Entering Selection Sunday, there was no doubt that South Carolina would be the No. 1 overall seed for the third consecutive NCAA Tournament.
Already the betting favorites to cut down the nets in Cleveland on April 7, the Gamecocks had to be happy with their itinerary on the way back to the Final Four when the full bracket was revealed. (You can follow along by printing out our bracket here.)
Never gets old … WE’RE DANCING 💃 pic.twitter.com/QjxCHE05pH
— South Carolina Women’s Basketball (@GamecockWBB) March 18, 2024
A year ago at this time, South Carolina was in the region of death. Now, the Gamecocks face a path more befitting of the top seed. After Dawn Staley said that their first-round opponent in 2023, Norfolk State, was “not a 16 seed,” South Carolina could face Presbyterian in its opener, a team rated 299 out of 360 in the NET, which would nullify the absence of Kamilla Cardoso due to suspension.
In the second round, both potential opponents are decidedly one-way teams; UNC has a suffocating defense but struggles to score, and Michigan State has a beautiful offense and provides less resistance on the other end. The Tar Heels have the advantage of having played the Gamecocks close in November, but that was in Chapel Hill, N.C., and South Carolina will surely have…
