South Carolina Basketball: As expected, Gamecocks are top seed
By Kevin Miller
In the most anti-climactic Selection Sunday in a while, South Carolina basketball was selected as the number-one overall seed in the women’s NCAA Tournament. On the Selection Show, there was no build-up or suspense as every basketball fan in the country knew what was coming. The show kicked off with the Gamecocks, and the nation’s best team deserved that recognition. Virginia Tech, Indiana, and Stanford join the Gamecocks as 1-seeds.
A full view of the bracket can be found here.
The Gamecocks are chasing history as they pursue back-to-back championships and an undefeated season. Their quest will begin on Friday when they take on Norfolk State. No game time or television info has been announced as of yet, but the Gamecocks will play this one at home at Colonial Life Arena.
A victory over the Spartans would bring the winner of Marquette-South Florida to face the Gamecocks in round 2. The 8/9 game between the Bulls and Golden Eagles will also be on Friday. The round 2 game will also be at Colonial Life Arena.
With another win, the South Carolina basketball team will drive up I-26 and I-385 to Greenville where they will play in the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight. The Sweet Sixteen game could be a rematch with UCLA who gave the Gamecocks one of their toughest games of the year. Oklahoma, Portland, and Sacramento State could also win their way to the Sweet Sixteen matchup.
If the Gamecocks advance to the Elite Eight, Maryland and Notre Dame seem the most likely candidates to await them. The fight for a spot in the Final Four could come in a rematch with the Terrapins. In the first meeting, the top-6 matchup saw the Gamecocks travel to Maryland and beat the home team by 25 points.
The Final Four seems a likely destination for the juggernaut Gamecocks, and if they make it to Dallas, Stanford and Iowa seem like the most likely opponents. The Gamecocks beat Stanford in overtime early in the season, and Iowa has a national player of the year candidate in Caitlin Clark. Both teams would pose tough tests for Dawn Staley’s squad.
After five Tourney wins, the national championship game would be all that stands in the way of the Gamecocks repeating as champs and solidifying their perfect run through the 2022-2023 season. Awaiting them in the final game could be ACC champs Virginia Tech, SEC foes looking for revenge in Tennessee and LSU, powerhouses Indiana or Utah, or the rematch the college basketball world wants to see with UConn.
No matter who Aliyah Boston and company face on their road to glory, the South Carolina Fams will be behind them the whole way. The Lady Gamecocks will have home-court advantage in the first two rounds, they will essentially have it the next two rounds, and Carolina fans have proven that they will take over the stands in the Final Four, as well.
Nothing is guaranteed in college athletics, but the Gamecocks’ dominance has shown no signs of slowing down at any point this season. The Gamecocks look poised to accomplish the goal they’ve had since they cut down the nets a season ago: win the whole dang thing again.