After an impressive SEC Tournament performance, which saw defending national champion No. 5 South Carolina defeat Vanderbilt, No. 10 Oklahoma, and No. 1 Texas each by 18 points or more, Gamecocks HC Dawn Staley wants some respect put on her team’s name.
The Gamecock head coach proclaimed her team—projected to be a No. 2 seed before the NCAA Tournament—deserves the No. 1 overall seed in March Madness.
Dawn Staley Offers Harsh Criticism About South Carolina’s Seeding
The No. 5 South Carolina Gamecocks may have three losses on their resume, but Coach Dawn Staley made sure everyone knew South Carolina’s schedule was difficult and designed to have strong wins and losses. The aforementioned losses came at the hands of No. 1 Texas, No. 3 UConn, and No. 4 UCLA.
“When you win this tournament and play the schedule that we play, I do think we’re the No. 1 overall seed,” Staley said. “We manufactured our schedule to put ourselves in this situation. So I hope the committee doesn’t discount our entire résumé.
“There isn’t anybody in the country that has played the schedule that we have played, that had a share of the regular-season title, won this tournament, and beat the No. 1 team in the country…There is no one,” Staley continued.
The Gamecocks racked up 11 wins against teams currently ranked in the AP top 25 this season, including No. 7 NC State, No. 8 TCU, No. 9 LSU, No. 11 Duke, No. 12 Kentucky, No. 18 Tennessee, No. 19 Alabama, and two apiece against two against No. 1 Texas and No. 10 Oklahoma.
South Carolina’s 30-game regular season schedule also included 13 games against teams in the AP top 25, two more than any other ranked team, leaving Staley “shocked” at the team’s No. 2 seed projection.
“If you get so much credit for beating us, and yet when we have had some of the toughest stretches in the country and came out of it unscathed, you can’t discount that,” Staley said.
Women’s March Madness Bracket Predictions: The Latest On Who’s In And Who’s Out
“You can’t discredit that. I’m going to speak up about it because you have to hear the voice of the other side. Because if you don’t think our body of works deserves it, then you need to speak out on it…I’m going to go down fighting for what our team earned.”
Staley will be pleased to learn that ESPN bracketologist Charlie Creme now has the Gamecocks as the No. 1 overall seed. Selection Sunday will be held in less than a week on March 16, where we’ll see if Staley gets her wish of a No. 1 seed for her team.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in football, basketball, and more!
