South Carolina Showcasing Ideal Sleeper Formula to Earn Surprise Elite 8 Berth

Entering the 2017 NCAA tournament, the most attention paid to South Carolina revolved around a program limping into March Madness. Sure, it held a 22-10 record, but a loss to Ole Miss and a pair of shortcomings against Alabama were glaring mishaps.

About 10 days later, the seventh-seeded Gamecocks have thrice used a combination of suffocating defense and a streaky offense as the formula to burst into the Elite Eight—most recently behind a 70-50 victory over third-seeded Baylor.

Hindsight is 20/20, of course, but that's not the focus. Although Frank Martin's team showed both skills before the tourney, it didn't happen regularly as the campaign closed.

Put simply, only the most diehard fans or extremely fortunate predictors could've projected this occurring. Yet nothing about South Carolina's run is luck, either.

The defense has been championship-worthy, and the offense has surged at perfect moments. While consistency is a problem when the former isn't on display, underdogs can hardly be more dangerous when their defense is excelling.

During the final nine-plus minutes of the Gamecocks' opening-round game against Marquette, they ripped off a 25-8 run while allowing just a 2-of-10 mark from the field. Then, Duke tied a season-worst mark with 18 turnovers in the upset loss, shooting a frustrating 38 percent in the second half.

And finally on Friday, Baylor mustered just 17 field goals compared to 16 turnovers, managing a dreadful 30.4 percent clip.

That tenacious defense is what South Carolina lacked before the NCAA tourney. Prior to February, the Gamecocks surrendered 70-plus points just three times in 21 games. From then on, they allowed 70-plus in seven of 11 outings.

No, it's not a perfect measurement of success, but South Carolina only averaged 73.1 points both in SEC play and on the season. It ranked just seventh in conference play, and the team is still unspectacular in tempo-adjusted efficiency, per KenPom.

But as the defense shines, the offense only needs to be adequate.

With Sindarius Thornwell leading the way, the Gamecocks have met the manageable benchmark in the Big Dance. The SEC Player of the Year is averaging 25.7 points through three games, and the team as a whole is shooting 54.8 percent inside the arc.

South Carolina, during the regular season, exemplified how a streaky offense isn't a sustainable way to win. But in a short-term stretch, it's certainly enough to complement a tenacious unit holding down the other end.

The Gamecocks will need a more formidable offense to assemble a true championship run, but defense is one victory away from carrying them through the East Region.

From rapid rotations to active hands to purely out-hustling opponents for loose balls, they've flat-out been the better team.

Marquette's 12 assists were the program's fourth-lowest output of 2016-17. Duke collected just 11 dimes. Baylor also finished with 11, which was the team's second-worst total this year.

Perhaps the Elite Eight is where South Carolina's surprising run reaches its conclusion. Should that happen, the 2017 tournament was still a historical year for the school, considering it had never before advanced past the Sweet 16.

Or maybe this spectacular story has another chapter. After all, Martin said after the win that "it's the best defensive team I've coached in college basketball," per David Cloninger of The State.

The Gamecocks won't move any further without lockdown defense continuing while Thornwell carries a volatile offense. But after three impressive games on the biggest stage, it's not time to start doubting them and their formula now.

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Follow Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.