For the second straight season, South Carolina went undefeated through the GameCox Elite Eight. Coach Dan Staley agreed “Uncomfortably comfortable“With his young team, but the results are undeniable. South Carolina is getting great production from its bench and running with great speed.
The point is, so is NC State. And the Wolfpack fires parallel to the camcox from the periphery. In four NCAA Tournament games, NC State is shooting 38.6% from distance, while South Carolina is 38.1% from 3-point range.
South Carolina has had some close calls so far in the tournament, but has led through all of them. Gamecox Presbyterian defeated North Carolina, Indiana and Oregon State to reach this milestone. NC State, meanwhile, swept Chattanooga, Tennessee, Stanford and Texas to reach the Final Four, with the final two wins over its region's No. 1 and No. 2 came over the seeds.
Before we tackle the main storylines to watch in the game below, let's take a closer look at how fans can catch the action in Cleveland on Friday night.
How to watch (3) NC State vs. (1) South Carolina
Date: Friday, April 5 | Time: 7 pm ET
Place: Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse — Cleveland, Ohio
TV: ESPN | Live Stream: Fubo (Try it for free)
NC State vs. South Carolina: The main storyline
Shania Rivers has already led her new team, NC State, to the program's first Final Four. Now the guard needs to win, and Staley, his former head coach, needs to give the Wolfpack a chance at a championship ring.
“Man, it's going to be amazing to add another ring to the collection. It's going to be great. It's going to be amazing, especially to feel like I'm more in the Final Four championship this year,” Rivers said after losing on March 30. Texas in the Elite Eight.
“I got my chance. Most freshmen don't get a chance, most don't get a chance to win a national championship. I want to really feel like I'm playing more and being a part and contributing to the Final Four and a tournament. A championship would be amazing,” he added.
Rivers is starting for NC State head coach Wes Moore and has played all 40 minutes in the last two Wolfpack wins against Stanford and Texas. He's averaging 13 points and four assists per game for NC State, nearly doubling his productivity from last season. In 2021-22, Rivers averaged 2.3 points and 1.4 assists for Gamecox. He played a combined 25 minutes in the national semifinal and championship games.
Staley confirmed that he had contact with Rivers, including the night NC State earned a trip to the Final Four.
“I say this often, if you're part of our family, whether you stay or you move, I mean, you're always going to have me as a resource,” Staley said Tuesday. “I'm proud of Rivers. I really am.”
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