Have you heard the good news? The No. 7 seed South Carolina Gamecocks knocked Duke out of the NCAA tournament, with a 88-81 upset win in the Round of 32.
How to watch Baylor vs. South Carolina 2017 live stream, start time, TV channel, and streaming options
This Sweet 16 matchup pits two of the country’s best defensive teams against each other.
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Their next task will be facing the No. 3 seed Baylor Bears in the Sweet 16. This game gets the East region matchups started Friday on TBS. You can also stream the game, which tips off at 7:29 p.m. ET, on March Madness Live.
The Gamecocks needed an exceptional second half to take down Duke, as 65 of their 88 points came in the second. However, South Carolina can ill-afford another first half where it has to shoot 63 percent from the field to dig itself out of a hole.
The Gamecocks are home to SEC Player of the Year, 6’5 senior guard Sindarius Thornwell. He leads South Carolina in scoring, rebounds, assists, and steals with nightly averages of 21.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, almost three assists and 2.2 steals. He’s continued to excel in the tournament, and was the Gamecocks’ only bright spot in the first half against Duke.
Since South Carolina upset No. 2 seed Duke, and Wisconsin knocked off No. 1 seed Villanova, Baylor is the highest seed left in the East region. Leading the charge for Baylor is forward Johnathan Motley, who has double-doubles in both tournament games so far. Through two games he’s averaging 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks for the Bears.
Baylor’s bench production in the first two games is a big factor in why it’s still alive. Forward Terry Maston scored 19 points off the bench in both Baylor’s 91-73 win over New Mexico in the opening round and in its 82-78 win over the other USC, Southern California, in the Round of 32.
This is a matchup of two of the country’s premier defensive teams, as both rank in the Kenpom top 15 for defensive efficiency. South Carolina’s stingy man defense is currently the fourth-most efficient in the nation, while the Bears rank 13th in the category.
How to watch
Time: Friday, 7:29 p.m. ET
TV: TBS
Live stream: March Madness Live
Odds: South Carolina is a +3.5 favorite, per OddsShark
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