Gamecocks Dancing! Carolina Earns 2017 NCAA Tournament Bid

March 12, 2017

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina (22-10) earned a No. 7 seed in its ninth berth to the NCAA Tournament and will face 10th-seeded Marquette (19-12) in the First Round in Greenville, S.C. on Friday, March 17. The Gamecocks will be playing in the East Regional and with a victory, would face the winner of second-seeded Duke (27-8) vs. 15th-seeded Troy (22-14) on Sunday. Defending National Champion Villanova is the No. 1 seed at the top of the East Regional. Tip time for Friday’s contest is set for approximately 9:45 p.m. ET on TBS.

A limited number of tickets are available for the NCAA Tournament. Gamecock Club account holders may request up to two tickets, and the priority ticket deadline is Noon on Tuesday, March 14. The Gamecock Ticket Office and the Gamecock Club will be open from 6-8 p.m. ET on Sunday evening to take ticket requests. Fans should call 803-777-4276 to make ticket requests or tickets are available online by clicking here.

South Carolina’s selection to the 2017 NCAA Tournament field marks the Gamecocks’ ninth trip all-time to the NCAA Tournament and the first since 2004. Carolina holds an all-time record of 4-9 in NCAA Tournament games, with its last win coming in the 1973 East Regional Consolation versus Southwestern Louisiana (now Louisiana Lafayette). Carolina’s first-ever win in the Tournament came in a 53-51 win over Temple in 1972, when Gamecock great Kevin Joyce hit a last-second jumper to propel the Gamecocks past the Owls into the Sweet 16.

South Carolina enters NCAA Tournament play with a 22-10 overall record, which included a 12-6 mark in SEC contests. The Gamecocks finished in a tie for third place in the final league standings. Carolina posted 11 RPI top 100 wins during the regular season, while also collecting seven wins away from home. South Carolina has three wins this season over ranked opponents and was ranked for nine weeks in the Associated Press’ Top 25 Poll.

South Carolina NCAA Tournament notables:

• The Gamecocks have advanced to the NCAA Tournament nine times (including 2017): 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1989, 1997, 1998, 2004 and 2017
• South Carolina’s first-ever NCAA Tournament win came in a 53-51 victory over Temple on March 11, 1972, in Williamsburg, Va., in the NCAA First Round
• Tom Riker (1970-72) owns the Carolina record for most points scored in a tournament game with 39 vs. Fordham on March 20, 1971, in Raleigh. He made 18-of-26 attempts from the floor in that contest
• Melvin Watson dished a Gamecock NCAA Tournament record 10 assists vs. Richmond on March 12, 1998, in Washington, D.C.
• South Carolina all-time vs. NCAA opponents: Coppin State (0-1), Fordham (0-1), Furman (0-1), Memphis (0-2), North Carolina (0-1), N.C. State (0-1), Pennsylvania (0-1), Richmond, (0-1), Southwestern Louisiana (now Louisiana Lafayette) (1-0), Temple (1-0), Texas Tech (1-0), Villanova (1-0)

Frank Martin NCAA Tournament notables:

• Gamecock head coach Frank Martin is 6-4 all-time in the NCAA Tournament as a head coach, with all of those contests coming while he was the head coach at Kansas State
• Martin’s 2009-10 K-State squad advanced to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight
• Martin’s NCAA Tournament teams have won at least one game in each of their Tournament appearances