South Carolina’s Projected March Madness Bracket Following Win Over Oklahoma in SEC Tournament

South Carolina women’s basketball has made history by advancing to its sixth consecutive SEC Tournament championship game, setting a new conference record. The No. 1 seed Gamecocks defeated No. 5 Oklahoma 93-75 on Saturday, securing their 29th win of the 2024-25 season. South Carolina will face second-seeded Texas (31-2) in the championship game on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Following the victory, Coach Dawn Staley spoke to the ESPN College GameDay team and made her feelings clear regarding the NCAA Tournament seeding, which will be finalized on March 16.

“We play the best schedule in the country, we have the toughest schedule,” Staley said. “Did we have a bad game vs. Connecticut? Sure. But don’t discount what we did all season long.”

How the Win Affects South Carolina’s NCAA Tournament Seed

Right after Staley’s comments, ESPN’s Charlie Creme, who has been tracking NCAA Tournament projections for the past two months, weighed in on the Gamecocks’ seeding. “Coach, your No. 1 seed is solidified,” Creme said. “Don’t worry about it, get a good night’s sleep, try to win tomorrow’s game, but it won’t matter if you win Sunday as far as the No. 1 seed goes.”

Initially, Creme had projected South Carolina (29-3) as a No. 2 seed in Spokane, Washington, after their loss to UConn on February 16. However, he has since moved them back to a consistent No. 1 seed in the Birmingham region.

As of 5:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, ESPN’s latest projections placed South Carolina as a No. 1 seed, with the Gamecocks hosting in Columbia for the Birmingham 4 Region. Creme’s bracket had Illinois (No. 8), Richmond (No. 9), and the winner of a First Four game between UNC Greensboro and High Point (No. 16) set to join South Carolina in the region.

With Oklahoma (25-7) ranked No. 10, South Carolina’s dominant win over the Sooners was a significant factor in impressing bracketologists, but a third straight SEC Tournament championship would likely seal the Gamecocks’ No. 1 seed for March Madness.

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South Carolina Women’s Basketball Preview of SEC Game Against Oklahoma

The South Carolina Gamecocks breezed through their first-round matchup against Vanderbilt, but Saturday’s contest against Oklahoma promises to be a much tighter affair.

As the SEC Women’s Tournament enters its semifinal phase, the No. 1-seeded South Carolina Gamecocks are set to face off against the No. 5 overall seed, Oklahoma. Both teams are ranked in the top-10 in women’s college basketball, making this game a highly anticipated showdown.

South Carolina vs. Oklahoma Prediction: ESPN’s Basketball Power Index gives the Gamecocks an 86.6% chance to win, while the Sooners are given a 13.6% chance.

South Carolina Women’s Basketball vs. Oklahoma Betting Line Update: According to FanDuel, South Carolina enters as a 12.5-point favorite, with the total set at 152.5 points.

Oklahoma’s head coach, Jennie Baranczyk, shared her thoughts on how to slow down the powerhouse Gamecocks, saying, “Well, I don’t know that. I don’t know, they are so good. It’s a game of runs and South Carolina is so good. And how many times have they played in this building, I just want us to come out here to compete.” She continued, “You don’t stop them, you just try to do the best you can.”

How to Watch: South Carolina Women’s Basketball vs. Oklahoma

• GameDay: Saturday, March 8th
• Game Time: 4:30 PM EST
• Location: Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, South Carolina
• Broadcast: SEC Network+