Oklahoma Sooners Surge Into SEC Tournament Matchup Against South Carolina

Sooners look to boost NCAA Tournament hopes with win over Gamecocks in first round

Published on Mar. 11, 2026

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The Oklahoma Sooners enter the Southeastern Conference tournament on a four-game winning streak, looking to boost their NCAA Tournament hopes with a first-round victory over the struggling South Carolina Gamecocks. Oklahoma, led by leading scorer Nigel Pack, finished 11th in the SEC regular season but have surged late, while South Carolina limps into the tournament having lost 10 of 11 games during conference play.

Why it matters

Oklahoma is on the NCAA Tournament bubble and a strong showing in the SEC tournament could solidify their at-large bid. South Carolina, on the other hand, is looking to end a disappointing season on a high note and potentially play spoiler against the Sooners.

The details

Oklahoma (17-14) finished the regular season strong, winning its last four games to catapult itself into the NCAA Tournament conversation. The Sooners boast a NET ranking of 54 and have quality wins over likely tournament teams Vanderbilt, Georgia, Missouri and Texas. South Carolina (13-18), meanwhile, struggled mightily in SEC play, losing 10 of 11 games during a tough stretch. The Gamecocks enter the tournament coming off just their second road win of the season, a 64-61 victory over Ole Miss.

  • Oklahoma won its last four regular-season games to finish 11th in the SEC.
  • The Sooners and Gamecocks will meet in the first round of the SEC tournament on Wednesday in Nashville.

The players

Nigel Pack

Oklahoma's leading scorer, averaging 16.1 points per game.

Xzayvier Brown

Oklahoma's second-leading scorer, averaging 15.6 points per game.

Tae Davis

Oklahoma player averaging 12.2 points per game.

Meechie Johnson

South Carolina's leading scorer, averaging 17.3 points per game.

Mike Sharavjamts

South Carolina player averaging 10.6 points per game.

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What they’re saying

“We're playing our best basketball and that's what you want this time of the year. There's always a path. Even when we lost nine in a row, I told the guys there's a path. Not a lot of teams can win six out of eight games in this SEC.”

— Porter Moser, Oklahoma Head Coach (statenews.net)

“It was a neat way to end the regular season and go into tournament time. Nothing says March like a half-court buzzer-beater. What a way to get this whole thing started as we prepare to get ourselves ready to go to Nashville.”

— Lamont Paris, South Carolina Head Coach (statenews.net)

What’s next

The winner of the Oklahoma-South Carolina matchup will advance to face the winner of the Tennessee-Vanderbilt game in the SEC tournament quarterfinals on Thursday.

The takeaway

This first-round SEC tournament game represents a crucial opportunity for Oklahoma to bolster its NCAA Tournament resume, while South Carolina looks to end a disappointing season on a high note and potentially play spoiler against the Sooners.