South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley celebrates after the Final Four college basketball championship game against Iowa in the women's NCAA Tournament, Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Cleveland. South Carolina won 87-75. (AP Photo/Morry Gash) AP

Playing defending national champion South Carolina was already difficult enough. But how the Gamecocks have responded to their toughest loss of this season makes them even more formidable. We're not talking about their lone loss,

Losses to Georgia Tech and Notre Dame (its only regular-season meetings) prevent North Carolina from placing even higher, but continued consistency in the ACC will have the Tar Heels poised to host in March for the first time since Sylvia Hatchell still walked the sidelines.