South Carolina Drops to No. 4 After SEC Tournament Loss, But NCAA Tournament Picture Remains Strong
The SEC Tournament loss to Texas stings, but a broader look at South Carolina’s season reveals a program still operating at an elite level heading into March. The Gamecocks enter the NCAA Tournament at 32-3, ranked No. 4 nationally, and positioned as a No. 1 seed — bruised, but far from broken.
The Rankings Fallout
Sunday’s defeat cost South Carolina one spot in the updated AP Poll, dropping from No. 3 to No. 4. Texas, as the SEC Tournament champion, logically leapfrogged the Gamecocks to claim the No. 3 position. UConn sits atop the poll with 28 first-place votes, followed by UCLA at No. 2 — though notably, UConn is no longer the unanimous No. 1, signaling a genuinely open field at the top of women’s basketball.
The one-spot drop is a consequence, not a crisis. South Carolina has not fallen below seventh in the AP Poll at any point since the preseason rankings ahead of the 2019-20 season — a remarkable run of sustained excellence. This season is only the second since 2018-19 in which the Gamecocks haven’t held the No. 1 ranking at some point. Context matters: consistency at that level over that many years is the standard, not the expectation.
A Season Built Against Elite Competition
One of the most compelling arguments in South Carolina’s favor heading into the tournament is the quality of schedule they’ve navigated. Of their 35 games this season, 13 came against currently ranked opponents — 10 in the regular season, three more in the SEC Tournament.
The results tell a nuanced story. The Gamecocks beat Duke (No. 8), Louisville (No. 13), Georgia (No. 24), Vanderbilt (No. 6), Ole Miss (No. 19), LSU (No. 5) twice, and Kentucky (No. 16) twice. They also defeated Alabama twice, a program receiving votes in the current poll. The losses came against Texas (No. 3) — twice, including Sunday — and Oklahoma (No. 10).
That’s an 8-4 record against ranked opponents, with the losses concentrated against two specific programs. That’s not a red flag. That’s a team tested thoroughly by the country’s best and emerging with a credible resume.
SEC Representation and Tournament Seeding
South Carolina is one of eight SEC teams ranked in the current AP top 25, reinforcing how dominant the conference has been this season. The Gamecocks sit second in the SEC rankings behind Texas — a reality that reflects Sunday’s result but doesn’t diminish a 15-1 regular-season conference record, one of the most dominant marks in the country.
Projections have South Carolina entering the NCAA Tournament as the fourth overall seed, likely headlining the Sacramento regional as a No. 1 seed. Selection Sunday is March 15th at 8:00 p.m. on ESPN, with the tournament itself beginning March 18th with the First Four, followed by first and second round action from March 20-23.
The Bigger Picture
Dawn Staley addressed the loss with characteristic steadiness, noting that the last time South Carolina lost in this situation, they won a National Championship. That reference isn’t spin — it’s historical precedent. This program has used adversity as fuel before.
At 32-3, battle-tested against elite competition, and with a roster that showed signs of depth expansion through Alicia Tournebize’s emergence, South Carolina enters March as a legitimate championship contender. The SEC Tournament banner won’t hang in Columbia this year. The one that matters most is still available.
