The 2017 NCAA tournament Sweet 16 has been set, and we've got 16 things you're going to want to know before the action resumes Thursday. For about 99...
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Baylor vs. South Carolina: March Madness Sweet 16 Preview & Prediction
Mar 20, 2017
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Duke vs. South Carolina: Score and Twitter Reaction from March Madness 2017
Mar 19, 2017
GREENVILLE, SC - MARCH 19: Sindarius Thornwell #0 of the South Carolina Gamecocks reacts in the second half against the Duke Blue Devils during the second round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2017 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
No. 7 South Carolina completed one of the bigger upsets of the 2017 NCAA tournament with an 88-81 victory over No. 2 Duke on Sunday in Greenville, South Carolina.
Before Friday the Gamecocks hadn't won an NCAA men's basketball tournament game since 1973, and now they are headed to the Sweet 16.
Jeff Eisenberg of Yahoo Sports provided his thoughts on the Blue Devils' fate:
In a year in which Duke was always impossible to predict, this ending is fitting: A loss to a team nobody believed could beat them.
The team made 71.4 percent of its attempts in the second half to pull away late.
The Blue Devils also struggled with the Gamecocks' aggressive defense, which forced 18 turnovers in the game. All-ACC guard Luke Kennard finished with just 11 points on 1-of-6 shooting and was one of three players on the team to foul out.
Amile Jefferson had a solid all-around effort with 14 points, 15 rebounds and six blocks, but it wasn't enough to help pull out the win.
Duke held the advantage in what was an ugly first half, much to the surprise of many watching along:
The eventual 30-23 halftime lead was mostly thanks to worse play from South Carolina, which made just 20 percent of its field-goal attempts and was 3-of-17 from three-point range.
Although the Blue Devils made their mistakes, it was enough to stay in front.
The second half went much differently, however, with both sides picking up their offensive efficiency.
It came down to making shots, which South Carolina simply did better down the stretch. Shooting 27-of-32 from the free-throw line for a team that struggles from there, and the upset was complete.
The Gamecocks will move on to play No. 3 Baylor in the Sweet 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. With top-seeded Villanova already eliminated, the East Region is wide-open.
Postgame Reaction
South Carolina head coach Frank Martin showed plenty of pride discussing his players after the win:
While the Gamecocks struggled in the first half, they turned this into a positive going into the second half.
"When you shoot 7-for-35 in the first half and you're down just seven points, I tell you, it just gives you confidence," Thornwell said, per Zach Schonbrun of the New York Times. "It was our defense. It kept us in it. We thought we could win the game coming out the second half because of shooting so poorly in the first half."
Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski also praised South Carolina after the game.
"That was the toughest defense we've played against all year," he said, per Auerbach. "Very physical."
The Gamecocks will hope this defense will carry them even further in the tournament.
South Carolina vs. Marquette: Score and Twitter Reaction from March Madness 2017
Mar 18, 2017
GREENVILLE, SC - MARCH 17: Sindarius Thornwell #0 and Chris Silva #30 of the South Carolina Gamecocks celebrate in the second half against the Marquette Golden Eagles during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 17, 2017 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Propelled by a huge second-half outburst, the South Carolina Gamecocks earned their first NCAA tournament win since 1973 by knocking off the Marquette Golden Eagles 93-73.
This was South Carolina's first tournament appearance since 2004, and it's already one to remember for the school. The Gamecocks outscored Marquette by 21points over the final 20 minutes to earn the right to play Sunday.
SEC Player of the Year Sindarius Thornwell did what he's done all year, finishing with 29 points and 11 rebounds. His performance was also the first of its kind for South Carolina in more than four decades, per ESPN Stats & Info:
Sindarius Thornwell: 1st South Carolina player with 20 points and 10 rebounds in an NCAA Tournament game since Alex English, 1973
Things looked good for the Golden Eagles in that regard throughout the first half. They were only up by one, but 40 points indicated they had figured out South Carolina's defense.
