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South Carolina Basketball: NCAA Tournament’s best story keeps getting better

By Matt Green

Mar 26, 2017; New York, NY, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Sindarius Thornwell (0) and his teammates celebrate with the trophy after beating the Florida Gators in the finals of the East Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 26, 2017; New York, NY, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Sindarius Thornwell (0) and his teammates celebrate with the trophy after beating the Florida Gators in the finals of the East Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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Every NCAA Tournament is filled with great storylines, and the best one of 2017 is the South Carolina Gamecocks.

The South Carolina basketball program is far from being one of the best in the country, but in this year’s NCAA Tournament that’s exactly what they’ve been.

In the Gamecocks’ previous eight NCAA tournaments, they won only two games. They doubled that total in this year’s tournament with four wins. They beat Marquette, Duke, Baylor, and Florida on their way to their first Final Four in school history.

As a whole, this is one of the most inexperienced Final Fours in history. Gonzaga and South Carolina are both making their first ever appearance. Oregon is making their second Final Four appearance in school history, and their first since winning the very first in NCAA Tournament in 1939.

Mar 26, 2017; New York, NY, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Frank Martin reacts during the second half against the Florida Gators in the finals of the East Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 26, 2017; New York, NY, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Frank Martin reacts during the second half against the Florida Gators in the finals of the East Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

But it’s not without one of the Blue Bloods of the sport, or should I say Carolina blue? The North Carolina Tar Heels are making their 20th tournament appearance in school history, the most of any other program.

While most people know that this Final Four run by South Carolina is improbable, Paul Sabin from ESPN Analytics breaks down just how unlikely it is. Since 2008, South Carolina is the second-most unlikely Final Four appearance according to Basketball Power Index (BPI).

According to BPI, the Gamecocks had a 0.3 percent chance to make it to the Final Four. Only VCU in 2011 had a lower chance at 0.2 percent.

Lowest Chance to Make Final Four (According to ESPN.com BPI)

(11) VCU – 0.2% (2011)

(7) South Carolina – 0.3% (2017)

(9) Wichita State – 1.0% (2013)

(10) Syracuse – 1.0% (2016)

(8) Butler – 1.1% (2011)

Of the previous five teams to have 1.1 percent or less chance to get to the Final Four, only Butler made it to the national championship game, but that’s partly because they were matched up with one of the other teams in VCU that season.

One thing that South Carolina may have going for them is that they are a 7-seed, the highest of any of these teams. The only other 7-seed to win the NCAA Tournament was Connecticut in 2014.

The Gamecocks will have a tough test with Gonzaga on Saturday, and we’ll see if this great story can keep getting even better.

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