Gamecocks Grab NCAA Tournament No. 1 Overall Seed

COLUMBIA, S.C. – In their 18th NCAA Tournament appearance all-time, South Carolina (29-2) earned the No.1 seed overall seed in the tournament and the No. 1 seed in the Greensboro Region. The Gamecocks will host a First Four game and the first- and second-round games at Colonial Life Arena.
 
Howard (20-9) and Incarnate Word (13-16) will play a First Four game on Wed., Mar. 17, at 7 p.m. ET in Columbia with the winner advancing to the First Round to play No. 1/1 South Carolina on Friday. No. 8 seed Miami (FL) (20-12) and No. 9 seed South Florida (24-8) will also square off at Colonial Life Arena on Friday. The winner of those two games will meet on Sun., Mar. 20.
 
South Carolina has been ranked No. 1 in both polls for the entire season – the longest single-season run in program history. The Gamecocks closed conference play with a 15-1 record that delivered the SEC Regular-Season Championship for the second time in the last three seasons and the sixth time in the last nine campaigns. They lead the country with 11 wins over ranked opponents and are 8-1 against teams in this week’s AP Top 25, including a 4-0 record against the current top 10.
 
This is the 10th-consecutive NCAA Tournament bid for the Gamecocks, the longest streak in program history. South Carolina reached the NCAA Final Four for the first time in 2015 before capturing its first NCAA Championship in 2017 and returning to the Final Four in 2021. The Gamecocks have played in 11 Sweet 16s in their 17 previous times in the event, reaching that round in eight of their last nine tournament appearances and advancing to the Elite Eight four times in their last six NCAA Tournaments. South Carolina owns a 34-16 record all-time in the event.
 
This marks the Gamecocks’ sixth region No. 1 seed all-time after earning the position in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2021. South Carolina advanced to the Final Four as a No. 1 seed in 2015, 2017 and 2021.