South Carolina Basketball: 5 March Madness storylines to watch for the Gamecocks
By Kevin Miller
South Carolina basketball fans, the day is here. The Gamecocks' 2023-2024 NCAA Tournament run begins today. It could end today at the hands of the Oregon Ducks, or it could last through the first week of April (like it did the last time Carolina made postseason play).
The Gamecocks are one of the best stories in all of college basketball as the preseason 14th team in the SEC (out of 14) tied for 2nd in what turned out to be one of the best two conferences in the land.
Lamont Paris, who has already won some National Coach of the Year honors, orchestrated the program's biggest turnaround ever as USC went from tying a program record for losses last season (21) to tying a program record for wins this year (26).
March Madness' biggest day is the opening Thursday, and the Gamecocks are playing at 4:00 PM EST on TNT on what is sure to be a day full of people sneaking peaks at games while working (a recent study concluded that 51% of people watch some of the NCAA Tournament while on the clock) and then rushing home to catch as much of the action as possible.
South Carolina basketball is positioned somewhere between a "Cinderella story" and a favorite in their 1st round matchup with Oregon. The Gamecocks don't often make it to the Big Dance and have been put on "Upset Alert" by many outlets despite being the better seed.
It should be said that the 2023-2024 version of the Gamecocks were a rousing success and that fans of the garnet and black should feel more than satisfied with how this historic season played out, no matter what happens against Oregon. However, now that Carolina is in the Big Dance, no one wants this One Shining Moments to end.
With all the talking points available, 5 storylines stick out for the South Carolina Gamecocks heading into Thursday's NCAA Tournament contest.