The Gamecocks (30-3) entered the SEC Tournament ranked fifth in the country and projected to be a No. 2 seed. But after throttling three league foes, a No. 1 seed now seems to be a lock.

South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley expressed pride in her team after the Gamecocks defeated Texas 64-45 on Sunday to capture another SEC Tournament title, their ninth in the last 11 years.

The Gamecocks entered the week ranked No. 5 in the AP Top 25 and were projected as the No. 5 overall seed in the field (and the top No. 2 seed) in the NCAA’s final bracket revea