The second quarterfinal of the 2017 SEC Tournament will be a fierce matchup between the South Carolina Gamecocks and Alabama Crimson Tide.
TV schedule: Friday, March 10, 3:00 p.m. ET, SEC Network
The South Carolina Gamecocks burst into the 2016-17 college basketball season with eight straight non-conference wins, including two victories over Michigan and Syracuse. The Gamecocks went into SEC play with the same mentality, reeling off five wins.
This streak included wins over four teams that, at the time, were considered in the tournament or on the bubble. South Carolina is a team defined by streaks, and the right streak now could lead to a deep run in March.
The Gamecocks’ opening 2017 SEC Tournament opponent, the Alabama Crimson Tide, has had a completely different season and are desperate for a season-defining win.
Missing the marquee victories that would put them on the NCAA tournament bubble, the Crimson Tide have faced several NCAA tournament-bound teams without getting a victory. Decent on offense with arguably one of the best defenses in the SEC, Avery Johnson and Co. need to do something special if they are to stand a chance at making the Big Dance.
In their earlier meeting this season, Alabama got the best of South Carolina on the road. The Crimson Tide are a match-up nightmare for this Gamecocks’ squad, but the last game can easily be written off as a fluke. Alabama will not score 90 points very often, and this game will come down to whoever can score 70 first.
Next: 5 predictions for the SEC Tournament
South Carolina wins behind a big game by Sindarius Thornwell, cementing the Gamecocks’ place in the NCAA Tournament and sending the Crimson Tide to either the NIT or CBI. Avery Johnson has this team going in the right direction, but this is not the year for Alabama to take the next step.
Prediction: South Carolina 72, Alabama 65