.

These are two of the most well-rounded teams in the country as both rank in the top 20 for offensive and defensive efficiency. North Carolina and Oregon rank sixth and 16th respectively on offense and 17th and 18th on defense. Oregon’s Dillon Brooks and Jordan Bell are in for a battle for boards with the Heel’s Isaiah Hicks and Kennedy Meeks first in offensive rebound percentage. However, the Ducks block a much higher percentage of shots away, ranking first in the nation.

Time: Saturday, 8:49 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Live stream: March Madness Live
Odds: North Carolina is a -5 favorite, per OddsShark

Four elite defenses and three elite offenses remain in the tournament. We’re going to get a good matchup on Monday. Brooks, Jackson, Thornwell, and Williams-Goss led their teams here, and regardless of who faces off on Monday night, we’re in for a good finish.

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