PREMIUM
Rogers' 10* SWEET 16 BEST OF THE BEST >> TOP SIDE!
(NCAAB) South Carolina vs. Baylor,
Point Spread: -3.50 | -106.00 Baylor (Home)
Result: Loss
Point Spread: -3.50 | -106.00 Baylor (Home)
Result: Loss
The set-up: The East Regional will be played in "the world's most famous arena," Madison Square Garden. However, the region's top-two seeds are missing, defending champion Villanova (this year's overall No. 1 seed) and second-seed Duke. The Blue Devils were eliminated by seventh-seeded South Carolina (24-10), which will take on third-seeded Baylor (27-7), which now finds itself as the top seed remaining in the region.
South Carolina: Sindarius Thornwell was the SEC's player-of-the-year but was somewhat under the radar nationally, entering the NCAA tourney. However, with the Gamecocks' upset of Duke, "the cat's out of the bag" on this 6-5 standout. South Carolina trailed Duke 30-23 at the half on Sunday but led by Thornwell (24 points, six rebounds and a five assists for the game), the Gamecocks erupted for 65 second-half points in the 88-81 win. Thornwell leads the team in scoring (21.4), rebounding (7.3) and steals (2.2), while shooting 39.8 percent from three-point range. He is also the leader of a tough and physical defense (65.2 PPG allowed ranks 32nd in the nation), one which forced 18 Duke turnovers! Chris Silva, a 6-9 sophomore forward, added a career-high 17 points to go along with 10 rebounds against the Blue Devils and is averaging 10.0 & 5.8 on the season. Guards Dozier (13.8-4.7-2.9) and Notice (10.3) give South Carolina four double digit scorers.
Baylor: The Bears were un-ranked to open the season but began 15-0 and earned the school's first-ever No. 1 ranking. However, one day after climbing to No. 1, the Bears got clobbered at West Va. The Bears finished 10-6 after that 15-0 start and then lost their first game in the Big 12 tourney. Wins over 14-seed New Mexico State and 11-seed USC are hardly worthy of that much note but Baylor's resume to this point does includes victories over three teams that are still alive in this tournament, Oregon, Xavier and West Virginia! The 6-10 Motley (17.3 & 9.9) has played himself into NBA lottery consideration. He had 19 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in the Bears' 82-78 second-round victory over USC. Junior PG Manu Lecomte (12.3 & 3.9 APG) is the only other player averaging in double figures but 7-0 junior forward Jo Lual-Acuil Jr., who averages 9.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks plus junior guard Al Freeman (9.5), who had 21 points in the team's 91-73 first-round victory over New Mexico State, have been impact players at different times throughout the season.
The pick: South Carolina opened this tourney with a win over Marquette. It had last won a game in the NCAAs when it topped Southwestern Louisiana 90-85 in a regional consolation game back on March 17, 197, which means the Gamecocks drought had lasted exactly 44 years! Then came Sunday's upset of Duke, which some are calling the biggest win in school history! What goes up, must come down. This marks the fourth time in 14 seasons under Scott Drew that the Bears have made it to the Sweet 16. They've advanced to the Elite Eight twice with wins over Saint Mary's in 2010 and Xavier in 2012 while losing to No. 2 seed Wisconsin in 2014. The bet is Baylor makes it to another Elite 8 here and just maybe, to its first Final Four since 1950 (just an eight-team tourney back then). Make Baylor a 10* play.
South Carolina: Sindarius Thornwell was the SEC's player-of-the-year but was somewhat under the radar nationally, entering the NCAA tourney. However, with the Gamecocks' upset of Duke, "the cat's out of the bag" on this 6-5 standout. South Carolina trailed Duke 30-23 at the half on Sunday but led by Thornwell (24 points, six rebounds and a five assists for the game), the Gamecocks erupted for 65 second-half points in the 88-81 win. Thornwell leads the team in scoring (21.4), rebounding (7.3) and steals (2.2), while shooting 39.8 percent from three-point range. He is also the leader of a tough and physical defense (65.2 PPG allowed ranks 32nd in the nation), one which forced 18 Duke turnovers! Chris Silva, a 6-9 sophomore forward, added a career-high 17 points to go along with 10 rebounds against the Blue Devils and is averaging 10.0 & 5.8 on the season. Guards Dozier (13.8-4.7-2.9) and Notice (10.3) give South Carolina four double digit scorers.
Baylor: The Bears were un-ranked to open the season but began 15-0 and earned the school's first-ever No. 1 ranking. However, one day after climbing to No. 1, the Bears got clobbered at West Va. The Bears finished 10-6 after that 15-0 start and then lost their first game in the Big 12 tourney. Wins over 14-seed New Mexico State and 11-seed USC are hardly worthy of that much note but Baylor's resume to this point does includes victories over three teams that are still alive in this tournament, Oregon, Xavier and West Virginia! The 6-10 Motley (17.3 & 9.9) has played himself into NBA lottery consideration. He had 19 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in the Bears' 82-78 second-round victory over USC. Junior PG Manu Lecomte (12.3 & 3.9 APG) is the only other player averaging in double figures but 7-0 junior forward Jo Lual-Acuil Jr., who averages 9.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks plus junior guard Al Freeman (9.5), who had 21 points in the team's 91-73 first-round victory over New Mexico State, have been impact players at different times throughout the season.
The pick: South Carolina opened this tourney with a win over Marquette. It had last won a game in the NCAAs when it topped Southwestern Louisiana 90-85 in a regional consolation game back on March 17, 197, which means the Gamecocks drought had lasted exactly 44 years! Then came Sunday's upset of Duke, which some are calling the biggest win in school history! What goes up, must come down. This marks the fourth time in 14 seasons under Scott Drew that the Bears have made it to the Sweet 16. They've advanced to the Elite Eight twice with wins over Saint Mary's in 2010 and Xavier in 2012 while losing to No. 2 seed Wisconsin in 2014. The bet is Baylor makes it to another Elite 8 here and just maybe, to its first Final Four since 1950 (just an eight-team tourney back then). Make Baylor a 10* play.
