ESPN Analytics projects winner of Oklahoma/South Carolina SEC Tournament first-round matchup
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Oklahoma is hoping that a late-season surge — paired with a deep run in the SEC Tournament — can propel it into the NCAA Tournament conversation. It starts Wednesday in Nashville, as the Sooners face South Carolina in the first round.
The Sooners, who enter as the No. 10 seed, have won four in a row and six of their last eight. That includes wins over Vanderbilt and Georgia. However, it hasn’t been enough to put them firmly in the NCAA picture. In fact, Joe Lunardi had them as one of his Next Four Out in his Monday night bracketology.
On the other hand, barring a miracle stretch over the next few days, there will certainly be no Big Dance appearance for the Gamecocks. The headlines surrounding the No. 14 seed going into the tournament have involved the status of head coach Lamont Paris for the 2026-27 season. While the fourth-year man is safe, it goes without saying that his seat will be hotter than ever — especially given AD Jeremiah Donati’s vow of increased NIL resources for the program.
First, though, is Wednesday’s game. And, according to ESPN Analytics’ matchup predictor, Oklahoma is being given a 73.9% chance of winning.
The winner of Oklahoma vs. South Carolina will square off against sixth-seeded Texas A&M on Wednesday. The Aggies got past the Sooners 83-76 on Jan. 10 before routing the Gamecocks 92-69 two weeks later.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
