PITTSBURGH — South Carolina made history this year with a school record 25 wins in the regular season. With 26 wins currently on the ledger, the Gamecocks can set a program record with their 27th win if they can defeat Oregon in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
The game is taking place in Pittsburgh where Carolina had that infamous loss to Coppin State in 1997 but head coach Lamont Paris also has unfinished business in the Steel City.
Two years ago, he led Chattanooga into the Big Dance where it lost a hard fought contest to Brad Underwood and Illinois.
The calling card for Carolina this year has been defense and timely offense, a recipe for success this time of year when the shots may not be falling.
As far as Oregon is concerned, former USC guard Jermaine Cousinard is on that roster after transfererring following the departure of Frank Martin. He helped the Ducks win the Pac-12 Tournament which earned them an automatic bid to the Big Dance.
USC is the 6 seed, Oregon the 11 seed in this contest in the Midwest Region. TIpoff at PPG Paints Arena is set for 4:00 p.m.