WBB bracketology update: Where Gamecocks stand for NCAAs as SEC play begins
As SEC play approaches, No. 1 South Carolina is being projected as the 2024 NCAA Tournament’s first overall seed by multiple bracketology experts.
Last year’s March Madness tournament was split into four regions in two cities: Greenville, South Carolina, and Seattle. The 2024 tournament will be organized the same way, except the regions will take place in Albany, New York and Portland, Oregon.
Both ESPN and HerHoopStats have the Gamecocks (12-0) bracketed under Albany and hosting three teams at Colonial Life Arena in the first round. ESPN’s remaining No. 1 seeds include UCLA, N.C. State and Iowa (at Nos 2, 3 and 4 overall, respectively). HerHoopStats has UCLA, Iowa and Southern Cal as the other top seeds.
ESPN’s bracket — curated by Charlie Creme — has the Southern Cal as the No. 2 seed in USC’s region, UConn (which comes to Columbia next month) as the No. 3 seed and Louisville as the No. 4 seed. HHS has Utah as No. 2 in the region with the Gamecocks (South Carolina defeated Utah 78-69 last month), Notre Dame as No. 3 (which South Carolina defeated 100-71 in its Parisian season opener) and Baylor as No. 4.
For the first and second rounds, ESPN has South Carolina hosting UT Martin or Sacred Heart (No. 16 seed), Washington State (No. 8) and Michigan State (No. 9). HHS has the Gamecocks hosting Tennessee Tech, Maryland (which USC beat 114-76 in its home opener) and Arizona.
The Division I women’s basketball committee will reveal its Top 16 preview in two ESPN broadcast shows on Feb. 15 and Feb. 29. The official bracket reveal will take place on Selection Sunday March 17.
Through its first 11 games, the 2023-24 Gamecocks squad has recorded the best net rating at 53.3 (which HHS defines as margin of victory per 100 possessions) of any USC team under coach Dawn Staley’s tutelage since HHS began tracking in 2009.
It also ranks first among the last 15 South Carolina teams in points per game (90.9),margin of victory per game (41.2), offensive rating (118.7; defined as points scored per 100 possessions), net rating (53.3), pace (76.3; defined as possessions for each team per 40 minutes), rebounds per game (50.7), assists per game (20.8), steals per game (9.7), blocks per game (9.6), 3-point shooting percentage (41.5%) and made 3s per game (7.2).
South Carolina has maintained a perfect record through the non-conference schedule, including four victories against ranked opponents (then-No. 10 Notre Dame, then-No. 14 Maryland, No. 24 North Carolina and then-No. 11 Utah), which leads the country alongside No. 2 UCLA and No. 12 UConn. The Gamecocks have two more ranked teams on their schedule, as of the Week 9 AP Top 25 Poll: No. 7 LSU (Jan. 25 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana) and UConn (Feb. 11).
South Carolina begins SEC play on Thursday with a road game at Florida (9-3).
This story was originally published January 2, 2024 at 10:15 AM.
