The No. 6 South Carolina Gamecocks will take on the No. 11 Oregon Ducks in the First Round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Below we’ll preview both teams, including analysis and key stats while also providing our prediction. South Carolina enters as a 1.5-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook.
South Carolina Gamecocks
NET: 51
KenPom Overall: 49
KenPom O: 46
KenPom D: 54
Record: 26-7
Strength of Schedule: 81
Conference: SEC
Conference Record: 13-5
Quad 1 Record: 6-5
The South Carolina Gamecocks are going dancing this season despite an early exit from the SEC tournament. They put together some major wins over top-ranked SEC teams throughout the regular season before falling to Auburn in the postseason. The Gamecocks kept opponents to just 67 points per night during the regular season, ranking 32nd in the nation.
Oregon Ducks
NET: 59
KenPom Overall: 55
KenPom O: 50
KenPom D: 70
Record: 23-11
Strength of Schedule: 67
Conference: Pac-12
Conference Record: 12-8
Quad 1 Record: 4-6
Oregon was on the bubble heading into its conference tournament, but now have the benefit of an automatic bid. The Ducks went into their regular season finale on a two-game losing streak, but secured a one-point win over Utah. Using that momentum spark, guards Jermaine Couisnard and Jackson Shelstad combined with center N’Faly Dante to lead Oregon to three big wins and their first trip back to the NCAA Tournament in three years.
Pick: Oregon
With Dante healthy and back in his rhythm, the Pac-12 champs are primed for a classic March upset here. The Ducks heated up in the conference tournament while South Carolina saw an early exit in a bad loss. The two teams are fairly evenly matched at KenPom, so take the one with more momentum.