NCAA Tournament Predictions: 7. SC vs. 10. Marquette

The Gamecocks are in the NCAA Tournament. Need more reasons Duke will win?

“Happy for guys who signed up to help us build this”, Gamecocks coach Frank Martin said.

They certainly looked it Thursday, with plenty of smiles thrown in among the dunks and 3-pointers during open practice. Defensively, South Carolina is yielding 64.5 points against the opposing teams. This year, the answer to that question is Duke. The Blue Devils had just lost to United Nations 90-83 on March 4 and didn’t even earn the double bye in the ACC Tournament. During the regular season, teams shot just 29.6% against the Gamecocks, the fifth-lowest mark in the country.

“You go back and you think of some of the guys that have played at SC, the incredible coaches that have coached at SC over those 44 years, I think it’s remarkable”, coach Frank Martin said.

Duke will make its 22nd consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and its 33rd overall under head coach Mike Krzyzewski. He knows when to make the right adjustments. Duke has no real equal in its half of the regional bracket.

Junior wing Justin Jackson made the leap from solid contributor to ACC Player of the Year thanks to the development of a deadly three-point shot, while point guard Joel Berry seamlessly filled the leadership void Paige left behind in the backcourt. In its best games, SC held Florida to 0 of 17 on three-pointers, Missouri to 1 of 17 and MI to 2 of 26.

Over the years, the NCAA Tournament has brought out the best in some Tar Heel players.

Duke had an average year compared to its lofty standards.

The Governor’s bracket is heavy on ACC programs.

Contact Brandon Ellis at ellis3bm@dukes.jmu.edu. They scored 85.5 points per game this season and were hurt by playing one of the toughest schedules in the country, which included non-conference games against NCAA participants North Carolina, Maryland and Wichita State.

Though effective, Tony Bennett’s Virginia Cavaliers soothe fans to sleep with their boring style of play every year.

Coates sat out South Carolina’s 59-49 victory over Mississippi State in the SEC title game March 5. And he’s averaging 22.5 points per game and shooting 40% from 3-point range. UCLA’s endlessly hyped freshman point guard might have to contend with, in order, Cincinnati’s hellacious defense, Kentucky’s spectacular backcourt and North Carolina defensive stopper Theo Pinson. “Not only did we get five in, but we got five solidly in”.

The East Tennessee State Buccaneers have the potential to be this year’s “Cinderella” team in the Eastern Regional. The depth of this UNC team is unrivaled, and it’s almost impossible for opponents to match up with their abundant offensive talent.

Flanking the dynamic sophomore will be inside presence Artavia Ford (10.4 PPG, 5.7 RPG), gunner Kaitlyn Palmer (9.8 PPG, 34.2 3PT%) and freshman Chynna Ewing (7.4 PPG), who also earned all-tournament recognition. On the bottom half, Duke will continue its hot streak, defeating SMU and setting up an Elite Eight matchup with Villanova. If Frank Jackson and Amile Jefferson are nearly an afterthought on your team, you’re really, really good. “It’s really nothing different that we haven’t been doing in the past except instead of having two posts instead of one”.

DOUBLE DOWN: A record 10 double-digit seeds won first-round games in last year’s NCAA Tournament. Marquette is the only team other than Butler to beat Villanova this season. Let the madness begin.