South Carolina women's basketball: ACC/SEC Challenge preview

The women’s ACC/SEC Challenge begins on Wednesday. Here is a handy guide to the best (and worst) games over the next two days.

This season’s women’s challenge could be as lopsided as the men’s challenge was last season. The SEC went 14-2, with the only two losses by Kentucky (at Clemson) and Auburn (at Duke). That established a season-long narrative about the strength of the SEC and the weakness of the ACC.

The SEC ended up with a record 14 teams in the NCAA Tournament, while the ACC had just four, including the controversial inclusion of North Carolina.

Returning to this season’s ACC/SEC Challenge, the ACC began the year with five teams in the preseason top 25, including Duke and NC State in the top 10. Both have dropped completely out of the rankings, and nobody has stepped up to replace them.

Using ESPN’s matchup predictor, the SEC is favored to win 13 of the 16 games this season. The only ACC programs favored to win are Syracuse (over Auburn), Virginia Tech (over Florida), and SMU (over Arkansas, which is ranked nearly 100 spots higher in the NET). 

Ironically, the ACC’s only undefeated team, Wake Forest, is not a part of the Challenge. It’s a missed opportunity for the league and the Demon Deacons to get a power conference win.

The leagues each won seven games in 2023, and the SEC won 10-6 last season.

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Wednesday
Virginia (6-2) @ #15 Vanderbilt (8-0) (5:00 ET, SEC Network) Vandy – 79.6%
#17 Kentucky (8-1) @ Miami (5-2) (5:00 ET, ESPN2) UK – 91.4%
Auburn (8-1) @ Syracuse (6-1) (5:00 ET, ACC Network) SU – 72.9%
Georgia (9-0) @ Florida State (4-5) (5:00 ET, ESPNU) UGa – 56.9%
NC State (5-3) @ #9 Oklahoma (7-1) (7:15 ET, ESPN2) OU – 76.4%
Georgia Tech (3-5) @ Texas A&M (5-1) (7:15 ET, SEC Network) TAMU – 81.8%
#19 Tennessee (5-2) @ Stanford (8-1) (9:15 ET, ESPN2) Tenn – 56.9%

Thursday
Florida (8-1) @ Virginia Tech (6-2) (5:00 ET, ESPN2) VT – 56.5%
#3 South Carolina (7-1) @ #22 Louisville (7-2) (7:00 ET, ESPN) USC – 81.8%
#11 North Carolina (8-1) @ #2 Texas (8-0) (7:00 ET, ESPN2) Tex – 87.0%
Pitt (6-4) @ Mississippi State (7-1) (7:00 ET, SEC Network) MSU – 97.2%
Arkansas (7-2) @ SMU (3-5) (7:00 ET, ACC Network) SMU – 60.7%
Clemson (5-3) @ Alabama (8-0) (7:00 ET, ESPNU) Bama – 84.0%
#5 LSU (8-0) @ Duke (3-5) (9:00 ET, ESPN) LSU – 86.0%
#18 Notre Dame (5-1) @ #13 Ole Miss (7-0) (9:00 ET, ESPN2) OM – 56.6%
Cal (6-2) @ Mizzou (7-2) (9:00 ET, SEC Network) Mizzou – 61.3%

**Other games
William & Mary (2-4) @ Wake Forest (9-0) (11:30 ET, Wednesday) WF – 91.6%
Quinnipiac (3-3) @ Boston College (4-6) (1:00 ET, Wednesday) BC – 56.7%

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Don’t Miss Games

North Carolina at Texas – North Carolina came up short against UCLA earlier in the season; now it gets another shot at a top-three opponent. Texas gets to defend its ranking after the Players Era Championship.

South Carolina at Louisville – How will the Gamecocks respond to their first loss? Is the third time the charm for the Cardinals, who lost to their first two ranked opponents this season?

Notre Dame at Ole Miss – Hannah Hidalgo is always must-see-TV, and Notre Dame needs her to be extraordinary every game in order to win. It won’t be easy against Ole Miss’ defense. 

Worth Watching

LSU at Duke – This was the highlight of the schedule when the matchups were announced. Now it’s mainly for morbid curiosity whether Duke will ever get itself together and whether it can hold LSU under 100 points.

NC State at Oklahoma – The Wolfpack is struggling, but under Wes Moore, NC State has always gotten better as the season goes on. Oklahoma had better bring its A game.

Intriguing matchups

Georgia at Florida State – Both teams look like they could be bubble teams in March. Someone is going to have a good win for their resume.

Tennessee at Stanford – Pollsters like the Lady Vols, but the NET likes the Cardinal. Settle it on the court.

Sickos Only

Arkansas at SMU – Two of the three lowest-ranked ACC/SEC teams in the NET (only Pitt is lower), this game is only interesting to see if Arkansas might actually be competitive in conference play.

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