South Carolina vs Oregon: 3 keys to NCAA Tournament 1st-round matchup

After earning the autobid from the Pac-12 Tournament, can Oregon continue winning against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the first round of the Big Dance?

TV schedule: Thursday, March 21st, 4:00 pm ET (approx), TNT
Arena: PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

One of the "bid thieves" from last week's "Championship Week" was the Oregon Ducks (23-11), who defeated Arizona and Colorado in the Pac-12 Tournament to earn the autobid. They were a team that had some ups and downs, due to a ton of injuries throughout the season. But they're as healthy as they can be at the right time, as they have a shot at making a run in this Midwest Region.

Their opponent is South Carolina (26-7), one of the biggest surprises of the entire CBB season. They won just 11 games a year ago but with a reworked roster, is now a 6 seed in the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament. But could they be on upset alert? Here's a look at the three keys to the game.

1. Collin Murray-Boyles vs N'Faly Dante

One of the big reasons why the Gamecocks have been so good is the play of freshman forward, Murray-Boyles. The 6'7 forward averages 10.6 ppg and 5.7 rpg on 60% shooting from the field. Since getting starter minutes in the second half of the season, he's excelled, including a 24-point game against Arkansas.

His counterpart is Dante, a 6'11 senior center and former 5-star prospect. He's dealt with injuries in the past, including missing the first half of the season. But he's been great ever since, leading Oregon with 16.2 ppg and 8.8 rpg, including 25 points and nine rebounds in the Pac-12 title game win over Colorado. Murray-Boyles has done well against SEC bigs this season but he'll need to handle Dante down low for the Gamecocks to be in position. Look for 6'8 forward BJ Mack to also get some time against him as well.

2. Turnovers

This is a category where both teams shine, as South Carolina and Oregon average just 10.1 ppg, good for top-60 in the country. Both teams have good guard play, with Ta'Lon Cooper having a 3.5 assist-to-turnover ratio for the Gamecocks, while all of the Duck guards are fairly safe with the ball. In fact, big man Dante is the one with the biggest turnover problem for Oregon.

The PG battle itself could be one to watch, as Cooper is a veteran senior, taking on Jackson Shelstad, a freshman guard for Oregon. If he struggles, the advantage will go to South Carolina.

3. Meechie Johnson's up and down play

In the first half of the season, Johnson was looking like an SEC Player of the Year candidate, averaging around 18 ppg. He's been hit-or-miss in the past two months, with five games of 16+ points, along with eight games of six or fewer points.

South Carolina was around .500 in those games, thanks to others stepping up. But the reality is that the Gamecocks need the high-level version of Johnson to have a good shot to beat Oregon, especially if Shelstad and Jermaine Couisnard (15.4 ppg) have big games. Since Cooper isn't much of a pure scorer in his own right, pressure will be on Johnson to do his part on offense.