“Gamecocks vs. Everybody.”
That was the slogan on Dawn Staley’s sweatshirt as she talked about South Carolina’s upcoming Sweet 16 matchup with Baylor this weekend in Greensboro.
And heading into Saturday’s NCAA tournament game, close to everybody will be picking against the Gamecocks — Baylor, the No. 1 overall seed, has an 89 percent chance of winning, according to FiveThirtyEight, a website that focuses heavily on stats and polls. The Lady Bears (31-1) are favored by 14 points, according to bracketologist Warren Nolan.
Accepting, embracing and even playing up the underdog role is a tactic with which USC and Staley are familiar.