South Carolina Claims No. 1 Seed in NCAA Selection Committee’s First Top 16 Reveal
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The stage was set at Colonial Life Arena, and during ESPN’s College GameDay broadcast, the NCAA selection committee unveiled its first Top 16 rankings. South Carolina earned a No. 1 seed, marking a pivotal moment in the Gamecocks’ season.
Unlike the past two seasons, where South Carolina was the undisputed top overall seed, this year’s path has been more challenging. Losses to UCLA and Texas (though the Gamecocks also secured a win over the Longhorns) have placed them at No. 4 in the national polls. Despite this, South Carolina leads the nation in the NET rankings and holds a share of the most Quad 1 wins—key factors considered by the selection committee.
Full Top 16 Rankings:
- UCLA (Spokane 1)
- South Carolina (Birmingham 2)
- Texas (Birmingham 3)
- Notre Dame (Spokane 4)
- Southern Cal (Spokane 4)
- LSU (Spokane 1)
- UConn (Birmingham 3)
- NC State (Birmingham 2)
- TCU (Birmingham 2)
- Duke (Spokane 1)
- North Carolina (Birmingham 3)
- Kansas State (Spokane 4)
- Kentucky (Spokane 4)
- Ohio State (Birmingham 3)
- Oklahoma (Birmingham 2)
- Tennessee (Spokane 1)
These rankings are a snapshot of where teams stand if the season ended today and are not carried forward into future rankings. The next reveal is scheduled for February 27.
Seeding follows an S-curve approach, ideally pairing the strongest No. 1 seed with the weakest No. 2 seed. However, bracket restrictions—such as preventing teams from the same conference from meeting in early rounds—can alter these matchups.
For now, South Carolina finds itself grouped with No. 2 seed NC State, No. 3 seed TCU, and No. 4 seed Oklahoma. The Gamecocks have already defeated all three teams by double digits this season.
With only two regional sites—Birmingham, AL, and Spokane, WA—the Gamecocks will look to secure a spot in Birmingham, ensuring a more favorable location regardless of whether they remain a No. 1 or No. 2 seed.
South Carolina’s journey continues, but the message is clear—this team is still in prime position to make a deep tournament run.
