Gonzaga vs. South Carolina: How the teams match up in the Final Four

A look at how the Gonzaga Bulldogs and South Carolina Gamecocks match up for their NCAA tournament Final Four game on Saturday.

WHO: No. 1 Gonzaga (36-1) vs. No. 7 South Carolina (26-10).

WHAT: National semifinal, Saturday, 3:09 p.m. PDT.

WHERE: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz. TV: Channel 2.

UPDATE: The battle of Final Four newcomers might not be all that pretty to watch for those seeking fluid basketball. South Carolina’s adjusted defensive efficiency ranks second in the country, trailing only Gonzaga’s. “I don’t think any defense is better than ours,” said Bulldogs guard Josh Perkins. Gonzaga’s main worry will be South Carolina guard Sindarius Thornwell, whose scoring average of 21.6 points per game leads all remaining players in the NCAA tournament. Thornwell was almost unstoppable during the Gamecocks’ 77-70 victory over Florida in a regional final, scoring 26 points to go with seven rebounds and two steals. South Carolina’s run has been all the more remarkable considering it had lost five of its last seven games before the NCAA tournament. “We now have a lot of people believing that we can do great stuff,” Gamecocks forward Chris Silva said. “We just have to keep going.” Gonzaga has been in lockdown mode over its last four games, allowing an average of only 59 points. Bulldogs Coach Mark Few singled out forward Johnathan Williams III as his defensive catalyst because of his ability to guard every position on the court.

STARTERS

GONZAGA; Ht; Wt; PPG; P; SOUTH CAROLINA; Ht; Wt; PPG

Nigel Williams-Goss; 6-3; 195; 16.7; G; Duane Notice; 6-2; 225; 10.2

Jordan Mathews; 6-4; 203; 10.7; G; Sindarius Thornwell; 6-5; 211; 21.6

Josh Perkins; 6-3; 190; 8.2; G; PJ Dozier; 6-6; 205; 13.8

Johnathan Williams; 6-9; 228; 10.3; F; Chris Silva; 6-9; 223; 10.1

Przemek Karnowski; 7-1; 300; 12.2; C/F; Maik Kotsar; 6-10; 245; 5.9

RESERVES

Silas Melson; 6-4; 195; 7.3; G; Rakym Felder; 5-10; 210; 5.7

Zach Collins; 7-0; 230; 9.9; F/G; Justin McKie; 6-4; 204; 4.1

Killian Tillie; 6-10; 200; 4.4; F; Sedee Keita; 6-9; 240; 1.1

ben.bolch@latimes.com

Twitter: @latbbolch