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2017 March Madness: Top 8 Performers From East Region in Opening Round

By Nick Ziegler

Mar 16, 2017; Buffalo, NY, USA; The Villanova Wildcats mascot performs in the second half against the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers during the first round of the NCAA Tournament at KeyBank Center. Villanova won 76-56. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 16, 2017; Buffalo, NY, USA; The Villanova Wildcats mascot performs in the second half against the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers during the first round of the NCAA Tournament at KeyBank Center. Villanova won 76-56. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports /
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2017 March Madness
Mar 17, 2017; Greenville, SC, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Sindarius Thornwell (0) reacts during the second half against the Marquette Golden Eagles in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /

Sindarius Thornwell

To the surprise of some, South Carolina was able to roll through Marquette on their way to a win. Coming into the tournament, South Carolina was limping in, but they looked very good in the win.

One of the issues for South Carolina this season has been scoring. Besides Sindarius Thornwell, scoring has been an issue for South Carolina lately. Thornwell is one of the best scorers in the country averaging over 20 points per game. Against Marquette, he was able to eclipse his season average with 29 points. In addition to the scoring, Thornwell was a big factor on the glass for South Carolina.

Even though Thornwell was easily the best player for South Carolina, he had some help in the game. In addition to Thornwell, South Carolina had three other players score in double figures. Playing Duke in the next round will not be an easy task for South Carolina, but the win against Marquette might be a sign that South Carolina has finally turned things around.

For a good chunk of the season, South Carolina was one of the best teams in the SEC. They didn’t play like it coming into the tournament, but South Carolina might be hitting their stride.

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