A championship is never inevitable. The South Carolina Gamecocks knew this—careful always to emphasize the work they had in front of them, to give credit to all of their opponents, to stay both focused and humble.
But if this championship could not quite be called inevitable, it felt inescapable.
The No. 1 team in the polls from wire to wire—October to March—sealed the deal in appropriate fashion. It never trailed against No. 2 seed UConn in the final on Sunday. For much of the night, the Gamecocks showed off exactly what has made them so tough all year, with relentless pressure and overwhelming power in the paint. A series of competitive Huskies runs could not cut the lead any smaller than six in the second half. This South Carolina team was simply too dominant, too long, too good. The 64–49 final score felt like just one more piece of evidence in support of a truth that has been obvious all season: This is the best team in the nation.
