South Carolina’s path to the Final Four: Could Duke’s momentum upturn the Gamecocks?

In the hunt to repeat as national champions, South Carolina is a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight season and ninth time under coach Dawn Staley. While UCLA holds the top seed overall in the bracket, the Gamecocks are second, checking in as the No. 1 seed in the Birmingham 2 Region.

The path to the Gamecocks winning a second straight championship must go through a region chock full of potent offenses, star talent and a couple of familiar regional rivals.

South Carolina opens against No. 16 seed Tennessee Tech, helmed by Kim Rosamond who is making her second appearance in the tournament in the last three seasons.

In the next round, the Gamecocks could face one of the most potent 3-point shooting teams in the country regardless of who wins the No. 8 versus No. 9 game. Eighth-seeded Utah and ninth-seeded Indiana represent two tough programs that South Carolina has already gotten a taste of. Staley’s program dispatched the Utes at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia last season in a tightly contested game. The Gamecocks also took on the then-No. 4 Hoosiers in the Sweet 16 of last season’s tournament. Though both teams are still strong opposition, losing star frontcourt players after last season in Mackenzie Holmes (Indiana) and Alissa Pili (Utah) makes this a more straightforward game for the Gamecocks.

If the Gamecocks get to the second weekend, the competition in the Sweet 16 grows significantly. No. 4 seed Maryland earned a host seed and owns the nation’s 15th-best offense, led by versatile senior guard Shyanne Sellers. The biggest question surrounding the Terrapins is Sellers’ health, as she was hampered by a knee injury for much of the last month of the season. However, when coach Brenda Frese’s team is firing on all cylinders, it is among the country’s most elite teams.

The Gamecocks could also face a familiar SEC foe in No. 5 seed Alabama in Birmingham, which would be playing near its campus. The Crimson Tide earned their highest seed under coach Kristy Curry and the highest seed for the Tide since 1999. Alabama lost to South Carolina 76-58 in the regular season in Tuscaloosa, the programs’ lone matchup this season. It’s worth noting that star guard Sarah Ashlee Barker missed that game due to injury, but she finished the season healthy.

Don’t sleep on the potential of two mid-majors in Birmingham 2: Green Bay and Norfolk State. Norfolk State’s Diamond Johnson, the MEAC Player of the Year, is a pro-level guard, and Maryland can struggle with dribble penetration, which could help the Spartans stage an upset. Kayla Karius’ Green Bay squad spreads the floor at a high level and controls the pace of play, making teams regret giving the Phoenix an early lead.

South Carolina has a potent regional rivalry matchup in the Elite Eight. No. 2 seed Duke, which the Gamecocks defeated in Columbia 81-70 this season, enters the NCAA Tournament after winning its first ACC tournament title under Kara Lawson and its first as a program since 2013.

No. 3 seed North Carolina — another potential Elite Eight opponent — lost in the second round of last season’s tournament to the Gamecocks. The Tar Heels have their highest seeding since 2013, and their highest in Courtney Banghart’s tenure.

The health of North Carolina point guard Reniya Kelly will be a key storyline to follow, as she was significant to the Tar Heels’ success throughout the year and was limited during the ACC tournament. The Blue Devils, on the other hand, are one of the hottest teams in the country, winners of six straight, including five games by double digits.

No. 6 West Virginia has a duo of star guards in JJ Quinerly and Jordan Harrison, as well as one of the staunchest defenses in the country, the fifth most efficient defense, per CBB Analytics. With seasoning earned in last year’s tournament run, they could be gearing up for a run.

No. 7 Vanderbilt has its own star duo in Mikayla Blakes and Khamil Pierre, who combined to average nearly 44 points per game. With a top-notch scoring guard in Blakes, and an elite offensive rebounding team (24th in the country in offensive rebound rate, per CBB Analytics), the Commodores could be a feisty opponent if they go on a run.

South Carolina has a navigable path to another Final Four appearance. With familiar faces and foes from this season and seasons in the past, the Gamecocks are in store for many entertaining games — but ones they can ultimately win.

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This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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