The problems for Marquette set in due to turnovers. It struggled to hang onto the ball with 18giveaways, a number that looks even worse when combined with South Carolina's 13offensive rebounds.
This was one of the Gamecocks' best offensive games of the season. They entered the NCAA tournament ranked 237th nationally in offensive efficiency, per Sports-Reference.com. Their 93points against Marquette marked its best single-game output since January 24 against Auburn.
That outburst came thanks to a balanced attack that featured fourplayers scoring in double figures, with Thornwell's 29 leading the way.
P.J. Dozier had one of the big momentum-changing plays with this dunk midway through the second half to put South Carolina up by five, via NCAA March Madness:
There was an interesting subplot to this game that Marquette won't use as an excuse, though ESPN's C.L. Brown wasn't afraid to bring it up.
"Marquette would probably have a comfortable lead if this wasn't a semi-home game for South Carolina," Brown wrote. "Gamecocks getting an energy boost from partisan crowd every time it seems [they're] losing ground. Still don't understand how a seventh seed can play this close to home."
The pro-Gamecocks venue may not have made a difference in the final outcome, especially given how sloppy Marquette played, but a more neutral site could have allowed the Golden Eagles a chance to settle down when things started to get out of hand.
After Marquette got within five points at 68-65, South Carolina proceeded to put things away with a 24-4 run that made things look a lot easier than they were most of the way.
Things will only get more difficult for the Gamecocks on Sunday as a date with Duke awaits. Playing close to home will work to South Carolina's advantage as does being an outstanding defensive club that ranked fourth in defensive efficiency, per Sports-Reference.com.
The Gamecocks will need that defensive effort to show up because they can't depend on this kind of offensive showing each night. Head coach Frank Martn pushed all the right buttons tonight, but his work in the NCAA tournament is just beginning.
Postgame Reaction
Martin wasn't completely ready to celebrate because his team won one tournament game.
"We're not there yet," Martin said, per the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "But it's fun right now."
Alex English, who was the star of South Carolina's last tournament win before Friday, was very happy with what he saw.
"This is a great day for Gamecock basketball," English said, per the AP.
Thornwell was very appreciative of the reaction South Carolina received from the crowd in attendance.
"Thank you to all the Gamecocks fans that were here and watching on TV," he said, per Spurs & Feathers.
Frank Martin, South Carolina Agree to New Contract: Latest Details and Reaction
Apr 1, 2016
South Carolina head coach Frank Martin directs his team against Georgia during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the Southeastern Conference tournament in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, March 11, 2016. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
After leading South Carolina's basketball program to the most regular-season wins in program history, head coach Frank Martin was rewarded with a contract extension Friday.
Per GamecocksOnline.com, South Carolina's board of trustees approved the extension for Martin that will keep him in Columbia through 2022.
Per John Del Bianco of 247Sports, Martin's extension will include a salary escalator of $50,000 per season:
Frank Martin's salary for 4-year extension goes from $2.1 M to $2.45 M and will increase$50,000 each year. pic.twitter.com/lowgg5nyQy
South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner said in a statement included in the Gamecocks' release that Martin's leadership on and off the court made extending him an easy decision:
During Frank’s tenure, our basketball team has had tremendous growth, not only on the court, but also in the classroom. Frank is passionate about academics and community outreach, and that translates to his team as well. Our program has taken tremendous strides under Frank, and is in position to be an NCAA Tournament team. Frank is building a winning culture and we are very excited to have him as the leader of our men’s basketball program.
After a successful five-year stint at Kansas State in which he led the Wildcats to four NCAA tournament appearances, Martin took over at South Carolina before the 2012-13 season.
The Gamecocks had fallen on hard times under previous head coach Darrin Horn, bottoming out with a 10-21 record in his final season. Martin has slowly brought the program back to prominence, leading it to 25 wins this year for the first time since 1970.
Even though South Carolina missed out on the NCAA tournament this year, despite originally being told by NCAA officials it had been invited, Martin has turned the program into one of the rising groups in the SEC.
