Here’s how to watch Friday’s NCAA Tournament game between South Carolina and Marquette online.
The first week of March Madness is here, and it’s time to get excited. The first four days of the Madness – with games tipping off every half hour or so – is one of the best times in sports. Friday night gives us an interesting clash in styles – the defense-first South Carolina Gamecocks, and the offense-only Marquette Golden Eagles.
South Carolina’s approach is led by PJ Dozier and Sindarius Thornwell — a pair of guard/wings that absolutely hound opposing ballhandlers, then grab the ball and do everything for the team on the other end. Both sport steal rates over 3.4 percent — top 85 rates in the country — and offensive usage rates near 30 percent. The degree to which they rely on both was evident during Thornwell’s month-long suspension through December and January — the previously undefeated Gamecocks dropped games to Seton Hall, Clemson, and Memphis as they went 3-3. They’ll have the added benefit of playing this game in their home state.
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Marquette is defined by its approach to the long ball. The Golden Eagles led the NCAA in conversion rate from 3, hitting 43.0 percent of its long balls, and took 41.1 percent of its shots from distance. They’re also excellent at the foul line, and surprisingly good from inside the arc, hitting 52.7 percent of their 2s. Markus Howard has hit an insane 55 percent of his 3s this year, and they have two other rotation players near 45 percent. If Marquette is going to pull an upset in South Carolina’s home state, they’ll need all the shots they can get.
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Date: Friday, March 17
Start Time: 9:50 p.m. ET
Location: Greenville, SC
Venue: Bon Secours Wellness Arena
TV: TBS
Live Stream: CBS All-Access (subscriber-only, free 1 week trial available), NCAA March Madness Live
Tune in to see this incredible clash of conflicting styles, and for the team that will move on to take on Duke (or its upsetter!) in the Round of 32.