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The 2024 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight tips-off this Sunday, March 31, with a pair of games that will be televised nationally via ABC.
First, the undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks look to continue their run as tournament favorites against the Oregon State Beavers, who took “winning ugly” to a new level in their most recent victory. The NC State Wolfpack will then take on the Texas Longhorns in a matchup between two programs with a considerable amount of basketball history to show for. Here’s what we’ll be watching for as the Elite Eight begins.
Can Oregon State pull off an improbable upset against undefeated South Carolina?
The No. 3-seed Oregon State Beavers are back in the Elite Eight for the third time in program history, and they’ve reached this point by just about any means necessary.
Oregon State upset No. 2-seed Notre Dame in the Sweet 16, though the box score reflects a rather unorthodox route to victory. The Beavers committed 26 turnovers in the game (Notre Dame, on the other hand, committed only five) yet couldn’t have done much better with the possessions they kept, shooting 60.4 percent from the field. Defensively, Oregon State held star Irish freshman Hannah Hidalgo in check (4-for-17 shooting) and outrebounded Notre Dame 42-24 in a game that epitomized the mantra of “survive and advance.”
It’s safe to say the Beavers can’t afford to play the same way against No. 1-seed South Carolina. The Gamecocks have seemed more or less unbeatable thus far, and while the No. 4-seed Indiana Hoosiers put up a good fight against South Carolina in the last round, the Gamecocks emerged victorious, pushing their record on the season to 35-0.
While both the Gamecocks and Beavers shot the ball well in the Sweet 16, their Elite Eight clash could be decided by which team’s center has a bigger game. Oregon State’s Raegan Beers was spectacular against Notre Dame, recording 18 points and 13 rebounds while shooting 9-of-12 from the floor, while South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso was similarly efficient, dropping 22 points on 10-of-12 shooting. Whichever frontcourt gains the upper hand will then allow their respective team to play at the pace they like; Oregon State prefers to keep things slow and methodical, while South Carolina likes to push the ball in transition as often as possible.
Historic NC State, Texas programs seek return to Final Four
The No. 3-seed NC State Wolfpack certainly have momentum on their side after a thrilling upset of No. 2-seed Stanford. NC State trailed by as many as 12 points in its Sweet 16 matchup against the Cardinal but came out of halftime red-hot, getting star Stanford forward Cameron Brink into foul trouble and taking full advantage of their athleticism in the backcourt to outscore the Cardinal 28-10 in the third quarter and 50-30 in the second half. Wolfpack guard Aziaha James was the star of the show, scoring a game-high 29 points, while Saniya Rivers played the full 40 minutes and kept Stanford’s guards from getting into the paint for the vast majority of the game.
The Wolfpack shot it well from the 3-point line (7-for-17) and the charity stripe (16-for-19) and will need to stay efficient entering their Elite Eight matchup against Texas. The No. 1-seed Longhorns have had a dominant NCAA Tournament thus far, following up their first two wins of 40 points and 11 points with a 69-47 win over No. 4-seed Gonzaga. Texas, too, was efficient from the field, shooting 50 percent from both 2-point and 3-point range, while its trademark defense remained fierce, holding the Bulldogs to 26.5 percent shooting.
Whichever team comes out on top in Sunday’s Elite Eight game, it will be a continuation of that program’s respective revitalization. NC State last made the Final Four in 1998 under legendary head coach Kay Yow, who won 680 games with the Wolfpack; it’s been nearly as long for Texas, which last made the Final Four in 2003, the last of three Final Four appearances for Longhorns head coach and women’s basketball pioneer Jody Conradt.
Simply put, NC State and Texas are two historic programs, and their current head coaches (Wes Moore for NC State and Vic Schaefer for Texas) have them in the best shape they’ve been in in quite some time. With young stars like James and Rivers for NC State and Aaliyah Moore and Madison Booker for Texas, expect a tough, physical matchup—something that both the Wolfpack and Longhorns seem to embrace.
Game information
No. 3-seed Oregon State Beavers (27-7; 12-6 Pac-12) vs. No. 1-seed South Carolina Gamecocks (35-0; 16-0 SEC)
When: Sunday, March 31 at 1 p.m. ET
Where: MVP Arena in Albany, NY
How to watch: ABC
No. 3-seed NC State Wolfpack (30-6; 13-5 ACC) vs. No. 1-seed Texas Longhorns (33-4; 14-4 Big 12)
When: Sunday, March 31 at 3 p.m. ET
Where: Moda Center in Portland, OR
How to watch: ABC