There is still that final tournament hurdle to get over, but Martin's ability to find and develop talent for the Gamecocks will make that a reality soon.
South Carolina Mistakenly Invited to 2016 NCAA Tournament on Selection Sunday
Mar 31, 2016
South Carolina head coach Frank Martin argues a call during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Georgia in the Southeastern Conference tournament in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, March 11, 2016. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
The South Carolina Gamecocks were one of the bubble teams kept out of this year's NCAA tournament, though a mistake on Selection Sunday had the team believing it was going dancing.
Per Jeremy Turnage of WIS-TV 10, South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner said the team was notified around 6:30 p.m. ET on March 13 (Selection Sunday) by NCAA officials it was one of 68 teams invited to the NCAA tournament only to be told minutes later the invitation was a mistake.
The NCAA issued a statement about the mistaken tournament invite given to South Carolina, via USA Today's Nicole Auerbach:
Despite the rescinded invite, Gamecocks officials said they were not told that fellow SEC bubble team Vanderbilt had been invited to the tournament.
South Carolina certainly had solid NCAA tournament credentials. The Gamecocks finished the season with a 24-8 record (11-7 in the SEC), ranked 57th in the RPI and had an 8-5 record against the RPI top 100.
Using those same metrics, Vanderbilt's resume didn't look as strong. The Commodores were 19-13 (11-7 in the SEC) during the regular season, ranked 60th in the RPI and went 7-10 against the RPI top 100.
South Carolina defeated Vanderbilt in their only matchup during the regular season, and each team lost their first game in the SEC tournament. The biggest difference between the two teams as far as metrics was strength of schedule. Vanderbilt played the 43rd-toughest schedule, compared to South Carolina at 159.
Gamecocks head coach Frank Martin took a reasonable approach to his team's exclusion from the NCAA tournament, telling David Cloninger of The State, "If you win enough, you get in, if you don't, you won't. And obviously, we didn't win enough."
South Carolina did accept an invite to the NIT, defeating High Point in the first round before losing in the second round to Georgia Tech.
There were certainly arguments to be made against South Carolina making the NCAA tournament, but being told by the NCAA it made the big dance after a 12-year absence only to find out moments later it was a mistake has to feel like a knife to the gut for a team that had a very good season.
South Carolina Suspends 5 Players for NIT Due to Conduct Issue
Mar 15, 2016
South Carolina head coach Frank Martin argues a call during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Georgia in the Southeastern Conference tournament in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, March 11, 2016. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
The South Carolina Gamecocks men’s basketball team will be shorthanded Tuesday when they take the court for their first NIT game against High Point.
Coach Frank Martin said, per GamecocksOnline.com, “TeMarcus Blanton, Eric Cobb, Jamall Gregory, Chris Silva and Marcus Stroman have been suspended indefinitely from the team due to a conduct issue.”
South Carolina hosts High Point on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET as a No. 1 seed in the NIT. Here is what the Gamecocks will be missing with five of their players suspended indefinitely:
Player
Minutes
Points
Assists
Rebounds
Field-Goal Percentage
Steals
Blocks
TeMarcus Blanton
4
1.5
0.3
0.6
37.5
0.3
0
Eric Cobb
6.1
1.1
0.1
1.9
56.5
0
0.1
Jamall Gregory
6.7
1.7
0.6
0.9
50
0.3
0.1
Chris Silva
13.3
5.4
0.2
4.5
48.2
0.4
0.9
Marcus Stroman
14.8
2.3
1.3
2
25.9
0.6
0.1
None of the numbers jump off the page, but the Gamecocks will be without important depth in a one-and-done tournament setting. Foul trouble or fatigue could become an issue, especially if they advance during these indefinite suspensions.
South Carolina earned the No. 1 seed in the NIT by finishing 24-8 overall and 11-7 during the SEC regular season. It won its first 15 games of the campaign and appeared well on the way to an NCAA tournament berth but stumbled during a critical stretch late in the season from Feb. 13 to March 3 with four losses in six games, including a 27-point home loss to Kentucky.
