Thanks to new NCAA format, Gamecocks must play waiting game to learn first opponent
For the first time in women’s basketball history, the NCAA tournament has expanded from 64 to 68 teams. That includes a First Four, or a quartet of “play-in” games, just like the men’s tournament added in 2011.
As the No. 1 overall seed and slotted in the Greensboro Regional, that leaves South Carolina not knowing its first-round opponent until after Howard and Incarnate Word play at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Colonial Life Arena.
Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley said waiting does make things harder on her assistant coaches, who are doing the scouting of opponents. The good part? There are only two possibilities, which splits the assistants’ attentions but not as much.
“We’ll prepare for both of them,” Staley said.
Howard earned a First Four opportunity after winning the MEAC championship for the first time in 21 years. The Bison (20-9) won four of their last five regular-season games before winning the conference title via a 61-44 victory over Norfolk State.
Incarnate Word (13-16) earned its first-ever NCAA tournament bid after beating Southeastern Louisiana 56-52 for the Southland Conference tournament title. This is the Lady Lions’ fifth season in Division I basketball.
There’s only been one time that a 16 seed has beaten a 1 seed in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament. Harvard shocked Stanford 71-67 in 1998.
The Gamecocks won’t just be ready for the first round, either. Staley has already done her research on the Greensboro region in general.
She had seen ESPN expert Charlie Creme’s projected bracket, which had Iowa State as a 2-seed. Just in case it panned out that way, the Gamecocks’ coach watched the Cyclones play in the Big 12 Conference tournament against Texas on Saturday, already gaining knowledge about the squad.
“I just said, ‘Hey, let me just see,’ ” Staley said. “I know it’s a high possibility that they could be in our region, let me just take a look at them. I’m not looking ahead, I’m just looking at who I know could be in a region.”
Creme’s outlook was almost as reliable as an Aliyah Boston double-double — the Cyclones were officially named the region’s third seed and will face off against 14th-seeded University of Texas-Arlington to start off tournament play.
A South Carolina-Iowa State matchup in the Elite Eight is a big “if” considering teams like Iowa and Arizona — which made the national championship game last year — are also in the region. Still, it never hurts to have an idea of what the field looks like.
So, when the Gamecocks take the floor against either Incarnate Word or Howard at 2 p.m. Friday, they’ll already have learned all they need to know about their opponent.
“Thursday will be a time in which we just really get after things and then just fine tune some things that we need to do, and then go out there Friday and play,” Staley said.
NCAA WBB tournament First Four schedule
- Wednesday: Incarnate Word vs Howard, 7 p.m. (ESPNU); winner is 16 seed, plays No. 1 South Carolina
- Wednesday: DePaul vs Dayton, 9 p.m. (ESPNU); winner is 11 seed, plays No. 6 Georgia
- Thursday: Longwood vs Mount St. Mary’s, 7 p.m. (ESPN2); winner is 16 seed, plays No. 1 N.C. State
- Thursday: Florida State vs Missouri State, 9 p.m. (ESPN2); winner is 11 seed, plays No. 6 Ohio State
This story was originally published March 14, 2022 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Thanks to new NCAA format, Gamecocks must play waiting game to learn first opponent."
