Where South Carolina and Dawn Staley Could Land in the NCAA March Madness Bracket

In a live update, Charlie Creme from ESPN has projected the South Carolina Gamecocks as the No. 1 overall seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament, as of Sunday morning. According to the latest bracketology, the Gamecocks are set to host in Columbia, within the Birmingham 1 Region. Their bracket could include matchups against South Dakota State (No. 8), Georgia Tech (No. 9), and the winner of a First Four game between Southern and High Point (No. 16).

South Carolina has been consistently projected as a No. 1 seed for about a month, with a brief dip to a No. 2 seed following their loss to UConn on February 16. However, after securing victory in every game since then, they have reclaimed their spot as the No. 1 seed. The Gamecocks’ strong performance, including their recent win over Texas in the SEC Tournament championship, solidified their top position in March Madness projections.

If UCLA secures the No. 1 overall seed, South Carolina could land in the Birmingham 4 Region.

Looking at the Gamecocks’ NCAA Tournament resume, their NET ranking has dropped to second, with UConn maintaining the top spot. South Carolina’s impressive record includes an 8-2 performance on the road, 8-0 on neutral courts, and 14-1 at home. In terms of quad games, they’ve gone 16-3 in Quad 1, 4-0 in Quad 2, 3-0 in Quad 3, and 7-0 in Quad 4. No team has more Quad 1 wins than the Gamecocks, who also boast 11 victories over ranked opponents.

When it comes to NCAA Tournament history, South Carolina has been dominant under Dawn Staley, winning three national championships since 2017, most recently going undefeated with a 38-0 season in 2023-24. The Gamecocks have made six Final Four appearances, seven Elite Eight runs, and 14 Sweet 16 appearances. Additionally, they secured their ninth SEC Tournament title on Sunday, marking their third consecutive SEC tournament championship under Staley.

For further coverage, Lulu Kesin of The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network reports on South Carolina athletics. You can reach her via email at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X (formerly Twitter) @Lulukesin.