South Carolina-Texas rivalry will take an even bigger stage in the Final Four

TAMPA – Texas coach Vic Schafer wants him to enjoy all the loot of his Longhorns in the women’s final four. And they don’t play South Carolina until Friday night, so they can even accept the giveaway.

“Every time they walk through any room, there’s something waiting for them,” Schafer said from a practice session at the Amalie Arena on Thursday. “It’s a box, it’s a shoe, it’s a warm-up, it’s a bag. They can’t wait to get out here and go back to the hotel.

On Wednesday night, Nike presented all the player shoes of former South Carolina and current Las Vegas Ace star A’ja Wilson, who met the Texas player.

“Every room they enter, that’s Christmas,” Schafer said.

But the Texas South Carolina National Semi-Finals could feel a little more on Groundhog Day.

The team has already met three times this season, with the Gamecocks winning twice, including a 64-45 victory in the SEC Championship Game.

For some reason, Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks (the defending national champion who only received three losses to the other teams that make up the Final Four) is portrayed as a loser.

“To be honest, we don’t think we see ourselves as the underdog,” Guard Raven Johnson said. “…We’re coming and bringing our A-game. We all want to win. Everyone here wants to win.

High-flying UCONN and UPSTART UCLA pack more points promises, but the South Carolina-Texas series was left to a defensive struggle of grinding out.

“We’re both defensive,” Staley said. “So I think it would take that, perhaps, that was the one that had a bigger offensive spurt across the entire game we played.

“I mean, we’re not going to resort to success with them and say, ‘Hey, we beat them.’ I’m making sure we can prevent that this year.

Perhaps no one is more familiar with South Carolina than Schafer. He coached nine seasons for Mississippi before embracing the challenge of restoring the Texas program in 2020.

When Schafer arrived in Austin, he walked by a banner celebrating the 34-0 record for the 1985-86 team coached by Jody Conratt.

The turnaround in Texas was supported by forward Madison Booker, the SEC player of the year, averaged 16.5 points. But Staley said there’s more to Booker’s game than meet basketball.

“She’s a genuine scorer,” Staley said. “Not even a genuine scorer. She’s a playmaker. She can win basketball at their best. She can play multiple positions.

“She can promote. She’s a really good rebounder. She’s a difficult matchup.

The Gamecocks are about to reach rare heights by becoming the first team to win a back-to-back national championship since UCONN claimed four straights from 2013-16.

“It’s very incredible,” said Rebecca Robo, former UConn star who calls the ESPN game. And for me, last year was the most eye-opening thing as I graduated from the classes they took to some Final Four. They have a whole new style of play.

Somehow, these teams will clash again in the last four.

“It’s about preparation, who’s going to take the biggest stage we’re in, and who’s going to be a tougher team,” Texas Guard’s Lori Harmon said.

Times correspondent Shane Pechana contributed to this report.

Women’s Final Four

Amary Arena; Tampa

Friday

•South Carolina No. 1 vs. No. 1 Texas, 7, ESPN

•No.1 UCLA vs. No.2 UConn, 9:30, ESPN

Sunday

•National Championship, 3, ABC

Note: The All-Star Game will be held on Saturday 3 at Hillsboro Community College. General permit tickets of $25. TV: ESPN2

Information: wfftampabay.com

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