The Gamecocks also lost to Georgia in a heartbreaker at the SEC tournament, 65-64, and were left on the outside looking in when the NCAA tournament field was announced on Selection Sunday. They already didn't have much momentum on their side after the late slide coming into the NIT before the suspensions were announced.
Even if South Carolina advances past High Point, it has the ACC’s Georgia Tech, the Pac-12’s Washington and Mountain West regular-season champion San Diego State in its bracket.
Despite missing the Big Dance, the Aztecs are No. 2 in Ken Pomeroy's pace-adjusted defensive-efficiency rankings and would give a full-strength South Carolina team difficulty scoring in a hypothetical matchup. Even as a No. 1 seed, the Gamecocks will be hard-pressed to advance to the NIT semifinals at Madison Square Garden without some of their rotational players.
Perry Dozier Jr. to South Carolina: Gamecocks Land 4-Star SG Prospect
Nov 12, 2014
The South Carolina men's basketball program scored a major recruiting win Wednesday as it secured a commitment from Perry Dozier Jr.
ESPN.com's Jeff Borzello first reported the announcement:
Top-25 prospect Perry Dozier just announced for South Carolina.
Dozier is a 6'6" shooting guard from Columbia, South Carolina, whom 247Sports lists as the No. 26 overall prospect in the Class of 2015, according to its composite system. He's also listed as the sixth-best shooting guard recruit and the top player in this state.
The Spring Valley High School standout was pursued by several top schools, with 247Sports listing South Carolina, Louisville and Georgetown as the top three candidates prior to his decision.
According to Phil Kornblut of GoUpstate.com, Dozier's father said his son was undecided as recently as last week.
"It's still hard to say," he said. "These guys have all done a wonder job. PJ is going to have a real tough decision. I say that but it's still anybody's game right now. Hopefully we'll know within the next few days."
Dozier ultimately decided that head coach Frank Martin's team offered the best situation for him.
This is despite the fact that the Gamecocks haven't had a winning record since the 2008-09 season, and haven't qualified for the NCAA tournament since 2003-04. If Dozier is as good as advertised, though, that drought could come to an end in the near future.
South Carolina Basketball: Sindarius Thornwell Picks the Gamecocks
Oct 2, 2012
Sindarius Thornwell, a 6'5" shooting guard from Oak Hill Academy, committed to South Carolina Monday night according to Dan McDonald of GaVarsity.com.
Thornwell had recently trimmed his list to South Carolina and N.C. State. He was planning on taking an official visit to N.C. State in two weeks.
“It is home,” Thornwell told William Gunter of TheBigSpur.com. “I have never been a recruit with them, I have always felt like a priority. I always felt comfortable and good with them which is what matters the most.”
The 5-star recruit is originally from Lancaster, South Carolina but recently decided to transfer to play under championship coach Steve Smith at Oak Hill Academy in Virginia.
Thornwell averaged 26.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and five assists per game last year as a junior at Lancaster.
The new Gamecock commit is ranked the fourth-best shooting guard by Scout.com and the 34th-best player in the 2013 class by 247Sports.Com. He had offers from more than a dozen Division-I schools including Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Miami, Georgia, Clemson and Florida State.
"A point forward prospect that has great upside. He has spectacular court vision combined with a high level of athleticism. He is shifty with the ball inside the arc splitting defenders and finishing with either hand at the rim or feeding the open man."
USC head coach Frank Martin picked up a commitment from 3-star power forward Desmond Ringer last week. Coach Martin has hit the recruiting trail hard since becoming the coach earlier this year.
South Carolina also picked up a commitment from talented 2014 point guard Marcus Stroman over the summer.
With SEC teams like Kentucky and Florida picking up strong recruiting classes consistently, South Carlina must do the same if they want to compete. So far Coach Martin has proven to be up for the task.
Propelled by a huge second-half outburst, the South Carolina Gamecocks earned their first NCAA tournament win since 1973 by knocking off the Marquette Golden Eagles 93-73. 
