At a glance: Marquette vs. South Carolina, 8:50 p.m. Friday (TBS)
BASICS
Teams: No. 7 South Carolina (22-10) vs. No. 10 Marquette (19-12).
When: Approximately 8:50 p.m. Friday.
Where: Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, S.C.
Broadcasts: TV - TBS, Radio - AM-540.
ABOUT THE GAMECOCKS
Coach: Frank Martin, 209-127, ninth season overall (92-73, five seasons at South Carolina).
Team colors: Garnet and black.
NCAA performance last year: Did not make the 68-team field.
Starting five: Duane Notice, 6-2, Sr., G; Hassani Gravett, 6-1, So., G; PJ Dozier, 6-6, So., G; Sindarius Thornwell, 6-5, Sr., G; Chris Silva, 6-9, So., F.
Top reserves: Freshman forward Maik Kotsar started 28 games for South Carolina before Martin decided to shift to a starting lineup with four guards. Kotsar's 5.9 points per game rank fifth on the team and his 5.0 rebounds per contest are third. Rakym Felder, a 5-foot-10 freshman, is the Gamecocks' best three-point shooter at 43.7%. Overall, 31 of his 52 made baskets have been from beyond the arc.
How they win: The Gamecocks are an outstanding defensive team. They have held opponents to 29.6% on three-pointers, the fifth-lowest mark in the nation. When they're not contesting shots, the Gamecocks are forcing turnovers, doing so on 24.5% of their defensive possessions. If South Carolina can play to these averages and play efficient offense they'll be in the driver's seat.
CHAT: Matt Velazquez Q&A at 10 a.m. Friday
RELATED: Marquette has long wait to join the Madness
NOTES: Wojciechowski, Martin share professional relationship, friendship
MATCHUPS
Frontcourt: South Carolina's Chris Silva vs. Marquette's Luke Fischer. Silva is the Gamecocks' best rim protector (43 blocks) and their top rebounder in the post (5.7 rebounds per game). He's also solid at the offensive end, making a team-high 55% of his shots and ranking second in free-throw percentage (73%). On the downside, Silva (7.6 fouls per 40 minutes) has been incredibly foul prone, which is something Marquette will need to take advantage of. Fischer will be the best offensive big man on the court, averaging 11.0 on 64.6% shooting. He's also the best passer out of the post (37 assists), a solid shot-blocker (51) and at least as good of a rebounder as Silva. Whether or not he starts, Fischer likely will play more minutes than sophomore Matt Heldt, and if he can stay out of foul trouble it could be the boost the Golden Eagles need. Edge: Marquette.
Backcourt: South Carolina's Duane Notice, Hassani Gravett, PJ Dozier and Sindarius Thornwell vs. Marquette's Markus Howard, Andrew Rowsey, Duane Wilson and Sam Hauser. The Gamecocks hang their hat on their defense, which is one of the best in the country because their guards are incredibly versatile and aggressive. Thornwell (21.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.2 steals) was named the SEC player of the year and was selected to the league's all-defensive team. Dozier leads the team in assists (89) and is second in scoring (13.6) while Notice ranks third at 10.1. Marquette's guards can light it up on offense. Howard leads the team at 13.2 points and is the best three-point shooter in the country at 54.9%. Rowsey has provided a boost on offense (11.5) since breaking into the lineup late in the season. The better backcourt will be the one that does what it does best — for South Carolina that means playing lockdown defense and for Marquette it means picking that defense apart. Edge: Even.
Reserves: South Carolina's Maik Kotsar, Rakym Felder and Justin McKie vs. Marquette's Katin Reinhardt, Jajuan Johnson, Haanif Cheatham and Matt Heldt. Kotsar has played more minutes than Silva, the Gamecocks' starting forward. Felder, a three-point specialist, and McKie get regular minutes but have made only slight impacts. Anchored by Reinhardt, Marquette's bench has been a consistent asset. Reinhardt has played starter minutes, averaging 10.9 points while being one of Marquette's least turnover-prone players. Johnson, who shifted to the bench toward the end of the season, is the second-leading scorer (11.8) and the team's leader in steals by a wide margin with 57. Wilson ranks second in thefts with 19. Cheatham has struggled of late but still has the ability to make things happen on drives to the paint, and Heldt has been a steady, physical presence more than capable of spelling Fischer. Edge: Marquette.
Coaches: Marquette's Steve Wojciechowski vs. South Carolina's Frank Martin. Martin has led rebuilding projects at Kansas State and South Carolina, with this trip to the NCAA Tournament representing his fifth overall and first with the Gamecocks, which ended their 12-year drought. He's never lost in a first-round game in the NCAA Tournament. While he may have plenty of experience from his time as a player and assistant coach at Duke, Wojciechowski has never coached an NCAA Tournament game. Edge: Martin.
OVERALL EDGE: Even.