Hello everyone, and welcome back to the studio! We’re talking women’s college basketball today, specifically the South Carolina Gamecocks and their path to the NCAA Tournament.
Despite their recent loss to UConn, the Gamecocks are still projected to be a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance, according to ESPN’s Charlie Creme’s latest bracketology. However, there’s a bit of a twist in the tale.
Because of their three losses this season, some of the geographical perks usually given to top seeds might not be in the cards for the Gamecocks. Instead of playing the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 rounds in Birmingham, Alabama, they’re now projected to head west…all the way to Spokane, Washington!
That’s quite a trip! As the No. 1 seed in the Spokane 4 region, they’d first face the winner of the First Four game between No. 16 seeds UNC Greensboro and High Point. The good news? Both the first and second round games would still be played right here in Columbia at Colonial Life Arena.
If they advance, though, it’s a cross-country flight to Spokane, instead of a relatively short drive to Birmingham. This is a change from Creme’s previous projections, which had South Carolina playing in the Birmingham region. Even as recently as Sunday, the NCAA Tournament selection committee had them as a No. 1 seed in the Birmingham 2 region. But that UConn loss… well, it seems to have made a difference, at least in ESPN’s eyes.
Of course, there’s still a lot of basketball to be played. These projections, and even their ranking in the selection committee’s Top 16, are likely to shift between now and Selection Sunday. But if these projections hold true, this would be the first time in several years that South Carolina has had to make a long journey for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8.
Me: Remember, the NCAA Tournament changed to two regional locations instead of four back in 2023. Last year, South Carolina played in the Albany regional – a four-ish hour flight. In 2022, they were practically at home in Greenville. So, the Gamecocks haven’t had to leave the East Coast for the first four rounds in quite some time.
But let’s not forget, when South Carolina won their first national championship back in 2017, they hosted the first two rounds in Columbia and then traveled all the way to Stockton, California. So, travel isn’t necessarily a problem for this team, but it would be a significant change from their recent tournament experiences.
Will this long trip affect the Gamecocks’ performance? Only time will tell. We’ll be here to keep you updated every step of the way. Back to you in the studio
