The NCAA selection committee revealed its top 16 seeds Monday night, and South Carolina received the number two overall seed.
UConn received the number one overall seed in the top 16 reveal, which was announced at halftime of the Stanford-Oregon game Monday night.
The top 16 seeds are:
1. UConn
2. South Carolina
3. Stanford
4. Louisville
5. Texas A&M
6. NC State
7. Maryland
8. Arizona
9. UCLA
10. Baylor
11. Oregon
12. Georgia
13. Tennessee
14. West Virginia
15. Indiana
16. Kentucky
Five SEC teams made the list: South Carolina, Texas A&M, Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. That is the most of any conference, followed by the Pac-12 (four). The ACC, Big Ten, and Big 12 each have two teams, and the big East has one.
The seeds are considered a “snapshot,” and reflect the seeding at this point in time, not rankings that teams will build on going forward. The committee also released a bracket preview, which had South Carolina in the same region as Maryland and matched up to meet UConn in the championship game.
South Carolina is ranked third in the NET, behind Stanford and UConn. The Gamecocks have six wins over ranked opponents, and will have an opportunity to build their resume even more. Three of South Carolina’s final four opponents are ranked, including a showdown with #5 Texas A&M to end the season.
The NCAA will reveal a revised top 16 on March 1, after the end of the regular season for South Carolina, but before the SEC tournament.
Last season, South Carolina was the top overall seed in both reveals. Earning the top seed in the first reveal was a big recognition for South Carolina. The Gamecocks had been playing the best basketball in the country for weeks and had ascended to the top of the polls, but that was almost by default and they were still largely ignored nationally until the top 16 came out.
Recognition hasn’t been a problem this season, but South Carolina hasn’t dominated the way it did last season. Offensive breakdowns coast South Carolina in losses to NC State and UConn. A win in either game would have likely vaulted the Gamecocks into the top overall seed.
The NCAA Tournament will be held March 21 through April 4. All games will be played in the San Antonio region, where the Final Four was scheduled for this season.