Honestly, if you weren't in Columbia back in March 2017, it’s hard to describe the sheer, unadulterated madness that took over the city. It wasn't just about winning games. It was the fact that South Carolina Final Four basketball was a phrase nobody—and I mean nobody—expected to utter in a serious sentence.
For decades, the men's program was a "wait until next year" kind of deal. Then Frank Martin showed up with that intense, terrifyingly focused stare and a group of seniors who refused to go away.
The 2017 Men's Run: A Statistical Fever Dream
Let’s look at the reality. South Carolina entered that tournament as a 7-seed. They hadn't won an NCAA tournament game since 1973. Think about that. Forty-four years of silence.
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Then came the Duke game.
Most people remember the second half of that matchup as a blur of Garnet and Black. The Gamecocks dropped 65 points in the second half alone. Against Duke. Coach K’s face looked like he’d seen a ghost, and frankly, he had. That ghost was Sindarius Thornwell, who basically willed the team through the East Regional.
Thornwell was the heart, but you can't talk about that Final Four trip without Chris Silva. The guy was a defensive vacuum.
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- First Round: Handled Marquette 93–73.
- Second Round: The 88–81 upset of No. 2 Duke.
- Sweet 16: A clinical 88–69 demolition of Baylor.
- Elite Eight: Beating SEC rival Florida 77–70 to book the ticket to Phoenix.
When they got to the Final Four in Glendale, Arizona, they faced Gonzaga. It was a heavyweight fight. The Gamecocks trailed by 14 in the second half, staged a 16–0 run to actually take the lead, but eventually fell 77–73.
PJ Dozier had 17. Silva had 13 points and 13 boards. It was close. Too close. But that run changed the DNA of the school. It proved that the men's side wasn't just a footnote to the football program.
The Dawn Staley Era: Final Fours as a Requirement
While the men's 2017 run was a lightning strike, the women's program under Dawn Staley has turned Final Fours into a seasonal tradition. It’s almost unfair.
You’ve got a coach who doesn't just recruit talent; she recruits "culture." That sounds like a cliché, but look at the results. Since 2015, the Gamecocks have been to the Final Four seven times. That is a level of dominance that usually requires a "UConn" or "Tennessee" jersey to achieve.
They don't just get there. They stay there.
The Women's Championship Milestones
- 2017: A'ja Wilson leads the team to its first-ever title, beating Mississippi State in an all-SEC final.
- 2022: Aliyah Boston anchors a defensive masterclass to take down UConn in the championship.
- 2024: An undefeated 38–0 season capped off with a win over Caitlin Clark and Iowa.
The 2024 run was special because Staley lost all five starters from the previous year. Everyone thought it was a rebuilding year. Instead, they just... didn't lose. Not once. Kamilla Cardoso became the focal point, and the "Freshies" grew up into a bench that could outscore most teams' starters.
What most people get wrong is thinking this is just about having the best players. It’s about the "Dawn Effect." She’s created a environment where players like Raven Johnson can come back from a devastating Final Four loss (like the one to Iowa in 2023) and turn it into a revenge tour.
Why "South Carolina Final Four Basketball" Matters Now
There’s a weird synergy in Columbia. In 2017, South Carolina became only the 10th school in history to have both the men’s and women’s teams in the Final Four in the same season. That year was a pivot point.
The men’s program hasn't quite returned to those heights since Frank Martin left, but Lamont Paris has brought a new kind of hope. After a massive turnaround in the 2023-24 season, the expectations have shifted. "Final Four" isn't a pipe dream anymore; it's the benchmark.
On the women’s side, the 2025 season saw them reach yet another Final Four, though they fell just short in the National Final. But the machine doesn't stop. They’ve consistently led the nation in attendance for a reason. Fans don't show up just to see a win; they show up to see a standard of play that is arguably the best in the country right now.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you are tracking the future of this program, keep your eyes on these specific markers:
- Recruiting Depth: Look at the "post-A'ja" and "post-Aliyah" eras. Staley has proven she can win with different styles of play—from the post-dominant 2022 team to the fast-paced 2024 squad.
- The Lamont Paris Factor: For the men to return to the Final Four, they need to maintain the defensive identity Paris established during his SEC Coach of the Year run.
- The Portal Era: South Carolina has been surgical in the transfer portal. Bringing in pieces like Chloe Kitts or Te-Hina Paopao shows that they aren't just relying on high school recruits; they are building veteran rosters designed for deep March runs.
Check the current SEC standings and look at defensive efficiency ratings. Historically, every South Carolina team that has made a Final Four run has ranked in the top 20 nationally in defensive field goal percentage. That is the "Gamecock Way."
To truly understand the trajectory, you should watch the 2017 Duke game and the 2024 Iowa game back-to-back. You’ll see the same grit, just in different forms. One was a program introducing itself to the world; the other was a program confirming it owns the world. Keep an eye on the upcoming tournament seeds, as being a top-two seed has been the strongest predictor for Staley’s Final Four appearances.